Email Newsletter Format: HTML or Text
An email newsletter is probably the most effective way to communicate with your target audience. One of the main considerations before you create and deliver an email newsletter is what format to use: HTML or Text. Until a few years ago, some email programs couldn't handle HTML. Nowadays that is not an issue, since most email programs are HTML compatible: AOL versions 6 and higher, Internet Explorer versions 4 and higher, Microsoft Outlook and Outlook Express, Eudora, Yahoo Mail, and Hotmail all support HTML. HTML email newsletters can easily be managed and sent using services like Constant Contact or Vertical Response. Using HTML for your newsletter can be a plus from a usability perspective. Studies conducted by usability guru Jakob Nielsen show that most people prefer HTML newsletters because their enhanced layout makes articles easier to read (provided that the design of the HTML newsletter is clean and simple). The same design guidelines recommended for web pages also apply to HTML email newsletters. However, HTML newsletters are often confused with unwanted advertising, since HTML is the format of choice for marketers trying to sell their wares and services through email messages. For this reason, text email newsletters are still popular, since their plain, no frills look helps differentiate them from advertising. Text is also the format of choice for those who use a free service (like Topica or Yahoo! Groups) to administer their mailing lists and deliver their email newsletters, since these free services usually don't support HTML. If you use text, remember that you won't be able to use formatting tags, such as bold or underline, and that you must create hyperlinks by adding the prefix http:// before the URL (or the prefix mailto: before the email address, if you want to create an email link). The approach I prefer is a hybrid between HTML and text. I compose my email messages in HTML, but using only text. HTML allows me to use simple formatting tags like bold, underline and italics, and a nice, screen-friendly font. I use a lot of white space to facilitate scanning, and include only a summary of each article, with a link to the full article (which is hosted on my website), since most users don't like to read long articles in the body of email messages. My email newsletters, therefore, are similar to the table of contents of a magazine, in the sense that they give readers a broad overview of the current edition's content, and tell them where to find it if they are inclined to read further. This hybrid format is never mistaken for advertising, is easy to read and scan, and loads fast. Furthermore, by offering links to the full articles, your users will be encouraged to visit your website, where they can have access to more information and learn about your products and services. About The Author Mario Sanchez is a Miami based freelance writer who focuses on Internet marketing and web design topics. He publishes The Internet Digest ( http://www.theinternetdigest.net ), a growing collection of web design and Internet marketing articles, tips and resources. You can freely reprint his weekly articles in your website, ezine, or ebook.
Related News
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
You Can Develop An E-zine Even If You Dont Enjoy Writing!
Do you know that many business owners market their businesses by writing content for their online newsletters (e-zine)? And if you don't enjoy writing, the authors make those articles available to you.
Getting Subscribers For Your Newsletter Is As Simple As This...
Having a newsletter is one thing but how many subscribers do you have? Or are you ok with the number of subscribers you have? If you are not satisfied with the answer, then this article is for you. This article will show you how a simple approach did it did it for me, so now is your turn.
6 Important Tips For Choosing Ezine To Advertise In
Did you ever wonder why some business owners seem to be able to pull in all the business they want, while others ? perhaps you ?can't seem to get any momentum? More often than not, it is because the successful ones have learned from marketing experts what works and what doesn't work in their marketing and promotional materials. Some marketing secrets seem to be secrets simply because they're widely known or understood. Only from trial and error and ad tracking ? combined with research on natural psychologycal predispositions ? do marketing experts know what really triggers a sale.
7 Power Packed Tips To Increase Your Ezine Publishing Success
1. Use autoresponders to publish and promote your ezine.
Delivering Your Email Newsletter
After creating your email newsletter, you face the challenge of delivery. With a
printed newsletter, there's usually only one method of widespread distribution: the
post office.
Publishing Special Reports And Ebooks At No Cost
So you'd like to start publishing special reports and ebooks to use as marketing tools and to sell as products. But you have no budget to get this new venture going. Here's a tip to help you get up and running at no cost.
7 Benefits Of Using Newsletter Templates
1. Time saver. To get going make a quick visit to http://www.free-newslettertemplates.com/newsletter_templates.html and grab some templates for free. You could then have a basic newsletter ready to send in no more then 10-15 minutes. The template will work as a guide, saving you up to hours of work.
Top 3 Steps to Success Building the Relationships
Marketing is a broad business subject that encompasses a range of activities including advertising, public relations, sales, promotions and building relationships.
What Ive Learned From My Subscribers
As editor/publisher of Book Promotion Newsletter, I am fortunate in having an eclectic group of subscribers who number in the thousands. The ezine is interactive and subscribers are encouraged to share their innovative marketing techniques.
Does Your Business Need a Newsletter?
Have you ever thought about it?
How to Make Your eZine Work for You Long After Its Published
If you publish an email newsletter, do you convert the issues to HTML and archive them on your website? If you haven't been doing so, you should start now, today.
Secrets To Successful Publishing
Have you ever wondered what would it take to compete successfully with the "big guys" like Simon & Schuster and even get to the top of the heap? If there is such thing as a magic formula for success, then the story of Geela, the author of the bestseller book THE AMERICAN DREAM can certainly make a believer out of you too. Mastering the art of the possible is at the heart of Geela's brand new book where her message is that the possible always exceeds the impossible.
3 Things You Need to Do to Turn Net Information into Cash
Although we are in the information age, very few people have been able to turn the colossal amount of free accessible information available online, into cash or business success.
Ezines, Ezines Everywhere!
There are literally thousands of ezines being published online these days. Sometimes it is hard to know which ones are best for advertising in, reading, subscribing to and so on.
Five Solid Reasons To Publish Your Ezine In a Blog!
Get Your Ezine 'Out There'!
Review of Ezine Announcer
The most critical piece of software in my article submission arsenal is EzineAnnouncer. I've been using EzineAnnouncer, developed by Jason Potash, for ten months with a great deal of success and just a little aggravation.
An Embarrassment of Riches - Part II
The DOI Foundation has unveiled the DOI-EB (EB stands for e-books) Initiative in the Book Expo America Show 2001, to, in their words:
Who Should Offer an Ezine?
If you are a professional, consultant, coach, speaker, seminar leader, author or small business person, you need to develop and offer one of the most powerful Online marketing tools around-the eNewsletter, otherwise known as the ezine.
WHOOPS -- There Goes My List! (Are You Backing Up YOUR Biggest Asset?)
Have you ever accidentally lost an important file on your computer? Perhaps your computer crashed (again) or your cat sauntered over a dooming sequence of keys. Remember that little pang in your stomach you felt when you realized that file was gone for good?
Three Breathing Techniques For Any Ezine Article
I subscribed myself to many ezines. I'd love to read articles in them. First thing I will do is going to article section of the ezine.
|
