6 Tips on Creating Compelling Newsletter Titles
As with anything you write, the headline or title is the most important part. If it doesn’t do its job of convincing people to keep reading, what’s the point?
A powerful headline – whether an ad headline or newsletter title – successfully does a lot of things at once:
- creates interest
- promises a benefit
- boosts readership
- increases click-through rate
If the title of your business newsletter isn’t doing those things, it’s time to breathe new life into a tired name and reap the benefits of a stronger, more compelling title. Or if you’re learning how to write a newsletter, a powerful newsletter name can determine its success.
Either way, use these tips to discover more compelling newsletter titles your audience will love.
Focus on Your Industry, not Your Company Name
Honestly, your customers and target audience don’t really care about your business name, so including it in the title of your newsletter is not usually very compelling.
A better option is to focus on your niche or industry. Doing so tells subscribers exactly what kind of content they can expect from you and establishes a common connection between you, making them more likely to subscribe in the first place and read your emails.
Consider these examples:
“Smith & Smith Monthly Newsletter” vs. “Small Business Legal Insider”
“NewAge Marketing Agency Newsletter” vs. “Digital Marketing Guide”
See how the original newsletter titles are uninspiring, while the second title options are more interesting and compelling?
Consider Benefits for Your Subscribers
Readers want to know what they get for the “price” of their email addresses. So one winning strategy for naming your newsletter is to incorporate the benefits your subscribers get by reading your emails. Show the value you bring them.
Part of doing this is defining your purpose, as this article from PsPrint discusses. It’s not enough to say you’re going to keep your audience abreast of industry news.
What’s the benefit of news besides more email in your subscribers’ inboxes?
Go one step further (at least) and define the specific purposes of your newsletter. Will you give customers a competitive advantage in the industry? Do you help them do their jobs faster and more efficiently?
The other part of this is knowing what your audience wants in the first place. How will
your newsletter fulfill that need?
How is it different from your competitors’ newsletters?
Consider these examples of benefit-driven newsletter titles:
“Bob’s Daily Productivity Newsletter” vs. “Get More Done Today”
“CityMaids Cleaning Guide” vs. “Pristine Home Weekly”
See how the benefits in the second examples – a gorgeously clean house and a smaller to-do list, and the pride and accomplishment of both – make the newsletter sound like something you might actually want to read?
Remember Your Target Audience
If your newsletter title names the people who will most benefit from it, they are far more likely to subscribe because they know you’re writing especially for them. Such a title indicates you know who they are, what they need, the problems they struggle with, and more importantly, the answers and solutions they seek.
Consider these examples:
“Commission Nation Newsletter” vs. “Affiliate Marketers Guide to Wealth”
“Donna’s Baby Supplies Newsletter” vs. “Stay-at-Home Mom’s Product Review”
Notice how the second examples are more interesting and applicable by addressing a specific group of people?
Incorporate Action into Your Title
A headline without verbs is boring, stale, and motionless. You can encourage sign-ups and readership just by adding action to your newsletter title.
There are two ways to add action to your title. One option is to actually use a verb, usually at the beginning of the newsletter name. The other way is to pinpoint the verb that best describes your company’s main activity or purpose, and add “-ing” to it.
Take a look at these examples:
“Wealthy Entrepreneur Today” vs. “Triple Your Profits Report”
“The Mountain Bicycle Enthusiast” vs. “Mountain Biking Guide”
See how the second examples have action in them and feel more exciting?
Brainstorm Content
Before you settle on a newsletter title, try brainstorming the content you will publish for the first several newsletters. Don’t create a full-fledged editorial calendar yet. Just generate ideas, plan articles in advance, and survey your customers about your newsletter content ideas. Doing this can help you:
- beat writer’s block by staying ahead of schedule
- discover what the benefits of your content really would be
- determine the main action you could use in the title
- find out if your customers would be interested in your content
Don’t Call it a Newsletter
How many newsletters do you subscribe to that have the word “newsletter” in the name?
Calling your newsletter a newsletter is boring and redundant, and many would-be subscribers hesitate to sign up because they don’t know if that word indicates news, unending promotions, occasional spam, or quality content.
Calm their fears and make your newsletter title more compelling by using a word that indicates the kind of value you offer, such as:
- News
- Trends
- Report
- Guide
- Letter
- Review
- Insider
Words that indicate timeliness, like “today” or “weekly,” can also be good substitutes for “newsletter.” This article from NewEntrepreneur lists several more value words and great ideas for picking a newsletter name.
What’s your favorite newsletter title that you subscribe to? What naming tips and tricks can you share? Please tell us in the comments.
Comments (45)
How does this not have any comments? I have been searching all over the internet for ways to improve my newsletter and i finally found it. This was amazing, thanks alot!
You’re welcome, Ozzie! Good luck with your newsletter!
Don’t call it a newsletter! lol
Really GREAT work here! You’ve helped me wrap my brain around how to approach our audience. This is a great catalyst for thought.
I’m really glad the post was helpful for you, J.D.! There are some more posts about newsletters on our blog, hope you’ll like them too!
Ozzie, I’m as flabbergasted as you are! I’m starting my first newsletter and though I knew what I wanted to provide and to whom I wanted to provide it, I was stymied for a title. Christina, this article helped tremendously! Thanks!
Marie, I’m glad to hear my article helped you! Good luck with your newsletter!
I was also looking for some inspiration to pep up my newsletter and this article was just the ticket. Excellent content and presentation. Thanks.
Wonderful guide for Newsletter Titles.Thanks for sharing Christina Walker.
Thank you for the feedback. Great that you liked it!
Nice summary to get me started, lots of great ideas here for those of us “stuck in the mud”.
Success of a newsletter mostly depends on the subject or title of it. Most of us open an email if its title is catchy. Title is playing the role of a cover of a product. If it looks nice and handsome the chance of sell will increase.
I have just changed my newsletter title after reading this blog.
Wow! Glad that you found the article helpful – hope the updated newsletter title works better :)
Hi Helen,
It is Usefull .
Thanks
4 sharing
Great help, thanks & thanks for responding to comments!!! ;) My problem is that I want to produce an email group OF Churches NEWSLETTERS. These would be local churches pooling their newsletters to this group. I’ve come up with SW. Michigan’s Temple’s Tidings. Might work. It’s hard to think of something that says something. LOL
Tamie, thanks for sharing and good luck with your headlines :)
My concern is a unique Newsletter Title related to Financial Education or Literacy
Don, creating newsletter titles is a skill you can work on and improve. Here is one more post you may be interested in –
http://writtent.com/academy/articles/how-to-craft-open-generating-email-subject-lines
Has some really good and practical tips.
nyc :D
So helpful, thanks for this!
You’re welcome.
I am Engineering student and my college is going to publish a newsletter and as a result has assigned a team to work on it and I’m a part of it. But my concern is the title. So if u can suggest me a title for the same it’ll be very helpful and I’ll b very grateful to you. Thanks!
Hi, Mohit,
I recommend you to check a post 7 Steps to Creating Titles that Work. Also, have a look at 15 Must-Use Words in Your Headlines [+Examples]. It includes some cool examples.
Seeking a name for a newsletter for Solid Waste Management Corporation staffers.
Andre, have a look at 25+ Resources to Write Killer Headlines. It may give you some great ideas.
:-) Thank you Christina – your text was inspiring and helpful! In fact, you made my day! I will keep an eye on your blog – you seem to know what you are talking about! :-) Regards, Heidi
Thanks for your comment, Heidi. We’ll be happy to deliver even more interesting content!
Just doing this very thing – some really interesting points well made, thanks Christina.
Thanks a lot, susi! Glad you liked it! :)
We focus heavily on this in our own monthly email newsletter, which includes content from our blog and guides. Each content piece we include in the newsletter is supported by a heading and body copy that informs the reader what they will learn from clicking through and reading the piece, and effectively increases their motivation to do so.
Very helpful!
Great article and tips! Thank you!
Stunning quest there. What occurred after? Good luck!
fotbollströja barn
Thank you for the tips. I am trying to come up with a new preschool newsletter name and stopped by your blog for some inspiration. The gears are starting to turn. I am hoping that the gears start to spin. ☺
What would be the best name to give a news letter for an industry that produces soft drinks, water, energy drinks, juices and biscuits?
This was the exact thing I needed to help me create my newsletter name! Thank you so very much!
Great advice Christina … will be bookmarking this page for sure!
It’s a new year and it’s time to give my newsletter a new look. This guide is just want I needed. Simple and easy to grasp. I’m on it! Thank you! Wishing you the best for 2018. :)
Thanks a lot for the article as it is very helpful. Can anyone help me to get the catchy headline for the Finance and Accounts department newsletter.
Thanks in Advance.
youmoney.club
rtgrewtrt
Ok My Foot
Hello sir/madam,
I’m working in construction company
They planned to start a newsletter so they conducting one competition, that is “E-newsletter title” … So please help me to win
Please give some title – construction company , we done government projects like hospital , mosque, police office etc …
Please waiting for your reply……
Sorry for directly asking a title … I’m also new and competition time is only 2 days
Now please give me a 5 or 6 title after that I will learn with you
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