E-Newsletter Layout: Add White Space to Improve Readability

White space in newsletters is like pausing in conversation. Take a breath now and then to avoid overwhelming the reader.

It's tempting to pack a business e-newsletter tight with content. After all, goes the rationale, the piece appears more substantial, more authoritative.

However, in the audio book, "Sound Advice on Publishing E-Newsletters," author Michael Katz says that laying out text in big, chunky paragraphs creates an obstacle to effective communications.

Katz relates a recent experience with newsletters written by a professional services company. "What they had in place was actually pretty good ? professional design, good content ? and yet something was wrong." The newsletters were difficult to read because the great content was too dense.

Katz sites three important reasons for inserting frequent paragraph breaks to increase white space.

First, it's hard to read on screen. "By breaking up newsletter paragraphs into little pieces, you make it easier for your readers to get through the material.

Second, people like to skim. "Studies of online habits," says Katz, "show that people jump around. Shorter paragraphs help readers pick out things of interest to them."

Third, white space makes the text feel more conversational. "Think about the way dialogue in a book is laid out on a printed page. Lots of short, one or two sentence paragraphs. When your e-newsletter writing uses this same approach, it has a much more personal rhythm to it."

Michael Katz offers advice on how to create, write, and publish e-newsletters each week in the free audio-newsletter from What's Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz/full_story.asp?ArtID=92

About The Author

Richard Cunningham is a principal of What's Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz, a publisher of business audiobooks and online audio programs on marketing, sales, and small business strategies.

Are Autoresponders An Important Asset To Your Business?

Autoresponders are an important asset to an Internet Marketer. When... Read More

Is the IronPort Whitelist Actually An Extortion Tactic?

It appears that Mr. Gates' prophetic prediction that charging marketers... Read More

Autoresponders for Beginners

Hi you may or may not know that your Autoresponder... Read More

Masterful E-mail Marketing

There are more than 100 million e-mail users in the... Read More

How to Build Your List

Your list is your life. If you do not have... Read More

7 Great Email Habits for the Beginning Internet Entrepreneur

If you are just starting out as an Internet entrepreneur... Read More

Viral Marketing with Your Signature File

Computer viruses are usually a bad thing. They can compromise... Read More

Email List Management

How do you get the most out of your list?We... Read More

Is Your Autoresponder Hungry?

Do you know how to feed it, so that it... Read More

A Cool Email Communication Tip

If I sent you an email that said: "The Big... Read More

Real Estate Agents ? What Type of Content Should You Include in Your Newsletter?

One of the biggest concerns for Realtors who publish their... Read More

Add Email To Your Marketing Mix

If you are serious about adding email to your marketing... Read More

10 Terrific Ways To Enlarge Your Subscriber Base

1. Create a unique selling proposition (USP).Developing a USP for... Read More

10 Persuasive Triggers To Plug Into Your Ad

1. Most people want to win over others. Tell your... Read More

What Do Your E-Mail Messages Say About You?

There probably isn't a business person alive who hasn't at... Read More

Combating List Building Frenzy: Take The Time To Promote

It is an accepted fact among the experts now that... Read More

Signature File Dos and Donts

Signature files have been around since, well, before most current... Read More

Email Deliverability Tips

Ensuring requested opt-in email is delivered to subscriber inboxes... Read More

8 Ways to Get More Email Addresses On Your List ... Today

Whether you've got 100 or 100,000 people on your email... Read More

People Accusing You of Sending sp*am? Five Email Marketer Must Know Tips

People tend to forget their subscriptions. Sometimes they don't even... Read More

Does Punctuation Really Matter in Email?

So much depends on choosing the correct mark of punctuation... Read More

Choose Your Email Marketing Software Wisely

Successful online business can't be led without email marketing. Many... Read More

How to Start A Money Making Newsletter

Writing and publishing a successful newsletter is perhaps the most... Read More

22 Simple But Highly Effective Methods To Ban E-mail Opt-In List

Here are 22 simple but highly effective methods to build... Read More

The Wrong Email Format Can Destroy Your Offer

Which email format is more effective to use, Text or... Read More