A Newsletter Template Helps Bring Loyal Readership

There is no single newsletter structure to recommend, but rather the structure has to fit the content and the message one wants to get across. 

How does it pay off?

We have been often asked what is the best way to structure a newsletter or a marketing document. The answer is that there is no single structure to recommend, but rather the structure has to fit the content and the message one wants to get across.
Still, there is no reason to invent the wheel with every new newsletter. We recommend planning and creating a permanent template that can be used for getting any message across.

Immediate brand recognition

One of the major challenges facing today's advertisers is drawing customer's attention to the product. This challenge is also present when creating a newsletter, since today's consumers receive large amounts of e-mail, making it impossible to pay equal attention to each and every message.
Most recipients tend to first read messages from a clearly identifiable sender. The rest of the messages will be read later, when they may no longer be relevant. We know that a strong brand name can be identified without being explicitly spelled out: often a mere shade of a color or shape of a letter in an ad clearly point to a specific company or product. We want to achieve the same immediate recognition in a newsletter we send out.
Our goal is for the recipient to recognize the sender at first sight: this is when anything mentally associated with the brand is brought up and when they are most likely to read that particular newsletter.
A permanent template with certain design characteristics, such as fonts and recurring graphic objects, can achieve the desired brand recognition.

A great tool for message absorption

Extensive research has shown that recurring messages, be they verbal, visual or conceptual, are absorbed subconsciously.
Using a template results in the ever-deeper subconscious absorption of the promoted product or project every time the recipient sees the newsletter, without even reading it. A template that makes a recurring use of the same designs in the same spots of a newsletter can be part of a marketing strategy even before the content is considered.

Supporting the company's marketing strategy

E-mail marketing is part of a company's comprehensive marketing strategy, and so the design as well as the content has to be consistent with those used in other marketing media, among them the company's website.
The company's public image and the image created through its marketing efforts need to be mutually consistent and reinforcing. An e-mail marketing campaign that does not reflect the company's existing market positioning can have an adverse effect not only on the marketing campaign, but on the company's image as a whole. A permanent template, with a design and content consistent with those used in other marketing media, will help the recipients make the connection between the newsletter and the product or project we like to promote.

Minimizing costs and streamlining the work process

Preparing a newsletter is a complex process that can incur many work hours and significant financial costs. Such recurring expenses are unacceptable for a monthly or weekly newsletter.
Using a template greatly minimizes costs. First, a well-thought-out newsletter-template design, including graphic design, well-planned sections and their names, as well as their position in a page, are all one-time expenses for a product that will represent the company well for a long time to come.
Second, a well-built template enables a quick creation of a new edition every time, with minimal work and minimal cost. With a predetermined structure, creating a text becomes subject to the existing sections of the template, therefore, you can invest your time on planning & creating a high quality content. All that is left when faced with a deadline is to replace old text with the new one, while making sure that all the changes have been reflected in the file containing the new edition, and you are set to go.

Developing customer loyalty

Just as with newspapers where everyone has their preferred sections and reading order, so with a newsletter recurring sections can be created (such as The Monthly Article, New Products, Monthly Specials, etc.), resulting in reading habits that in turn help develop customer loyalty.
A template with content organized according to various sections and their permanent location in the newsletter helps the recipients find the information relevant to them more easily and make an immediate use of that information, thus reinforcing their positive attitude towards the newsletter and the product or service it promotes. A newsletter sent at regular times in a regular template creates reading and usage habits that turn recipients into loyal readers.

A one-time expense that brings big savings

Building a newsletter template is often a one-time expense which pays off well. Using a template helps the recipients recognize your newsletter and answers their expectations, thus helping you get the message across at minimum cost.