There is a lot that needs to be considered when deciding to use a newsletter as the centerpiece of your marketing campaign. You must figure out how to effectively maintain your list of subscribers, be able to distinguish prospects from people who are not interested in your message, and much more. It is also important to determine how often you will send out your newsletter and what length your publication should be. Length is a very tricky area because making it too long could overwhelm the reader to the point of losing their interest, whereas by making it too short, there is a chance that you will not be providing the reader with enough. The length of your newsletter depends on various factors that are specific to your campaign, but coming up with a good formula is a must.

Reader Preference

Some readers would prefer longer newsletters while others will prefer something shorter to make for a quicker read. This serves as an example that there are no clear cut guidelines when it comes to the preferences of readers. Therefore, the best way to determine length is to consider the tendencies of your audience. Are your subscribers more likely to have the time to sift through pages of content or are they pressed for time? It is also a good idea to figure out just how much value you can pack in a newsletter that only contains a few short paragraphs versus long pages of text. The key is to focus on delivering quality content that offers value to the reader, something that is difficult to accomplish whether your newsletter is very short or very long.

Creating a newsletter that offers enough value to justify the recipient opening and reading it every time is difficult enough. A longer publication only makes this harder as your content must be able to maintain value throughout its length. When going over three or four pages of content, you stand the chance of losing the readers interest. The good thing is that while maintaining interest can be difficult, it is not impossible. With that said, here are a few tips to help find the appropriate balance of length and content:

1. If your newsletter is designed to get subscribers to take some sort of action such as clicking, buying or signing up for something, a shorter publication would probably be the best option. This way, the reader can spend more of their time focusing on the most important aspects, and less on the filler content.

2. If you are announcing something like an industry event or special offer, a longer newsletter would be ideal. This will help you maintain the good balance of content we mentioned above.

3. If the purpose of your campaign is to create brand awareness or establish long-term relationships, a short or long newsletter could both work out in your favor. A shorter newsletter that delivers great value shows respect for the readers time while a longer one can be impacting from the sense of expertise and authority.

The truth is that when it comes to the length of a newsletter, nothing is etched in stone. There are no set standards. What you have to do is understand your audience and how to address their needs. Only then will you be able to determine the ideal balance.