Aim for the 3rd grade reading level
How easy should email newsletters and e-blasts be to read? Very easy, according to a study of more than 40 million emails by Boomerang.… Read the full article
Ann Wylie’s blog of writing tips
3 email newsletter formats that work
Lists, headlines & blurbs, single stories most valuable
The most valued email newsletters in the Nielsen Norman Group’s latest round of usability studies used these formats:
What’s the ideal email length?
Short, but not too short
From the Can’t-Win-For-Losing Department: Although subscribers’ No. 1 piece of advice to email newsletter creators is to keep e-zines short, those same subscribers generally get frustrated when newsletters are too brief.… Read the full article
How long should email subject lines be?
Do shorter ones get higher open rates?
Call it the Goldilocks Conundrum: What character count is “just right” for subject line length?
If ever there were a question with an “it depends” answer, this is it.… Read the full article
To shorten email, find your focus
Expand on, but don’t exceed, the subject line
When a Toyota dealership wrapped up its car-maintenance-and-new-models e-zine with information about getting more protein into your diet, subscribers were surprised.… Read the full article
How to write simple sentences
Think subject-verb-object for most of your sentences
The best way to make your sentences tighter and easier to understand is to simplify them. That is, write mostly simple sentences.… Read the full article
How long should a sentence be?
Short sentences are easier to understand than long sentences
Add a word to your sentence, and you’ll reduce comprehension. Add another once, reduce it even further.… Read the full article
How to vary your sentences
Build drama, create rhythm and more
Short sentences are best. But make every sentence simple and short, and your copy will read like “See Dick run” primers.… Read the full article
What’s the ideal paragraph length for press releases?
And how long should the lead be?
Quick! Which of these paragraphs would you rather read? This 11-word paragraph, from The New York Times?
Until then, Mr.
… Read the full articleWhat’s the best paragraph length?
Hit return more often
The problem with long paragraphs is that they look hard to read. And because they look hard to read, people don’t read them.… Read the full article