How to get clicks in a narrative newsletter

Good morning! I have a few updates for you before we get into the meat of today’s newsletter:

💵  Branded Content Cash Camp: I’m excited to share that I will again be serving as a coach/trainer for the Branded Content Project’s Cash Camp where we’ll help a handful of publishers on their branded content journey. You can read more here. And you can download info on our branded content program here.

💼 Lunch and Learn: We got the opportunity to host a Lunch & Learn for BizTimes Milwaukee this week where we showcased the impact that branded content could have for their advertisers. Here is a photo with Dan Meyer, the owner of the magazine and here’s a LinkedIn post with more information about the event.

Now on to this week’s newsletter, which is about how to write a great newsletter while balancing keeping people engaged but also driving clicks.

Why narrative is important in newsletters 

Your newsletters shouldn’t solely be headlines or tiles. And I firmly believe you’re missing a big engagement opportunity to connect with your audience through your words if you don’t allow for some form of narrative.

I find that the best places to have narrative copy are in the following places:

• Your introduction: This is the place where you can add a little personality, use your voice and really make a connection with the audience.

• The top story: Of all of the things in your newsletter, your top story is the place to show off your narrative style, explaining why the reader should pay attention and to provide them enough information to get them interested. 

• Calendar and aggregation: If you have sections like a list of things to do or maybe a list of stories you have aggregated from others, narrative is a good option for those kinds of areas.

The best way to write a narrative newsletter is in summarized bullets, bolded headers or emojis. To build consistency with readers it’s recommended to use the same kind of headers throughout. Axios really has mastered this using words like “the big picture” and “what it means” in their narrative copy. 

Find your own path on what fits your audience and the theme of your newsletter.

Here is an example that one of our clients does which creates those bullets I mentioned, along with the editor’s take, which I really like:

But how do you drive clicks?

This is always the biggest challenge when we speak with a publisher about their narrative newsletter: How do they balance the need for great storytelling with getting people to click?

If you are going to write part of your newsletter, give the reader enough information where they can do something with it and don’t make everything about a tease. 

If you truly are going to shoot for a self contained newsletter — or at least make parts of it that way — provide enough of the nuts and bolts of the story that doesn’t leave the reader frustrated or feeling like they are being tricked into a click.

There are a few tips I’d keep in mind on how to do this effectively:

• Find the hook: In many cases, narrative newsletters are written for our loyal audiences who want more, so lay out the 5Ws or the key facts to the story but in your CTA tell your audience what questions you have answered or more detail you have to offer by clicking into your story.

• More listings: For those who create lists (best places for pizza, best things to do with your family), outline the top 3 and use your CTA to encourage people to find five more by clicking on your link. They were probably intrigued by what you already offered, so this is a nice way of saying, hey we have more here!

• Be as specific as possible: When you think about what you’re going to use as your CTA, be very clear, like “What the mayor said.” CTA’s should not say “read more.”

And make sure the CTA buttons are blue or orange. They are known to be the button colors that generate the most engagement. 

When you have enough information for the reader to get the gist of the article, but also give them the chance to dig into more information, you not only build loyalty but also increase your chance to get readers to your site. You can do both.

We can help you create a great newsletter

Our Newsletter program not only teaches news organizations how to write successful narrative newsletters and CTAs but also assists with subject line best practices, acquisition strategies and the right tools to use. Download an info-sheet on our newsletter services here. And contact me at David@davidarkinconsulting.com today so you can learn more.