Newsletters in plain text, PDF, or HTML?

[jmuehleisen]

Here's an article I found recently on the web that might be of interest. Not everything here applies to the types of e-newsletters that we often send out, but there are some good tips and things to consider:

Source: http://www.doctorebiz.com/07/030122a.htm

Here's their index on e-mail marketing tips. There are a number of very good articles here that might be helpful: http://www.wilsonweb.com/art/email/index.htm

Newsletters in plain text, PDF, or HTML?

"I'm just a short time away from launching my website and offering a free newsletter to subscribers.

I'm confused as to what is the best way to distribute. I want it to be fast and convenient, yet display some creativity. I know plain text is well, just that -- plain. And I know that HTML newsletters have their own set of problems. What are the advantages (and disadvantages) to sending out plain text newsletters with either PDF attachments and/or HTML links?"

-- Greg Marshall, TeeBall-To-A-Tee.com

Plain text is plain, but easy for you to assemble and send out. Some e-mail programs don't show regular URLs as hot, clickable links in plain text e-mails -- for example, EarthLink Web Access Mail 3.0 and all versions of AOL. (See "How to Make URLs Clickable by AOL Subscribers," Web Marketing Today, 1/7/03, http://www.wilsonweb.com/wmt8/aol_links.htm )

HTML is my preference as a publisher these days, since the hyperlinks nearly always work (with the exception of HotMail sometimes). Nearly all e-mail programs now read standard HTML (with the exception of some versions of Lotus Notes), though a few corporations disable HTML. The danger is that with color, fonts, and graphic images, you can create a truly hideous newsletter if you don't have any artistic sense. Do the best you can in-house, and then ask a graphic artist to take a look and add some color and style. Resist the temptation to construct your newsletter with a different table cell for each article, headlines, etc. This can look sharp, but makes your newsletter tedious to assemble for each issue.

PDF seems like an answer to people married to their print newsletter. But many recipients don't have Adobe Acrobat reader installed or may decide not to open any for fear of viruses. As a general rule, I'd stay away from e-mailed PDF newsletters unless the formatting is absolutely necessary to make the information intelligible.

Ultimately, the format decision ought to be your subscriber's. If your e-mail listserver can support it, I encourage you to allow people to select either plain text or HTML when they subscribe. I have HTML pre-checked, but allow subscribers to select text if they want. Listservers are increasingly capable of sending out the newsletter in the format selected by your subscriber, rather than just multi-part MIME.

[Eddie]

A lot of our supporters are not highly computer literate, they get there email from expensive dial up servers and really don't like it when we send them HTML letters, especially if they have pictures embedded. We've moved over to plain text because of this. I do include a URL for our web page where people can see pictures or download a pdf of our paper letter. This combination seems to work and keeps people happy. Now, can someone come up with some softwear that will write letters and stop me from falling behind?

[MrZed]

I've seen the work of a lot of SPAM generators. They can write letters for you. Lots of random words. Sure fills up the page fast. And it can probably mail the message, not only to your ministry partners, but a million other people, too!

Just think how fast your message would get out to ALL THE WORLD! Think of all the support you could generate (NOT).

Dan
(just a little tongue in cheek).

[MrZed]

I've seen the work of a lot of SPAM generators. They can write letters for you. Lots of random words. Sure fills up the page fast. And it can probably mail the message, not only to your ministry partners, but a million other people, too!

Just think how fast your message would get out to ALL THE WORLD! Think of all the support you could generate (NOT).

Dan
(just a little tongue in cheek).

[Caryl]

I use pdf to send my newsletter out to about 60 people out of 360 and is very successful and I hope to add more in that way. It saves me the cost of printing, envelopes, labels, stamps etc. I do a color newsletter front and back with pictures.

I've only had one person who has Adobe Reader not be able to open it up. The rest easily got the reader if needed and you can provide the link in your email message.

I do still write a personal note as I send each email, so relationship is maintained. I receive some that don't do that. I do combine some, by using blind carbon copy but they are all friends (former grad classmates or fellow missionaries from a training camp) and I update everyone at once what I know everyone is up too and they do appreciate that.

Another Wycliffe Missionary sends short emails with one to three photos every two or three weeks and it really gives you a feel for what events she has attended or areas she sees. Then a few times a year she sends a newsletter.