How to design a cus­tom­ised news­let­ter template

E-mail is a highly effective channel for reaching customers – in some cases even more so than certain social media marketing measures. The standard-bearer in e-mail marketing is the news­let­ter, but getting re­cip­i­ents to read a company news­let­ter can be difficult, with most deciding upon this in a matter of seconds. Con­sequently, a pro­fes­sion­al news­let­ter template is essential for com­mu­nic­at­ing a reputable first im­pres­sion to the would-be reader. Read on to find out a few different options for creating a perfect news­let­ter template, tailored to your needs.

Basic templates

Basic templates can be down­loaded from various websites, often for a one-off fee or even free of charge. These are the most practical of news­let­ter templates, offering clear and basic dir­ec­tions for building and designing your news­let­ter. Basic templates are a great way to create a news­let­ter quickly and simply, and can also provide a good source of in­spir­a­tion for different styles of news­let­ter. Some basic template providers include: 

• themefor­est
• pixel77
• copernica

These basic templates can be per­son­al­ised of course, but the fun­da­ment­al structure of the news­let­ter is already set.

Cracking the code

If you decide against enlisting the help of a news­let­ter template, then work begins from the ground up, starting with the creation of your own structure. There are some sug­ges­tions and guidelines for designing a fluid, re­spons­ive layout, such as this tutorial for a simple e-mail template. The step-by-step guide given doesn’t just explain how to create a func­tion­ing and flexible layout, but also how to implement useful features such as headers, footers, multiple columns, and an appealing layout. When creating a news­let­ter template from scratch, testing is crucial. To determine whether the code is valid and how well the template functions on various devices and differing e-mail clients, the following online tools are available:

• W3C Validator
• Litmus
• Email on Acid

Template tools

Another option for creating a news­let­ter is the use of an online template builder to create your own template from scratch. There are several pro­fes­sion­al news­let­ter software de­velopers who cater for this need, including:

• MailChimp
• GetRe­sponse
• Campaign Monitor

These online programs enable users to build a re­spons­ive news­let­ter template them­selves. Using sample layouts, it’s easy to ensure that the finished news­let­ter is com­pat­ible with different e-mail clients and optimised for a range of devices. These tools are designed to be simple and intuitive, to ensure that beginners can get to grips with e-mail news­let­ter design quickly and create at­tract­ive, well-formatted results. Campaign Monitor, for example, features a simple ‘drag-and-drop’ function for placing images, assigning a call to action, altering headings and much more. 

Creating an eye-catching, per­son­al­ised e-mail news­let­ter template is certainly no mean feat. Not many people are com­fort­able tackling such a complex coding task – and with good reason. However, thanks to practical tools and a wide range of at­tract­ive sample templates, creating an e-mail news­let­ter can be made simpler. There is always the option of hiring the help of a pro­fes­sion­al web designer who can con­cep­tu­al­ise your company news­let­ter template to exact spe­cific­a­tions, but for those wishing to save costs, take on the challenge them­selves, or even just gain in­spir­a­tion for design ideas, exploring the many e-mail news­let­ter templates available online is a worth­while endeavor indeed.