Stuck in a rut trying to make your HTML Newsletter stand out from the rest? Do you feel like it doesn’t have that extra appeal factor that it requires to grab the attention of your clients? Here are a few ways to give your newsletter that extra punch, to spruce it up in a way that will help engage your audience.

The design of the newsletter is the first thing that hits the eyes of your reader.  It’s easy to get carried away in design that might be aesthetically beautiful but not necessarily effective as far as deliverability in all e-mail services.  Try to find that delicate balance between practicality and design.  Use colors that match the mood of your newsletter – if it is festive, make the newsletter have a lively tone.  Test send your newsletter to various e-mails accounts and open it on different computers as well.  Images and colors appear differently between desktops laptops, Macs, PCs and so on.  Check all of these to make sure that its’ appearance has consistency.  Try not to rely too much on fonts and formatting such as bold or italics to create an impact.  Many times, these will get lost if your message is viewed as text-only.  Take advantage of the features that are more likely to get viewed.

Do use images that capture the essence of your newsletter – images can often draw in the attention of readers more than words, if they are powerful.  Be selective about your choice of images, also be sure to take the necessary back-up precautions in case your images do not load for the user.  Provide an alternative text and link for the image so that the user can choose to view it if it doesn’t load. 

Videos also add an extra level of sophistication to your newsletter.  Again, these should also be included in a way that will maximize the possibility of their viewing.  Like images, videos using Flash or JavaScript are disabled in many e-mail services.  Either convert a small snippet of a video to a GIF file, so that it will be treated as an image but will show movement.  Otherwise, include a link with a brief description of the video in your e-mail so that the reader is drawn to open it and view it.

Finally, copy should never be underestimated.  There are many ways through design and technology to increase the wow factor of your newsletter, but don’t fall back on these options to ensure the success of your newsletter.  Keep your copy engaging, concise and informative.  Make sure your subject line is catchy and to the point.  Often, a subject line is what determines whether a person will open an e-mail or not.  Mention the most important information up front, whether it’s a deadline, a limited offer, or a special preview.  These will capture the reader’s attention to explore further.

With all of these factors in place, your newsletter should be effective!