Repetition
Tell them what you're gonna tell them.
Tell them.
Tell them what you told them.
Links, lots and lots of links
Provide them with many links in order to take action. Don't be conservative with links - they help highlight what is important in the email and express the action the user could/should take.
Consistent voice
For most consumer related emails, the voice should be informal and personal (trust me). Email marketing is less formal than most marketing. People like it.
Less words
Write your copy and set it aside. The next day, edit it focusing on removing words. Repeat this process - I'm not kidding.
Use.
Less.
Words.
Whitespace
Whitespace can be used to break up the content into sections, helping the reader understand where one section ends and the next begins.
Lists
Lists work because they are:
- scannable
- noticed
- contain less words
Links, and bolded words
While scanning, people are naturally drawn to bolded words and links. Use both of these to strategically highlight the important information in the email.
Break long articles into chunks
If you have long articles you wish to include in a newsletter, it is much better to have a short introduction to the article within the email with a link to the full details. Think of a newspaper's front page, you get just enough to interest you with the rest of the story inside.
Resources for writing content for the web
Most importantly, how people read on the web
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9710a.html
Overall web writing knowledge
http://www.useit.com/papers/webwriting/
Advice on emails in particular
http://www.useit.com/alertbox/20040217.html
More content writing tips
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/vol11/email.htm
Any other tips? Disagree or not, let me know.
-Phil
