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ContentMarketing · 4 min read
The newsletter that earns its slot
Most company newsletters are sent because it’s Friday. The ones that get opened are the ones the writer would have wanted to receive.
Open rate is a function of one thing over time: did the last few issues make the recipient glad they were on the list? That’s it. Subject line tricks, send-time optimization, segmentation, all of these matter less than whether the content earns the inbox slot.
What earns the slot
- Something the reader genuinely couldn’t have found elsewhere.
- A point of view, not a roundup of links.
- Voice that sounds like a person, not a brand.
- Brevity, every sentence justifies itself.
The test
Send only what you’d be glad to receive yourself. If you’d archive it unread, your reader will. Most newsletter problems are solved by sending less and meaning more.
The list will forgive a low send rate. It won’t forgive being bored.