Newsletter design is just as important as newsletter content. We all agree that quality content is the backbone of any good newsletter, it is, however, important to present this content in an attratctive and eye-pleasing format. But do not overthink this, just try to create a newsletter design that is appealing and straightforward. After all, you are not supposed to make an award winning newsletter design.
This post will discuss several issues related to how to design an effective newsletter. The follwing points will be covered :
- The different components of a newsletter
- A few newsletter design tips and ideas
- Where to find free newsletter design templates, samples and examples
- Free newsletter design software
- Designing a newsletter in different formats
Newsletter designs and formats
Before you go out there and plunge into designing your newsletter, you first need to decide which newsletter format you are going to use. There are three main email newsletter formats to choose from. A web newsletter can be published in an HTML, a plain text or a PDF format. None of these e newsletter formats is perfect; each format has its advantages and disadvantages.
Plain text newsletter design. This format is the least sophisticated of all three formats. It is the simplest and the easiest to make. Anyone can make a text newsletter using Microsoft Notepad or Microsoft Word processor (commonly known as MS Word). These two newsletter software programs are easy to use. Notepad is free to use but MS Word is not. There are also some free open source word processors which are just as effective as MS Word. One such software is called Open Office. Plain text newsletters are compatible with all sorts of email software and email services.
HTML newsletter design. With HTML (hyper text markup language), you enjoy several customization options; you can change colors and fonts, add tables, frames and boxes, and use hyperlinks and graphics in your newsletter. In order to design an HTML newsletter, you need to master some basic skills in formatting HTML. If you do not master any, you can still have an HTML newsletter. There are some websites which let you download free HTML newsletter templates. These newsletter templates are readymade for use; all you have to do is copy them to your autoresponder and add your content to them.
The downside of using a readymade HTML newsletter template is that your template will not be unique because there are hundreds of newsletters published using that same template. There are two options to solve this issue; you can either customize the look of your free HTML newsletter template or hire an HTML newsletter designer to do the job for you. Before hiring one, you may want to check the current newsletter design prices so that you do not get overcharged by your designer.
For all their advantages, HTML newsletters have a major drawback which is their incompatibility with some email service providers. All the major email providing services such as Gmail, Yahoo Mail, and MS Live support HTML but the problem lies with the least popular ones. A good practice which is common among professional newsletter publishers is to publish two versions of their newsletter, one in HTML and the other in plain text, in case the HTML version gets blocked.
PDF newsletter design. This is probably the least common format. The reason why it is unpopular among newsletter publishers could be because it takes a lot of time and effort to implement. PDF newsletters are usually published on a monthly basis, that is they are monthly newsletters. Readers can either access them online or download them to their desktops where they can read it in their comfort.
Where to find newsletter design templates, samples, examples, and ideas
It is much easier to base one’s work on something that already exists rather than start from scratch. This applies to newsletter publishing as it applies to anything else.
If you are stuck finding a good newsletter design idea, you can simply try the following methods which will help you to easily come up with design ideas for your newsletter.
Check your inbox. If you have been online for quite a while, you probably have subscribed to a few online newsletters, you can simply examine these newsletters designs, if you find one that looks acceptable to you, you can just imitate it and create a similar design for your newsletter.
Newsletter directories. You can also check newsletter directories (equally called ezine directories) where you can find listings of numerous newsletters. These are sometimes categorized by topic; so, all you have to do is look up those newsletters which have topics that are pertinent to your newsletter topic.
Free newsletter template designs. Instead of designing your own newsletter template or breaking your head trying to come up with creative design ideas for your newsletter, you can simply download a free newsletter template and use it. There are several websites offering free templates in different layouts and sizes.
Website templates. Newsletter templates look like website templates that have been downsized and customized. Find a well-designed website, and you have found a good newsletter design idea.
Offline magazines. An internet newsletter is sometimes named ‘ezine’ which is a shortened form of electronic magazine. This explains why electronic newsletters are so similar to real world magazines. You can manipulate this similarity and find a magazine which has an attractive design. Then, all you need to do is copy that great design from the real world to the digital world.
Newsletter design software
In order to design a newsletter, you need special software which is well suited for this purpose. Different types of newsletter design require different software programs.
HTML newsletter design software. If you are going to design an HTML newsletter, you will need an HTML editor. There are plenty of HTML editors out there; some of them are free while others are paid. Probably the best free HTML editor is KompoZer (Nvu). This is a WYSIWYG HTML software, which means it is visual. WYSIWYG stands for what you see is what you get.
PS:This webpage that you are reading was created with KompoZer : )
Another software which is just as popular is Adobe Dreamweaver; this is a much more sophisticated software program but it is not free. I think KompoZer is good enough for designing a newsletter. You do not really need to buy Dreamweaver unless you want to use it for designing websites. There are so many tutorials on the Net that can teach you how to use these two HTML newsletter design software programs.
PDF newsletter design software. PDF newsletter designs require a different type of software. There are some plugins that you can add to MS Word which will help you convert Word documents into PDFs. PrimoPDF is very effective for this purpose. All you need is design your newsletter in Microsoft Word, once done, you can easily convert it into a PDF file. primoPDF is the free version of NitroPDF which comes with full options. The free version is sufficient for our purposes. In you want to learn how to use this software, you can check the tutorials provided by its producer.
Plain text newsletter design software. Text newsletters are quite easy to design and require no special software. You can use Microsoft Notepad, which comes free with Windows, or Microsoft Word to design text newsletters. This requires no technical or special skills because both programs are straightforward and quite common.
The building blocks of a newsletter
A newsletter is usually made of four main components without which the newsletter will look less than perfect or unprofessional.
Body.This is the first and foremost component of any newsletter. The newsletter body is where the main content or newsletter articles lie.
Headline. This is the newsletter title with which it can be identified.
Table of content. This is a very important element of your newsletter because it helps you present your content and message in an orderly and effective manner. It also makes it easier for your readers to navigate your content.
Photos/illustrations. These elements are not as essential as the previous ones, but still they can add more value to your newsletter and make it more interesting and appealing.
Footer. This is an optional component. However, if you feel that readers may wish to contact you, you may add a footer to your newsletter in which you provide your contact details. If you are running a company, corporate, or business newsletter, then it is recommended that you include your business contact details in the newsletter as some clients or readers might need to get in touch with you.
A few newsletter design tips and ideas
Good newsletter designs are consistent. Consistency entails the use of typeface, colors, boxes and frames, and graphics as well.
Use typefaces consistently. Many newsletter publishers fall into the trap of using various typefaces inconsistently; they may use up to 5 different fonts believing that this will make their newsletters more appealing and exciting. This is not true. If you want to make your newsletter more intriguing and captivating, you need to add more intersting content and ideas to it. Overusing typefaces will do you a disservice as it distracts your readers’ attention from your main content.
Use no more than three typefaces. If you want to use typefaces effectively and properly, you may use a different type for your titles and headings, other than that stick to one typeface. Your main content should be formatted using one type consistently. Typefaces should be used based on their readability and not on their trendiness.
Make spare use of frames and boxes. If you see a newsletter which is cluttered with boxes and frames, then a newsletter that is poorly designed. Do not try and box every single idea or strand of text. Boxes and frames should be used sparingly and purposefully.
Keep graphics pertinent in your design. Every item you add to your newsletter should have a purpose, that is it should contribute to its value in one way or another. Graphics, when used properly, can add more value and flavor to your newsletter. In order to get this added value, you must use graphics and images that are related to the theme of your newsletter.
Be consistent in your use of type size. It is commonsense to use bigger size for titles and headings. This will make them stand out from the rest of your content. Your title is an invitation to the reader, so make your invitation more prominent and tempting.
How many colors should you use in your newsletter ? usually, you won’t need more than two colors, namely black and white. Personally, I think that these two colors are enough to achieve any form of contrast that you might need to make with your text. Moreover, they are the most reader-friendly amongst all other colors. If you need to make any special effects with your text, you can simply use italics or bold type; you can equally underline that chunk of text.
Stick to one single layout. Another issue that would interfere with the consistency of a newsletter is playing around with its layout and look repeatedly. Some people get overexcited with the design of their newsletters. They keep changing its layout with every issue they send out. These practices usually spell failure because you will not be able to establish familiarity and affinity with your readers. You need to stick to one design to which they will get used over time.
Use multiple columns
The bulk of online newsletters use no more than one single column within which the publisher slaps whatever content s/he has. This seems to be the norm, and most of the people involved in newsletter publishing appear to accept this as the best practice.
Unfortunately, this is not the case. By sandwiching all your content into a single column, you make it look bulky and perhaps intimidating to your readers. Your readers will see it as a lot of reading and just skip it. It is a fact that web surfers are not readers in the truest sense of the word; they are more adequately called scanners. The reason for this distinction lies in the fact that they do not actually read every single word or sentence of what is written; they just scan it for any points that might be of interest to them.
No one is comfortable reading from a screen as the eyes get strained very quickly.
Now, how does this information pertain to our discussion of the use of columns in designing newsletters. If you do like everybody else is doing and just slap whatever content you have into one column, you will make it much harder for your readers to scan your content. Try to imaging those long lines going across the full breadth of the screen. Therefore, the best practice would be to use multiple columns for your newsletter layout; this will break your content into smaller easily chewable and digestable chunks.
There is no one good way of manipulating columns. A possible way would be to use two columns. The lefthand column will serve as a sidebar (like in websites) in which you place your table of contents, whereas the righthand one is where your main content lies, that is the body of your newsletter.
But how much space should each column occupy ? The lefthand column (or sidebar) should occupy no more than one third of the whole newsletter width. The righthand column, on the other hand, takes the other two thirds. This is one way of partitioning the size of your newsletter and there could be other ways which are just as effective.
Remember your purpose
Keep your purpose in front of you in every step you take when designing your newsletter. This is important because you will want your newsletters design to work for you and help you fulfill your purpose. People have divergent purposes for publishing a newsletter. Some people start a newsletter to sell something whereas some others just want to share their experiences and knowledge.
In addition to newsletters that are run by individuals, there are other newsletter types such as coporate newsletter, company newsletter, business newsletter, staff newsletter, client newsletter, customer newsletter, school newsletter, class newsletter,etc.
Each newsletter type has different design plans. This is self-evident; a company newsletter design can by no means work for a school newsletter.
Your layout, titles, links, content and everthing else should work towards your newsletter purpose.