5 Things You Need to Know About Creating Awesome eNewsletters

5 Things You Need to Know About Creating Awesome eNewsletters eNewsletters are powerful marketing and communication tools for several reasons. They can drive sales and leads, lead to a larger social media audience, increase traffic to your website, and serve as great places to repurpose content. They are crucial for maintaining an engaged audience, but you can lose a lot of people if you drop the ball.A survey of 277 hiring professionals conducted during May and June of 2016 by Recruiter.com and my company, Come Recommended, found that eNewsletters are among HR and recruiting pros favorite content formats.So, what makes a successful eNewsletter?There are five crucial bestandteils1. Focused ThemesA bad eNewsletter is scattered and unfocused. If readers open your newsletter and see 10 different unrelated messages, they will be turned off. Instead, you should stay focused on one theme. You should have a very clear, straightforward goal in mind.Lets say y ou have a new wertzuwachs tracking feature you want to demo for hiring professionals. The content in your newsletter should be related, so make sure everything you share via the newsletter aligns with performance tracking. For example, you could share content that explores the challenges that companies face when it comes to annual performance evaluations.2. Balanced Content and DesignContent needs to be concise and to the point. Our survey found that 22.5 percent of HR professionals prefer content that is about 390 words long and takes approximately three minutes to read.Your subscribers dont want to open an email and see a Dickens novel. Large blocks of text head straight to the trash bin.Adopt a clean, minimalist design. There should be plenty of open space and the content should be organized into sections with small blocks of text. The readers eyes should comfortably follow the flow and feel of your eNewsletter.Regarding the content, you need to find a balance between educational and promotional. Most of the content you produce and share through eNewsletters should be educational. Readers want your expert advice on employer branding more than they want your sales pitch.Thats not to say you shouldnt try to promote your products or services. Keep promotional content to around 10 percent of the newsletter. When every newsletter has some form of sales content, you may come off as spammythe only click youll get will be on the unsubscribe button.3. Strong Subject LineHow are you attracting readers to your content? Our survey found that your headline is the most influential element in getting readers to your page.Your subject line is just like your headline your make-or-break point with the subscriber. It can be tough to stand out in your readers overflowing inboxes.You cant stick with the same exact subject line over and over again. What does your subjectsay that influences readers to open the newsletter? What incentives are presented? Why should they open it ri ght now?eNewsletters are all about clicks and getting more people to your site. You cant drive traffic if your subscribers arent reading your emails.Make your subject line undeniably compelling. Address a common problem like soaring turnover rates and demonstrate thatthe eNewsletter contains expert insights into solving the problem.Keep your subject line short and sweet. Tell readers what is contained in your message and use action-oriented words just as you would with a call to action.4. Clear Call to ActionA common mistake many organizations make is trying to get their audiences to perform multiple actions with one eNewsletter. If your readersare overwhelmed bymultiplebuttons begging for their engagement, they simply wont do anything. Youre diminishing the value of each call to action if you put five in one message.Leadreaders to one main thing you want them to do e.g., explore your new video interviewing features, share your article to social media, or forward an infographic t o a friend. Make your calls to action simple and clear, anddont forcethemto compete with one another.Consider including interactive content, like quizzes, contests, and games to help your audience retain your brand messaging. According to researchfrom the Content Marketing Institute,79 percent of content marketers agree that interactive content enhances retention of brand messaging when combined with traditional marketing tactics.Furthermore, 81 percent of content marketers agree that interactive content grabs attention more effectively than static content. When you have your readersattention, you can build a relationship with them thats founded on trust and respect.5. Established CredibilityStick to your word. On your subscribe page, platzset clear expectations, and then follow through on your promises.If youre promising a weekly eNewsletter, give peoplea weekly eNewsletter. If youre offering access to a free eBook on talent mobility programs, deliver that product.Be detailed and s pecific about why people should subscribe, what they can expect from you, how often they will get it, and how they can opt out. If you bury the opt-out options and make it hard for readers to unsubscribe, you may end up in the spam folder. Successful eNewsletters belong in front of your audiences eyes, not in the trash can.What makes your eNewsletter successful?Heather R. Huhman is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder and president of Come Recommended.