Writing an email newsletter service can be a hard thing to do. So here is a list of things you should avoid while preparing your newsletter.

Point 1 - SPAM
Most people that are new to email newsletters do not realize that they are potential spammers. There are two types of people with respect to email newsletters. They are -
• Transactional: These are the people that have either signed up for or are a customer and hence receive the newsletter
• Promotional: These are the potential people that can become customers.
Care needs to be taken while dealing with the Promotional category. A double Opt-in process should be used. The double process is the opting and the confirmation of the service. By doing this a business can stay in the whitehat area. Another thing to be avoided is the purchasing of mailing lists.

Point 2 - Separation
This deals with the fact that many forget or ignore sending separate mails to the Transactional group and the Promotional group. Since the first group is already a part of the fold they do not need to be burdened with the extra material that is targeted at the Promotional group. Also using separate letters for both groups helps track changes from prospect to client.

Point 3 - The Introduction
The introduction to the letter sets the tone and lets the reader know what to expect. Most businesses forget this in order to cram in as much info as they can. Adding a coupon or voucher also gets the reader interested and will mellow their attitude towards the letter.

Point 4 - Frequency
Jamming content into a newsletter does not guarantee that it will be read or have the desired effect. Instead of sending out the email newsletter quarterly, send it out more regularly with half the content. This will help keep the content fresh in the minds of the clients.

Point 5 - The Tone
The tone matters because it helps connect with the reader. A newsletter that word on a 1:1 basis has more chance of being accepted.

Point 6 - The Content
The content needs to be fresh and light. Using too much HTML codes will make the email bulky and it might get sent to the Spam folder. Also keeping the newsletter light will enable people accessing it from their Blackberry’s and mobiles. Also limit the number of images put into the letter. Images take long to load and most of them are blocked by the email service provider.

Point 7 - The Ads
Most people avoid the ads when they go through the newsletter. This is called “Ad Blindness”. This happens if a fixed format and place is used for ads. The ads need to be changed around so that ad blindness can be avoided.

Point 8 - Tracking Stats
Tracking the stats of your newsletter will help you measure future split tests. The split test the ratio of the opened mails to the unopened rate.

Lastly if your budget permits it, send out printed versions of the newsletter as well.

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