Email Newsletters: The Header


Managing Subscriber addresses: At the top of your email message you see the header, where you insert addresses and a subject heading. It all looks simple enough, but there are some tricks and tips you should know, and one very important warning. Let's start with that warning:

In addressing your newsletter, do not put subscriber names or email addresses in the TO or the CC (Carbon Copy) field. Addresses in either of these fields are visible to all recipients. And, if you have one unscrupulous person on your list, that person could start sending spam to the rest of the list.

Always put subscriber addresses in the BCC (Blind Carbon Copy) field, where no one but you will see their addresses. This is very important in retaining their confidence. In fact, this might now be the single most important point to remember if you send an email message to any group.

So, to whom should the newsletter be addressed? Probably yourself. You can use your regular address, or set up a special address for the newsletter only. One other thought: use the CC field as a place to put the name of someone who wants to make their address known. For example, if you include a special offer by a third party in the newsletter, you can CC that third party, and as a result provide a backup email address.

Subject line: Make this line as strong as possible. It's the hook that encourages the reader to scroll down the page to your article(s). Try looking through the subject lines of the newsletters you now receive, and see what works for you.

The simplest approach, and an effective one, is to put the name of your newsletter in the subject line. That works well if readers find the content consistently helpful or interesting. But don't depend on just the name - here are some ideas for other hooks that may increase readership.

Make it descriptive, since many email users quickly scan the subject lines and quickly hit the Delete button if it doesn't immediately grab their attention. If that descriptive text hints at a solution to a problem shared by your readers, then you've got a winner.

Here's another subject line tip that may help you increase readership. Several email gurus recommend putting the date of the issue in the subject line, and I've tried that myself. In the limited testing I've done, it seemed to increase the number of clicks on the embedded ads.

This is how a recent subject line for Abbott's Communication Letter looked to my subscribers:

"April 27-04 Communication Letter - Communication & Company Size"

Explanations: April 27th is, of course, the date. Communication Letter is an abbreviation of the name of my newsletter; and Communication & Company Size is the title of the article that week.

Altogether, the whole subject line seems a bit long, but it does cover several bases, so it's what I'll use until I've had time to do extensive testing.

In summary: Don't look at the header of your email message as something to be finished and forgotten quickly. It can make or break your newsletter.

Robert F. Abbott, the author of A Manager's Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results, writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Read more articles about Internet communication, as well as email and printed newsletters at: http://http://www.communication-newsletter.com/ic.html





Latest News:



Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news
JCDecaux in talks for News Outdoor Group in Russia (AP via Yahoo! News)
French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux SA said Thursday it is negotiating to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. News Corp tightens grip on Premiere with new CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Rupert Murdoch tightened his grip on German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere by appointing News Corp executive Mark Williams as CEO in a move to get the company back on track. JCDecaux and News Corp. in talks to combine outdoor ad groups (International Herald Tribune)
The News Corp. chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, has recently expressed nervousness about investments in Russia, where News Outdoor generated the bulk of its revenue last year. News Corp says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
News Corp. executive Mark Williams has taken over as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere in an interim capacity, News Corp. said after the move led to renewed takeover speculation. News Corp. says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News)
Mark Williams, a News Corp. executive named late on Wednesday as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere, has taken over in an interim capacity, a News Corp. spokeswoman said on Thursday. JCDecaux in talks to buy News Corp. billboard unit (AP via Yahoo! Finance)
In a deal that would create the world's largest outdoor advertising company, French conglomerate JCDecaux SA said Thursday that it is in talks to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. Weekly world news quiz (BBC News)
At the end of another week, test your knowledge with our world news quiz. UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News (UPI)
Kanye arrested in paparazzi scuffle ... Report: Critic smacked Ebert with binder ... Cafe Tacvba nominated for 6 Latin Grammys ... Groban to perform TV songs at Emmys ... News from United Press International. United shares climb after news debacle (UPI)
CHICAGO, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- A computer program assigning dates to news stories was partly to blame for a sell-off of United Airlines stock Monday, a Google spokesman said. JCDecaux in talks for News Outdoor Group in Russia (San Francisco Chronicle)
French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux SA said Thursday it is negotiating to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. In a statement, the global seller of outdoor advertising said it was in exclusive talks with Rupert...

Site: news - Google News
New Voices in Congress Will Change the Tone of the Democratic Majority - New York Times

Washington Post

New Voices in Congress Will Change the Tone of the Democratic Majority
New York Times, United States - 13 hours ago
The latest on the presidential transition and other political news from Washington and around the nation. Join the discussion. ...
Video: Burris Reflects on His Trip to Washington AssociatedPress
New Senate takes shape - with 2 missing pieces Boston Globe
New Congress hears call to 'get something done' USA Today
The Associated Press - Los Angeles Times
all 9,973 news articles
Ballmer touts Windows 7 beta, new deals - CNET News

Ballmer touts Windows 7 beta, new deals
CNET News, CA - 2 hours ago
Microsoft will also announce new deals for Windows Live that will see Microsoft's search engine become the default on PCs from Dell as well as touting a ...
Microsoft's Ballmer touts new Windows, search deal MarketWatch
BARRON'S BLOG: A Running Blog Of Microsoft CEO's CES Speech CNNMoney.com
A Smaller CES, But Big Tech News Still Expected CNBC
CRN - CNET News
all 503 news articles
Phil Schiller bringing the news at Macworld - San Francisco Chronicle

guardian.co.uk

Phil Schiller bringing the news at Macworld
San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 5 hours ago
We get going at 9 am and we'll be delivering the news as it happens. 8:53 am Just a few minutes away. Listened to some Killers music on the way in. ...
Video: Steve Jobs Weight Loss Due to Hormone Imbalance AssociatedPress
O'Brien: Apple's final appearance at Macworld signals new era San Jose Mercury News
Apple disappoints: No Jobs or big news at Macworld Reuters
PC World - New Zealand Herald
all 2,951 news articles
Australia, New Zealand Dollars Drop on Commodities, US Jobs - Bloomberg

Australia, New Zealand Dollars Drop on Commodities, US Jobs
Bloomberg - 1 hour ago
8 (Bloomberg) -- The Australian and New Zealand currencies fell, snapping three days of gains versus the US dollar, as prices of commodities that make up ...
Morning business news - Jan 07 RTE.ie
Currencies Trading All Over the Map Washington Post
Australia, New Zealand Dollars Drop on Commodities, US Jobs Bloomberg
Bloomberg
all 1,160 news articles
US Senate Democratic Leaders Outline New Agenda - Voice of America

The Miami Herald

US Senate Democratic Leaders Outline New Agenda
Voice of America - 4 hours ago
By Deborah Tate A day after a new Democratic-led US Congress was sworn in, lawmakers are focusing on an ambitious agenda. ...
Video: Obama to Bring Accountability to Spending Plan AssociatedPress
Projected deficits put Obama stimulus in new light The Associated Press
New Congress arrives with eye on Obama's stimulus package MarketWatch
CNSNews.com - CBS News
all 6,594 news articles
Sony Ericsson's new W508 Walkman phone - CNET News

CNET News

Sony Ericsson's new W508 Walkman phone
CNET News, CA - 4 hours ago
Sony Ericsson expanded its Walkman phone line at CES with the announcement of its new W508 music phone. Sporting a flip phone design that reminds us of the ...
Reopened theater stages comeback for New Orleans arts - USA Today

Reopened theater stages comeback for New Orleans arts
USA Today - 1 hour ago
By Rick Jervis, USA TODAY NEW ORLEANS ? Closed for more than three years, a prominent performing arts center is scheduled to reopen Thursday in what city ...
New Sony Hard-Drive HD Camcorders - PC World

PC World

New Sony Hard-Drive HD Camcorders
PC World - 5 hours ago
The SR line will live on, however, with three new standard-definition units. Pictured above is the Sony Handycam HDR-XR520V ($1500, available in March). ...
Sony Announces Four New High-Definition and Three Standard ... CameraTown.Com (press release)
New Sony Camcorders Do GPS, Too PC World
Sony Unleashes 60X-Optical-Zoom Camcorders PC World
PC World
all 37 news articles
New York Gov. David Paterson And Caroline Kennedy's Slowing Race ... - CBS News

Newsday

New York Gov. David Paterson And Caroline Kennedy's Slowing Race ...
CBS News, NY - 5 hours ago
By Bonnie Erbe I have written previously in this space in support of Caroline Kennedy's bid to replace Hillary Clinton as New York's junior United States ...
NY-Sen: Did Caroline Campaign Too Much? Washington Post
Cuomo Aide Is Said to Try to Slow Kennedy Bid New York Times
Kennedy Falls Behind Cuomo In New Poll Western Queens Gazette
CBS News
all 239 news articles
CNET News Daily Podcast: When businesses strike back at Yelpers - CNET News

CNET News Daily Podcast: When businesses strike back at Yelpers
CNET News, CA - 5 hours ago
Also in this podcast: Yahoo takeover talk returns in the new year; Intel revenue drops by $2 billion; and Facebook reaches a new milestone. ...

MORE RESOURCES:
Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for ezine publishing
Site: ezine publishing - Google News
The Ezine Queen's 7 Reasons to Grow Your Business with Ezines ... - Gather.com

The Ezine Queen's 7 Reasons to Grow Your Business with Ezines ...
Gather.com, MA - Dec 27, 2008
As one of the leading authorities on email publishing, she is a proud advocate of using the ezine to drive sales. According to Alexandria, offering a free ...
ATTENTION TO THOSE CLAIMING SPAM!!!!!!!! - CrunchGear

ATTENTION TO THOSE CLAIMING SPAM!!!!!!!!
CrunchGear, NY - Jan 6, 2009
If I can post to a site like Ezine Articles and gain and expert status with them, and they generally don?t have a problem with my short articles, ...
Top 3 Ways To Boost Your Affiliate Commissions Overnight - Gather.com

Top 3 Ways To Boost Your Affiliate Commissions Overnight
Gather.com, MA - Jan 3, 2009
Publish an online newsletter or Ezine. It is always best to recommend a product to someone you know than to sell to a stranger. This is the purpose behind ...
New Book Features Emerging Trends for Online Businesses ... - PR Web (press release)

PR Web (press release)

New Book Features Emerging Trends for Online Businesses ...
PR Web (press release), WA - Dec 30, 2008
She publishes a monthly ezine & offers a free Copywriting Action Plan. Visit http://www.LisaManyon.com for more information.
Tracking Your Article Submissions a Way to Maximize Your Traffic ... - PWO

Tracking Your Article Submissions a Way to Maximize Your Traffic ...
PWO, France - Dec 12, 2008
... all the republishing and traffic you will get from article publishing. Among a couple of the top directories watercolor is eZine Articles, Article City, ...
Article Marketing Tips ? How to Outsource for the Big Bucks PWO
all 2 news articles
Home | Site Map | Resource Links