Author: Franz Malten Buemann

Email newsletters are one of the most effective ways to stay top of mind with your customers. When done right, that is. The problem, though, is that so many businesses don’t know what they should actually put in their newsletter.
More often than not, businesses don’t know why they should be sending newsletters. They’ll say they need to because everyone else is doing it, or because they want to “stay top of mind”, but have no strategy outside of that. Then, the responsibility is “given” to someone who probably doesn’t want it, leading to boring, lifeless email blasts that don’t bring value to your subscribers or your business.
That may be the case for 90% of businesses, but it doesn’t have to be the case for yours. With the right plan and a set of goals in mind, you can make your newsletter a hard-working marketing channel for your business — and we’ll show you how.
Read on to discover the top email newsletter best practices that will turn your newsletter into something people actually want to read.
8 email newsletter best practices
1. Use a powerful subject line
Your subject line is arguably the most important piece of email content. Without a solid subject line, your email open rate is going to suffer.
Think about subject lines that draw you in — what’s compelling about them? Do they use concise language? Empathetic language? Bold language? Emojis?
In our experience, the best email subject lines are short (think 30-50 characters), engaging, and give just enough of a preview of what’s in the email to make you want to know more.
For more subject line tips and best practices, head here!
2. Optimize your email for mobile devices
People read over half of all emails on mobile devices. That’s an astounding number, considering people do still use their computers on a regular basis.
Knowing that, it’s a good idea to optimize your emails for mobile devices. That means making sure your newsletter template looks good on desktop as well as mobile. This may sound complicated, but it’s not. At Campaign Monitor, we have a library of over 80+ free mobile-friendly email templates ready for you to use.
Optimizing for mobile means testing your subject lines as well! Neglecting to preview your subject lines for different devices is a recipe for disaster, so make sure you take them all into account and send as many test emails as possible.
That includes design as well as email subject lines.
3. Pay attention to your email newsletter design
It’s hard to overstate the importance of design for your newsletter’s success. You might think of design as only the fonts and colors you choose, but there’s so much more than goes into designing an effective email.
Designing the layout of your newsletter content is going to have huge implications on how your readers engage with it. Making it easy to read and making your calls-to-action (CTAs) clear are going to give your engagement metrics a major boost. Plus, well-organized emails help boost your email deliverability.
You also want to make sure you’re designing with accessibility in mind. Are you using an appropriate amount of color contrast? Are your fonts big enough? Do your images have alt text? These are things you need to take into consideration.
Look at this engaging email campaign design from Bezar, which uses bold color blocks to highlight products and information:

Source: Really Good Emails
Other design best practices:

Make your CTA buttons clear and concise
Keep your emails on-brand
Include your logo, website, and social media accounts
Don’t be afraid of white space
Don’t forget to add preheader text

Ultimately, your newsletter is an extension of your brand, and as such, you want to make sure it lines up with the rest of your brand experience (on your website, in your store, etc).
4. Use segmentation to target your customers
While most email newsletters will go to your entire list, your organization may have a different structure. If your company serves multiple different verticals, it may be wise to craft different types of content for each of those industries.
Or maybe you have newsletter subscribers in different regions, in which case it might make sense to have specific content for each.
Don’t let newsletters shut you into a typical “Here are our company updates” box. One of the biggest mistakes companies fall into with their newsletters is making it all about them. Your email subscribers don’t want to hear about you, they want you to deliver them valuable content, and the more personal you can get with them, the better.
5. A/B testing can improve your click rates
Your marketing team should already be A/B testing. If they’re not, they need to start doing it now. As much as we might want to say we know our audience and the types of emails they prefer, we’re never going to know as well as our audience themselves, and A/B tests give your audience a chance to tell you what they prefer.
Marketers who A/B test generally see far better engagement metrics like open rates and click-through rates than those who don’t, so you need to make A/B testing a priority.
As a result, you’ll know what works and what doesn’t with your audience, which you can use to inform your email marketing strategy moving forward.
6. Watch your email frequency and timing
Sending emails too often can result in unsubscribes from your email list, but sending emails too infrequently can result in your subscribers overlooking them.
The annoying thing is, figuring this information out is usually completely unique to each company. There’s no magic solution to this puzzle. You can look at other companies in your industry to see how often they’re sending as a start, but ultimately, if you test it and make tweaks, your data will tell you what frequency your audience responds to.
7. Craft a compelling call-to-action
Typically, when a company sends a newsletter, they have something they want to link their readers to. Maybe it’s a piece of content on your website that you teased in the newsletter, or maybe it’s a new product if you’re an ecommerce company. Either way, crafting a clear, compelling call-to-action will help make sure readers get where you want to send them.
This newsletter from Zendesk includes a letter from the CEO about a new product announcement, and a CTA encouraging people to click to “learn more” about that product.

Source: Really Good Emails
The button is easy to see and the copy is clear, making sure that readers can’t miss the next step.
8. Use videos to encourage people to open your newsletter
Videos can encourage people to both open and click emails. Viewers find them engaging, and they’re an efficient way to communicate a lot of information quickly.
Videos created by your organization are the best to include in your email newsletters (like how-to videos, testimonials, or advice from executives or industry experts).
All of these videos can entice your readers. Plus, they provide an opportunity to really sell people on why they would want to work with your company.
This email newsletter from Mitsubishi uses video to highlight the rugged features of one of their models:

Source: Really Good Emails
Wrap up
These eight email newsletter best practices are your guide to creating an email newsletter marketing plan that’ll impress your customers and improve your conversion rates.
Three key takeaways you should leave with are:

Use your email subject lines wisely to boost your open rates.
Use list segmentation to creatively divide up your list for maximum impact. Think outside the marketing box on this.
Email frequency and timing can make or break an email campaign, so use A/B testing to find the best times to send your newsletters.

Don’t forget to set up an A/B testing log, if you don’t have one already, and put together a comprehensive marketing calendar to stay on track with your email campaigns.
Looking for an email platform to create stunning newsletters? Campaign Monitor has a powerful drag-and-drop editor—complete with templates—to create the perfect emails.
The post 8 Email Newsletter Best Practices appeared first on Campaign Monitor.

If you use Instagram, you might have seen the phrase “link in bio” before.
This means that someone is directing people to go to their Instagram profile page and click the URL that’s in their bio. Driving people to these links often helps Instagram users generate traffic on different websites, like a YouTube channel or website landing page.
But the native linking option only allows businesses and creators to share one link in an Instagram bio, which can prove challenging if you want to share multiple links with your audience.
In this post, learn how Linktree is a solution to help you share multiple high-quality links with your followers and discover high-quality examples from brands already using the tool.
 
What is Linktree on Instagram?
On Instagram, a Linktree is a simple link in your bio that leads to a landing page containing multiple links to content relevant to your business, like your website, a video, or even an affiliate discount link.
You may be wondering why using this tool can make a difference on Instagram, and we’ll discuss this below.
Should you use Linktree for marketing on Instagram?
Linktree is helpful for marketing on Instagram because it helps you direct users to multiple different content offerings. So instead of only sharing, say, a link to your website, you can also link to your various social channels, your newest YouTube video, or a recent partnership you launched.
Another common use case on Instagram is if you run multiple campaigns on the platform at once, as your Linktree can contain links relevant to each of the different buyer personas you target.  
When considering leveraging Linktree on Instagram, the main factor to consider is that it helps you drive additional traffic to other high-impact sources. If you don’t use a Linktree, you’ll likely be updating your bio every time you want to direct users to a new piece of content, or you link to a website page where users can take additional action.
If driving traffic from Instagram is not a top priority for in-platform marketing, Linktree likely isn’t for you as it does require upkeep to ensure you don’t share so many links that users get overwhelmed by their choices.
If you want to leverage the tool in your Instagram strategy, let’s discuss how you can create one.
How to Create a Linktree for Instagram
1. Navigate to linktr.ee/, select the purple button that says Get Started For Free, and fill out the required contact information to create your account.
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2. Follow the on-screen prompts and enter the desired name for your Linktree and a business category that relates to what you offer.
3. Select your preferred business plan, Free or Pro.
The image below shows the differences between the tiers, the most significant being cost (free vs. $6 per month). The pro version also comes with additional customization options and advanced analytics for understanding how users interact with your links.
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4. After selecting your plan, you should land on the Links page, where there is a purple Add New Links button and a black Explore Links button.
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5. To begin adding links to your Linktree, you have two options:
Select Add New Link to add your first new link, and a card (as shown in the image below) will appear where you fill in the relevant Title and URL.
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Or, select Explore Link to view various link options that you can add depending on their content, such as music or video links.
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Regardless of the method you choose, your completed link should look similar to the image below.
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6. Once you’ve added all of your links, the icons at the bottom of the tiles allow you to make card-specific edits.
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If you have a free account, you can upload your own tile thumbnail, gate the link for specific audiences, and view the number of times your tile has been clicked.
With a pro account, you can take all of the free actions, in addition to highlighting specific links as priority links, scheduling when certain links go live, and accessing more in-depth analytics.
7. Add all the relevant links you’re hoping to include in your Linktree. Note that the creation tool shows live previews so you can see what your final product will look like as you work in the phone icon on the right-hand side of your screen, as shown in the image below.
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Once you’ve added all your links, you can begin customizations.
8. Select the Appearance tab on your screen’s top left-hand corner.
9. In the profile window, insert relevant information to the links you’re offering, including Profile Title, a brief bio, and a business-relevant image.
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10. In the themes window, select a Linktree theme that meets your preferences. The image below is an example of a customized Linktree.
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If you have a pro account, you can design your own theme, edit background colors, choose button shapes, and change fonts.
11. Under the settings tab on the top left header, you can further edit your Linktree and add support banners, ecommerce integrations, and social media icons to link to your other social profiles.
If you have a pro account, you can do everything previously mentioned in addition to adding mailing list integrations for email or SMS.
12. Once you’re satisfied with your Linktree and how it looks it’s time to put the link in your Instagram profile. 
How to Add Linktree to Instagram
There are multiple ways to add your Linktree link to your Instagram profile. The first way is to:
1. Within Linktree, select the Add Linktree to your socials button in the Share dropdown menu and click Instagram, as shown in the image below.
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2. You can simply select the Copy button and choose your URL, navigate to Instagram and click Edit Profile, and paste the link into the Website field in your Instagram profile. Or,
3. Click the Go to my Instagram button to be immediately taken to your profile and insert the link there.
Now that you know how to create your Linktree and add it to your Instagram profile let’s go over some examples from brands that already use Linktree on Instagram to meet their business needs.
Instagram Linktree Tips

Choose relevant names for your links: You want to use a Linktree to easily send your customers to different sites, so ensuring you name each link in a way that clearly says what it’s linking to increases effectiveness.

Use descriptions wisely: If you use descriptions in your Linktree, ensure that you use them wisely so users can clearly understand your links. Ensure that descriptions aren’t too long either, or you may lose audience attention.

Only include the most relevant links: While it may be tempting to have as many links as possible, it’s best to only place the most relevant links in your Linktree, so users aren’t overwhelmed with options. For example, if you’re running a new campaign, consider only linking to that one and removing links from older campaigns.

Use branded tools: if you have a Linktree pro account, use the custom branded tools that will help your users content your Linktree to your brand assets that they already know and recognize, like custom icons and color schemes.

Continuously monitor your Linktree: Continuously monitor your Linktree to ensure it’s up to date with your current business offerings. This means removing irrelevant links that will distract from what you’re hoping to center and monitoring analytics to see if you need to make any changes to your Linktree strategy.

Instagram Linktree Examples
Black Owned Everything
Black Owned Everything is an online marketplace that champions Black-owned businesses and the products and services they sell. It uses a Linktree on its Instagram profile to call attention to its different offerings, as shown in the image below.

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Why We Like This:
Black Owned Everything’s Linktree is successful because it includes links that are clearly labeled for users to understand and find what they are looking for, and there are also very few links. As a result, viewers likely aren’t experiencing decision paralysis as they don’t need to put in additional effort to find what they are looking for.
Patsy’s
Patsy’s is a dessert business based out of Brooklyn, NY. It sells Caribbean rum cakes made from scratch and uses a Linktree to help profile browsers order their cakes and view recent collaborations.

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Why We Like This:
Patsy’s uses Linktree as a unique way to call user attention to a holiday ordering guide that walks users through the process of placing an order. While it could simply share this information in an Instagram post, users may not want to read a lengthy caption. Instead, Patsy’s can direct users to the link in its bio to quickly navigate to the ordering landing page.

Sean Garette 
Sean Garette is an esthetician that uses Instagram to share helpful content with their audience. They also have a branded Linktree in their bio where they share links to recent collaborations and partnership discount links.

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Why We Like This:
Sean Garrette shows us the value of using a Linktree to plug partnerships with other businesses.
You can always post about the partnerships you have on Instagram, but if they’re long-standing, people might forget they exist. You can place affiliate links in your Linktree to remind users that your partnerships are still running and, if you successfully drive users to your Linktree, all of your traffic will come across these links.

Golde 
Golde is a business that sells superfood and wellness products. It uses Instagram to provide educational content and product photos and has a branded Linktree in its Instagram bio.

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Why We Like This:
While Golde does have more links in its Linktree, users aren’t overwhelmed by choices because each link clearly states what it is, and the emojis provide additional explanations. If you have multiple links that you want to share with your users without overwhelming them, use Golde’s Linktree as inspiration.
TikTok
TikTok uses Instagram to call attention to trends, updates, and high-performing videos on the app. In addition, it has a branded Linktree in bio, which is pictured below.

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Why We Like This:
TikTok’s Linktree is a great inspiration because it drives users to critical actions related to the app: downloading the app, understanding trending moments and sounds, and contacting customer support. It also contains branded links in the footer of the Linktree that users can navigate to and easily understand where clicking will land them.
Should you choose to use Linktree, you’ll be able to share multiple high-impact links with your audience all at once, giving them more ways to interact with your business and become engaged in what you have to offer.

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Have you ever imagined a hybrid of physical and online worlds where buyers can shop both in-person and online? It sounds like a peripheral concept, right? Well, brands like Amazon, Nike, Magik Book, and Pokemon Go have made the blended environment a reality.  Your brand can be a front-runner, too, in implementing the phygital approach.…
The post What is Phygital, and How Does it Apply to Email Marketing? appeared first on Benchmark Email.

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Branding is tough.
It requires you to truly understand the message you want your business to convey to the world, and to understand your customers and what you want them to take away from your business.
One of the key parts of branding is establishing brand elements, and, in this post, we’ll discuss what they are, and give examples that you can use for inspiration.

Brand elements are essential because they help you develop a brand identity. Your brand identity dictates your business’ cohesive look, from how you communicate with customers, to editing style for your social media posts, the font you use in your YouTube video end screens — really everything.
As they’re critical to business success, it’s essential to have brand elements for your business, and we’ll discuss each type below.
Types of Brand Identity Elements
1. Brand Name
A brand name is the words you use to identify your company and what you offer to the public, distinguishing you from your competitors.
Coming up with a brand name may seem easy, but it can have huge connotations. For example, if you need to cover a scrape on your arm, you may say, “I need a Band-Aid.” The word Band-Aid is actually the name of a brand, while the actual product is an adhesive bandage. Yet, the general public usually says Band-Aid, using the name as a proper noun.

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2. Logo
Your business’ logo is vital to your branding as it is one of the most recognizable aspects of your brand.

Audiences will recognize you if they’re out and about, and it’s on your emails, website, and maybe the physical products you sell. While logos are often image-based, like HubSpot’s Sprocket (shown in the image below on the left), some brands use words and a brand name as a recognizable logo, like FedEx (shown in the image below on the left).
3. Graphics and Images
Graphics and image elements for your brand are difficult to define, as they encompass all of the other brand elements that make your business unique. For example, your logo is a graphic you may include in a marketing email.
When you share images, the style you use to edit them should be consistent and cohesive on all platforms and materials. For example, use the same filters over your images, crop your photos in the same way to be consistent.
For example, Sean Garrette is an esthetician who uses the same color scheme for his Instagram posts. If one of his followers were scrolling through their feed and quickly passed a post without seeing the profile name, Garrette’s familiar brown hue would clue them into who the post belongs to.

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4. Color Scheme
Your business’s color scheme is critical because it plays into all the additional visual branding elements you create. For example, you’d incorporate your brand color scheme into your logo, marketing materials, graphics, and images, etc.
As consumers, we know when a brand has done a great job of creating a color scheme when we see specific colors together, and it immediately triggers recognition in our brain for that brand. For example, communication platform Slack notes the color scheme pictured below as its core brand colors.

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Slack remains consistent and uses this color scheme in its brand materials, like in its Instagram posts (shown in the image below).

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5. Typography
Typography refers to the fonts you use in all business materials you create. You want to remain consistent, so your branding is cohesive and so that if people see fonts related to your brand or business, they can recognize that it’s from your company. Having a set font for your business also makes it easier to create business content with a cohesive look.
Streaming service Spotify, for example, uses a sans-serif font, which remains consistent within their platform and marketing materials.

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6. Tone and Voice
Tone and voice don’t necessarily mean what your business sounds like in audio, but more so how your business comes across when you communicate with customers in marketing materials. For example, are you humorous and funny? Or are you more academic and professional? Your tone and voice is a significant brand element as it helps you convey a brand personality.
Strive to pick a tone and voice that relates to what your business offers and who your target audience is, and incorporate that into all of the words your business puts out into the world.
7. Slogan, Jingle, or Catchphrase
Slogan and jingles are unique brand elements that don’t necessarily apply to every single business, but, if used, they make up an important part of your branding. These unique brand elements can be used in marketing materials, included in commercials, etc.
Many slogans and jingles get stuck in consumers’ heads, helping you remain top of mind for consumers. Here’s a list of slogans, jingles, and catchphrases from brands that you may already be familiar with:

“The Snack That Smiles Back,” from Goldfish Crackers (a snack food).

“America Runs On Dunkin,” from coffee company Dunkin’.

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“Subway, Eat Fresh,”  from the Subway sandwich restaurant chain.

“800-588-2300, Empire Today,” from home improvement company Empire Today.

“Like a good neighbor, Statefarm is there.” from insurance company State Farm.

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“Red Robin, Yum.” from restaurant chain Red Robin.

 
In sum, your different brand elements all come together to make your brand unique. To develop a unique personality for your brand, consider what you offer, take the time to get to know your customers, and begin designing.