Even with all the fantastic social networks and tools out there, nothing is more viral or sees more forwards than a great e-mail. And the best e-mail of them all? A great newsletter — because it means you get to e-mail them again next week. Recently I talked about what to put in your newsletter and now here are some steps to make it extra viral.
What to do:
- Ask them to forward it. Don’t just assume everyone will forward your stuff. Put the idea in their heads with plenty of links to forward it on and tell a friend about it, and always include a line or two letting them know they’re free to share and repost your stuff — as long as they give you credit.
- Add something goofy. Your subscribers love the dorky details, the news, and the helpful tips — but the serious stuff can be hard to forward. Including a link to something fun, however, gives readers an extra reason to send your e-mail to a buddy.
- Make sure it forwards cleanly. Ensure your newsletter looks good not only to your subscribers, but also to anyone they forward it to as well. Test your publications to make sure none of your images, links, or other elements are breaking when someone passes them on.