Cool Email Idea: Secrets to Email that Gets Opened & Read

What: Secrets to Email that Gets Opened & Read

Who: BLR (Business & Legal Reports)

Why we love it: Oh, you just can't make this stuff up! "Banana Decimates Office." "Workers Test Poker Faces." "Invasion of the Robots." "Wanted: Lackey to the Stars."

The stuff of supermarket tabloids? No sir. It's HR Strange but True, the fast-growing, interactive e-zine from BLR, the plain English business compliance training and resource company. Conceived as a column for BLR's human resources website and e-zine, HR Strange but True was so popular that BLR gave it center stage as a stand alone newsletter. Following the best practice that even a little bit of content exponentially increases the value of an e-newsletter, HR Strange But True is grew super-fast - from 278 to more than 7,000 subscribers in just under a year - with a less than 0.2% unsubscribe rate. Additionally, the e-zine follows best practices for content, calls-to-action and interactivity. There is one short, tightly written article on a topic that makes you shake your head, laugh out loud or shudder with gratitude that it didn't happen to you. There's a call to action for training or a book that helps protect subscribers from the featured foul. Other links invite HR pros to share their own story, take a weekly challenge and forward the article to others. The combination of these best practices makes for a viral, responsive email file that drives new revenue for BLR.

What would make it better: Make the call to action more prominent. Although it's in the best place, right under the first article, make it pop with a button, larger headline or image of the item for sale.

Bonus points: BLR includes a prominent newsletter subscription box in each newsletter, as readers do hit the forward button! Never assume that everyone reading your newsletter is a subscriber. Cross-promotion works. This fun approach to a serious subject builds trust in the brand and drives sign-ups to other BLR e-zines.

Check it out: Sign up here

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