Email newsletter length
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Previous topic: Content strategy
Next topic: Frequency
The discussion of content strategy has already introduced the importance of newsletter length, and the factors to consider mirror many of those discussed above.
Again, the problem here is that there are no clear guidelines in terms of people's preferences. Some like their newsletters short, others are quite happy to wade through reams of material. As always, consider your audience profile - are your readers likely to have the time and inclination to read longer newsletters?
We're interested in offering valuable content. It's difficult to do this with very short or very long newsletters.
How much value can you pack into a newsletter consisting of two or three lines of text, or one small paragraph?
It's hard to create enough value for the reader to justify opening and reading that email each time it's delivered. Not impossible, just difficult. (Of course, some newsletters are suited to a very short length, such as joke-a-day type publications.)
Equally, a newsletter must maintain value throughout its length. The longer you make it, the harder you have to work to maintain that consistent value. Few newsletters can sustain interest beyond 3 or 4 pages of content.
Then there are all the other factors that impact on this basic consideration, most of which will be clear to you already. But let's look at a few of them...
Your objectives
If your content is designed to support your website or act as a vehicle for promotions aimed at getting readers to take some action (buy, click, whatever) then you should probably aim for a shorter newsletter, to increase the chances of getting your links in front of an attentive reader.
There are two additional points here. First, don't forget that we're talking about newsletters, not emailed marketing promotions. So don't let your newsletter get shorter and shorter until it eventually stops being the former, and becomes the latter.
Second, you need a minimum length to support sufficient promotional elements in your newsletter. If you have a special offer, product update and seminar to announce, for example, then you'll need a longer newsletter in order to maintain the content ratio I talked about earlier.
If you're looking to build a longer-term relationship, brand or awareness, then you can afford to go longer. Even then, a short length can work well (especially if it still contains full information), indicating respect for the reader's time. Longer newsletters can perhaps help impart a more detailed sense of authority and expertise.
Need more email marketing guidance? Try the email newsletter.