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The 3-Second Test: Will Your Newsletter Get Read or Deleted?
The 3-Second Test: Will Your Newsletter Get Read or Deleted?
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You spent hours preparing the newsletter. The copy is buffed. Pictures look lovely. The links work. The campaign is now ready to go.
Then someone opens their inbox, looks at your sender field and subject line, then moves on. Delete. That’s the harsh truth about email marketing. Your audience is not responsible for reading your newsletter. You have to earn that.
Though there’s no scientific proof that every reader makes a decision in the exact 3-second window, it has become a truism that people make very quick decisions about what to read. The Nielsen Norman Group did a study on email newsletters and discovered that people often skimmed the headlines and first line or two and chose to read on only if they found something of interest.
So, what is possible to do before the delete key dominates?
What Happens in Those First Few Seconds?
Your newsletter arrives in a mailbox saturated with at least 40 other emails. The reader is not there sitting and thinking, “What’s this brand got to say today?” They are scanning. Who sent this? What is it about? Is this local, national, or international news? Are any of these things worth my time?
Your sender name, subject line, preview text and the body of your opening message all help you answer those questions.
The first impression is important, as there is limited attention. A newsletter that is designed in a way that might make the reader have to think really hard to figure out what it’s about has already caused some friction.
But friction is where engagement begins to fall.
Your Subject Line Is the First Fight for Attention
“March Newsletter: Company Updates and Important Information.” It’s basically the email’s subject line. It doesn’t provide them with a lot of motivation to open it.
Now compare that with: “The three marketing blunders that are costing you customers.” The second subject line provides a “need to care” scenario. It guarantees something meaningful and pertinent.
This is not to say that all email subject lines must be witty or thought-provoking. Indeed, Litmus recommends that you consider the “why” of an email and craft a subject line and preview that are designed to reinforce each other, rather than repeat the same message. It also mentions that there is no single optimum subject line length due to the variations of devices and recipients.
The rule is simple: Do not tell readers only what the email is. Give them a reason to open it.
The Opening Line Can Save the Newsletter.
Congratulations. They opened it. You now have a new job. Keep them there.
Your opening should quickly answer the question sitting in the reader’s head: “Why should I care?”
Avoid the first paragraph being about the excitement of your company about sharing its news. Get to the point.
State what the useful resource has to offer, if applicable. If you have a relevant point in your industry, introduce the point with the industry insight. When promoting, tell the benefit.
Nielsen Norman Group’s newsletter research identified that titles and the first one or two lines are read, and this is used as a basis for determining whether or not to pursue an item.
Your opening is not a warm-up lap. It is the race.
Give Readers a Reason Not to Delete
A newsletter must provide something that is more valuable than another email in a jam-packed inbox. That value could be:
- A useful tip
- An exclusive offer
- A new resource
- An industry insight
- A practical solution
- A compelling opinion
- Something genuinely entertaining
And no, value doesn’t necessarily mean a discount.
One practical tax-planning tip might be offered by a professional services firm. A retailer might be able to give out a helpful product guide. A marketing agency can help to analyze a trend in that campaign that businesses can take advantage of.
The format changes. The principle does not.
Provide people with a gift for which they will be happy they got the chance to open.
Make Your Newsletter Easy to Scan
Avoid having a “wall of text” newsletter. Use short paragraphs. Clear headings. There should be ample room for ventilation. Strong visual hierarchy. Descriptive links. Clear call to action. Why? Because readers scan first and commit later.
The eye-tracking study by NNG showed that readers of newsletters tend to skip paragraphs, jump back and forth between headlines and links, and make hasty judgments about what to read and what to miss. Having a consistent layout for the newsletters also aided users in becoming more efficient at scanning.
Imagine that your newsletter is a map. The reader should be aware of where he or she wishes to go before deciding to travel the road.
But don’t forget the phone. Your well-laid-out newsletter for the desktop simply needs to fit on a small screen too.
Stop Treating Every Subscriber the Same
Your audience is not one-size-fits-all. You will discover various subscribers on your list who have various reasons, needs, and interests in subscribing to your list.
So why address the same message to everyone?
Segmentation might help make email messages more pertinent to the specific groups you are communicating with, and testing can help determine what actually works with your audience. It’s also important to note that Mailchimp suggests comparing your email performance to industry benchmarks, not just as a single measure.
The objective is not to send out more emails. It’s about sending better emails to the right people.
Try the 3-Second Newsletter Test
Forget you wrote the newsletter before hitting the “send” button. Assume that you are the subscriber. Count to 3 and ask:
- Do I know who sent this?
- Do I understand why it matters?
- Is the text engaging and interesting?
- Am I able to easily identify a main idea?
- Are the instructions clear?
- Would I actually keep reading?
If the answers are mostly “yes,” you might have something to send. Otherwise, return to the inbox and repeat.
If you can save some extra ten minutes, this might be more important than spending another hour on a paragraph that no one reads.
Make Every Email Count
Your newsletter has seconds to earn attention. Faber Cre8tive can help you turn those seconds into meaningful engagement with smarter email strategies, sharper content and marketing that gives people a reason to stay.
