|
|
| Information |
|
|
How to Format Your Email Newsletter
When subscribers' email readers (programs) receive your text newsletter, they will display it in all kinds of ways. Not only are there different programs, but each one has several customization options. One of the problems arising out of this diversity is line length. In extreme cases, recipients will get one extremely long line for each paragraph, because their email programs have not wrapped the lines (ended each line after a specified number of characters and moved the text onto a new line). In other cases, the lines may be too long for comfortable reading. How do you deal with this? Opinions vary, again. Some publishers recommend you hit the RETURN key at the end of each line (hard returns), to make sure the text wraps. Others advocate setting a line length (65 characters or less) in the Preferences section of your email program. If you do use hard returns, use a fixed-space font like Courier or Monaco. That way you can simply set your margins to an appropriate line length and hit the return key at the end of each line. If you forget and use a variable-space font (like Arial or Times), your readers will get all kinds of variations, since many of them will use different fonts. You can also change your fonts back to something you like again after putting in the hard returns. Apostrophes and quotation marks: Many of us use these symbols liberally when we write, and quite frankly they improve the reading process. But, be sure you use the appropriate versions of these marks, which means using the straight foot and inch symbols, rather than curled apostrophes and quotation marks. If you don't do this, some of your readers will get a message in which all apostrophes and quotation marks have disappeared. It will look like you don't know how to spell, or worse. Overcome this problem by using the Find & Replace function in your word processing program to make the changes quickly and easily. And, it may seem obvious, but if you send out a text email newsletter, separate the paragraphs with double returns. Don't try to use tabs or spaces to set off a new paragraph - in many cases the formatting will go astray and your readers won't know you're starting a new paragraph. If your original document doesn't use double returns, you can change it over quickly and easily, using our old friend, the Find & Replace function in your word processing program. Put one return symbol in the Find field, two in the Replace field, and hit Change All (or whatever your program uses for these terms). One thing you can generally ignore is the font or typeface (unless, as noted you're setting line lengths). Many readers will set their email programs to display all text messages in a font of their choosing, and likely won't see the font you use anyway. After drafting your newsletter, email a copy to yourself before sending it to your list. Even better, send it from one program and receive it with another. If you're like me, you'll be surprised at the problems that pop out when you do this. Not only content, but also formatting and links may look different, and you'll likely find errors that were not at all obvious in the original version. While we're on this subject, don't forget to test the links you place. Click on each one to make sure it takes you where you want it to send your readers. Summing up, be conscious of your formatting techniques when you create a text newsletter. A little bit of extra attention will keep the text itself from getting in the way of your message. 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 News roundup: Cool reception for automakers on Capitol Hill - USA Today
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for ezine publishing Site: ezine publishing - Google News Online Home Business Marketing: Five Newer Marketing Tactics and ... - PowerHomeBiz.com (press release)
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Does Your Subject Line Do the Job? It's proven that the FROM field of your emails is the MOST important factor in getting your messages opened. But after that, it's surely the subject line. 7 Power Packed Tips To Increase Your Ezine Publishing Success 1. Use autoresponders to publish and promote your ezine. Newsletter Names - Creative Ideas for Newsletter Titles Your newsletter name has a big effect on your readership, so it's essential you choose a good name right from the start. Here are some ideas to help you come up with creative newsletter names. How to Choose a Good Newsletter Name Good newsletter names are usually 2-4 words. If shorter, they can't explain what your newsletter is about, and if longer, they will be hard to remember. Learn How to Choose a Great Topic for Your Newsletter Since you're going to write your newsletter on a regular basis, it's essential that you choose a topic you're passionate about. Otherwise, it will be too boring and difficult for you to keep writing a valuable, informative article every day, week, or month. 10 Newsletter Ideas to Write Articles for Your Newsletter Since you publish your newsletter on a regular basis, sometimes it's difficult to find newsletter ideas for your next issue's content. You sit in front of your monitor and stare at the white screen where the typing cursor is blinking. 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.You can find both articles in article directories and article bank located on the Internet. 7 Ways You Can Make a Huge Impression With Your Ezine Welcome Message Many times I receive a Welcome Message from someone after I subscribe to their ezine that leaves me wondering what I just jumped into. A welcome message is one of your first contacts with your subscriber, and it should say something that sets you apart from everyone else right at the get-go. 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. Top 10 Tips to Give Your Newsletter Impact! There are thousands of email newsletters or "ezines" produced every week, and most of them have great material and are written by passionate people who want to share valuable information. Unfortunately, very few of them have many subscribers. A Newsletter Publishers Main Task: Packaging Value Content The main task of a newsletter publisher is to select and package quality content of direct, practical relevance to its specific readership audience.This might sound quick and easy, but it is not. Free Ezine Advertising That Works! When I say free ezine advertising, I'm not talking about the free ezine ads that some publishers offer, this technique is FAR more powerful than that.One of the best ways to get free traffic to your site, is to write articles for ezines. Write Your Weekly Ezine in 5-Minutes! (or better yet, dont write it at all) How to write your ezine in 5 minutes by legally and ethically stealing other people's articles.. Does Your Ezine Publisher Try To Rape Your Pocket? If you have been online for a while, one of the most well know ways of selling online is to build an optin email list or ezine. So now there are thousands of email ezines on just about every possible topic. I Finally Discovered The Secret To FREE Content No One Else Has! There are many tips and techniques to increase your search engine ranking. One of the most powerful, yet simple method is sharing content, as in, writing articles that you then feed to article directories. Gosh, What Am I Going to Put in My Email Newsletter THIS Month? So you decided to put out a monthly newsletter, because "that's what smart marketers do." This is a terrific idea! After all, really good content is the way to your readers' hearts, and everyone loves to receive presents in the mail (or, email in this case). Subscriber Incentives: Are They Effective? Peter Boulder of Pepper and Rodgers Group tells a story of a friend of his who recently visited New York City. His friend spotted an ad that read something like: "Buy at our grocery store and if the cashier doesn't smile at you when you check out, everything in your cart is free. How to turn your Newsletter into a Web Page...in 45 seconds! Do you place back-issues of your Newsletter onyour website?There are two good reasons why you should:(1) It shows potential subscribers that you'reserious about your Newsletter(2) Newsletters are rich in keywords, so it'sa very good idea to turn back-issues of yourNewsletter into HTML documents and then submitthem to the major Search EnginesHere's a little trick that will help you formatyour Newsletter as an HTML document:Copy the text of your Newsletter into a text editorsuch as NOTEPAD.Then copy the text from NOTEPAD into Microsoft Word. How To Use Viral Marketing To Grow Your Opt In Email List If you have read my article called "What is Viral Marketing" you should already have a fairly good idea of it's potential.In this article I'm going to discuss how it can be used to grow your all essential, opt in mailing list. Are We Dating or Married? You've convinced me that I want to sign up for your newsletter. Now that I'm ready, what do I do? I go to thesignup box on the current web page and complete the form.
|
| Home | Site Map | Resource Links |
