When you want your company newsletter to make more sales, much of the changes happen in every issue–each issue, for instance, you need to review your goals before writing your content. There are three areas, however, that once you’ve gotten them right, you can “set them and forget them.”

Today’s elements increase sales by increasing your company’s credibility. Your nameplate, masthead, and tagline each play a crucial role in building reader trust.

Only when your readers trust you will they be ready to do business.

Your company newsletter nameplate.
Whether your newsletter is print or HTML (or even plain text) your nameplate should be instantly recognizable and meaningful to your target audience.

If you’ve established (or want to establish) a strong brand, make the nameplate look like your logo using similar typefaces and colors.

If you offer several publications and want readers to be able to easily differentiate between each, make one element constant (typeface, colors, or a selected word in the name), and the rest contrasting.

Regardless of your goals, make sure your nameplate:

• Stands out: make it big, make it bold, make it clear it’s the nameplate, not just a headline.
• Is consistent: using the same nameplate in each issue helps readers recognize the publication. Consistency is a key way to build reader trust.
• Is understandable: don’t make your readers guess what your newsletter’s about. If they find your newsletter name confusing, they expect to find your product/service confusing as well and may just refuse to buy.

Your company newsletter masthead
Your masthead is where you describe your company and your newsletter. The precise details you include will depend on your goals. If you want your company to look friendly, for instance, include the names of people involved with the newsletter’s production.

Your masthead must offer contact information. This is typically the reader’s first stop when they want to know more. If you don’t make it easy, you’ll lose sales.

Your masthead is also a great place for publication information–like whether or not you accept articles for publication. The more your newsletter looks like a paid subscription newsletter, the more valuable it’ll be to readers.

Including all the nitty-gritty details in your masthead is also a super way to build credibility with your readers.

Your company newsletter tagline
Your tagline carries a heavy burden–it must be short, it must be persuasive (but not salesy) and it must be clear.

Somehow, in 15 words or less, you must give your readers all the information they need about your publication.

Fortunately, that’s not as hard as it sounds. All you’ll need to do is come up with the #1 benefit for subscribers.

Okay, so it’s still hard.

But, it’s not only doable, it’s crucial.

You also might want to include the following information in your tagline (if you have a few extra words):

• frequency
• audience size
• format.

Here are a few examples of taglines clients have used with much success:

• Your guide to a well-trained dog
• A humorous look at life as a single dad
• Bi-monthly tips on decorating your fingernails for parties

You’ll notice that, though each of these newsletters is published by a company, not one mentions the company’s name or interests. Rather they focus on the reader’s goals. That’s the key to a tagline that gets people to subscribe and stay subscribed to your newsletter.

The right tagline doesn’t just add value for the reader, rather you’ll find a great tag will help you focus your newsletter content as well. Take some time to come up with the right tagline. Once you find one that works, you’ll be able to use it for many issues to come.

When you carefully develop your nameplate, masthead, and tagline, you’ll build a powerful foundation for reader trust. In each issue, the other elements of your newsletter (content, etc) will build upon that foundation to unleash a powerful sales ally.

For more on how you can increase your newsletter’s sales ability, check out Part I and Part II of this series.