The best newsletters, email or print, tend to focus on doing a few
essential things very, very well. "
The 511," a monthly e-newsletter from
Hunter Public Relations, does exactly five things well.
This one-page publication from the New York-based public relations
agency offers a list of five bullet points on a single topic, from
Pinterest to geosocial networking. The format is simple: “Five Things
You Need to Know About ...”
It’s short, simple, and to the point, and it was the winner in the Best
Email Newsletter category in PR Daily’s Digital PR & Social Media
Awards.
PR Daily’s 2012 Digital PR and Social Media Awards were presented by
Synaptic Digital. Learn more about Synaptic Digital here.
One issue, for example, explains five things you need to know about Pinterest. “Visual
content drives engagement” is point No. 1:
“On Facebook, which is still
the social network by which all others are measured, photos receive
higher engagement rates than link, text, and video posts (eMarketer). On
Pinterest, text-only posts are not an option, which is one of the
reasons initial engagement on the site is so high.”
Other entries include stats on Pinterest’s growing audience, and
information about how brands like Whole Foods, Pillsbury, and
Blockbuster are using Pinterest to connect with consumers. Another issue of The 511 tells
readers five things about Google+.
The open rate for "The 511" is 29 percent, more than three times the 9.4
percent average for marketing newsletters in 2011. Since its March 2011
launch, "The 511" has gone from bi-monthly to monthly distribution. The
total number of new subscribers has risen by 80 percent, increasing at a
rate of 10 percent after each new issue.
Hear more about its success and measurement results directly from Michael Lamp of Hunter PR:
Each issue features prominent sharing buttons for email, Facebook, and
Twitter, as well as links to newsletter archives and links to each of
Hunter's social assets (Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, blog).
Issues of "The 511" have included poll questions, YouTube videos,
infographics, and PowerPoint presentations. A regular sidebar offers
information on Hunter’s core agency competencies relating to social and
digital media.
Want to get recognized for your hard work? Find out about Ragan and PR Daily’s award programs here.
John Cowan is a staff writer at Ragan Communications