Choosing The Best Format For Your Newsletter

Text, HTML or PDF ?

One little job you'll have to do at some point is decide the best format for your newsletter. Don't worry too much if you don't really understand the terms above. All will become clear in a moment.

Basically you have a choice between sending your newsletter out in plain text, HTML or PDF format. There are pros and cons of each ....

Plain Text

Plain text is easy and fast to do. I mostly use plain text for newsletters, and it is perfectly adequate for most projects.

With plain text you don't have to use HTML coding or convert your newsletter into a PDF document. All you do is write your copy using any text editor (or Word) and paste into your newsletter. Plain text newsletters also have a nice 'no nonsense' appearance. They allow you to focus on your content, not on design and appearance.

Another plus point for plain text is that plain text e-mails are less likely to be caught by spam filters than any other type -- and every computer can read them. So your newsletter is more likely to be received and read by your readers.

On the downside, plain text newsletters are slightly less polished looking, and a bit more restricted in layout.

HTML or Hypertext Markup Language

HTML is becoming more popular as a newsletter format. It allows you to create impressive looking pages, with smart layout, colours and graphics.

HTML is a good format because it looks more professional than plain text. It is also easier to create than PDF. If you want to publish a newsletter on a subject that needs to include illustrations and graphics then HTML is your best choice.

There are two main ways of creating HTML newsletters: Firstly, you can learn HTML coding yourself and convert your newsletter into HTML format. There are courses, information and tutorials on the Internet that can help you learn it. Alternatively, you can use professional tested and proven templates for your newsletter.

The main disadvantage of HTML newsletter formats is that there can be a compatibility problem. Newsletter designs may look different to other people on other computers compared to your version. In fact, your newsletter may look jumbled to some people, encouraging them to unsubscribe. The solution is to test it on several different browsers yourself -- or use a ready made template that is tested and proven to be compatible.

PDF or Portable Document Format

PDF is less common for newsletters compared to plain text and HTML. However, it's ideal for newsletters where you want to use a lot of graphics and photos. Because with a PDF format you can make your newsletter look as good as any glossy magazine.

For example if you publish a newsletter about gardening, a PDF newsletter can be a good choice because you can include high quality pictures of different plants, garden designs and so on. For a travel newsletter, you can include high quality, actual photos of destinations.

But there are a couple of snags: PDF newsletters are more difficult to create because you need to write and format each issue using your wordprocessor (such as Word). Then convert that into PDF with a special program known as Adobe Acrobat. Which takes extra work and time.

Also your subscribers will have to download your newsletter to be able to read it. And they will need special software to do so which they might also have to download. (In this case Adobe Acrobat Reader.) Some people can't be bothered to do this as it takes extra time -- and some people don't like downloading things due to the virus risk -- so that might cut your circulation a bit.

Now this is important to remember about formats: The newsletter format you choose can have quite a significant effect on your sign-ups, circulation, response and any sales you might get from your newsletter.

So, which newsletter design format is most suitable for your newsletter?

That's a slightly more tricky question to answer I'm afraid! It depends on what you're publishing about, who your readers are likely to be and what they are likely to expect. A good way of choosing is to look at any competing newsletters there are. Choose a format which is the same or better than those competitors and you probably won't go far wrong.

I hope this article helps demystify the secrets of text, HTML and PDF and helps you decide which format is best for your newsletter.