My Top 5 email newsletters and why I love them

Sometimes, I wake up in the morning, look at my Blackberry and realise I’ve had about 40 emails come in during the night. A couple of these might be work-related, but most of them are email newsletters that I’d signed up for but never read. The thing is – the web has created a hunger for information. That hunger has led to greed. And greed, as every sane person knows, has only one outcome and it’s not nice.

So where does that leave us? With information overload and an overweight, restless mind! We’re clicking on more links than we’re creating. We’re scanning rather than reading and digesting. We’re consumed with data, facts, figures, ideas hitting us faster than we can utilise it.

This is why I decided it was time.

I’ve unsubscribed to any email that I haven’t read in the last month. And that’s me, down to a handful of email alerts and newsletters that do it for me. Out of those that get ‘my attention’ over my ‘deleted folder’, I’ve put together my list of top five email newsletters (and alerts) and why they float this boat…

Innocent news for tone of voice

If you read my post on finding the right voice, you’ll know I am an Innocent fan. But the truth is, when I signed up for Innocents’ news I didn’t even drink Innocent Smoothies but that didn’t stop me. When it comes to tone of voice and brand language, Innocent has it down to a fine art. Tone is about defining who your audience are and how they want to be spoken to. It’s also about finding your brand mojo. What I love about the Innocent newsletters is that they speak to me like I was part of a family… and who doesn’t want to hear from their family?

Amazon for relevancy

I still remember the first time I shopped on Amazon. It took me all of 10 minutes to find the perfect pair of size 3, black boots. But in that 10 minutes Amazon was able to capture what I browsed for, what size I was, and what brands I liked. Now? I’m hooked. When it comes to sending me stuff that relevant to my taste, size and needs, Amazon does it right.

Apple for design and clarity

The only thing I’ve bought from Apple is my IPod Nano and all the trimmings… I’m not a Mac user (maybe someday I will be) but I still read Apple’s newsletters. Why? Because like everything else Apple does, it’s beautiful and simple. I never have to guess what Apple is trying to sell me… because their subject lines, lead-in piece and call is action is always loud and clear. No wasting time, just a simple, beautifully crafted message straight to your inbox.

Copyblogger for usefulness

Every once in a while you come across content that you just can’t do without. Every blogger, social media user, writer, copywriter, freelancer, Internet marketer and entrepreneur will tell you that Copyblogger is one of these rare sources that always leaves you with something… that with the added advantage of brilliant writing. Usefulness is becoming pretty important in this age of information overload. So, when it comes to 100% pure usefulness, Copyblogger is where it’s at.

Seth Godin for simplicity and personal branding

Seth is blogging god and uber marketer. His emails are my daily dose of reality, common sense and honesty on plate. His voice is so distinctive that sometimes, you can read a quote on another site and you know even before the author’s said it, that it comes from Seth. He is his own brand and a powerful one at that. He’s also living proof as to why it’s best to keep it simple.

Now, here’s a tip: If you take all the best elements these newsletters have to offer (tone, content, relevancy, design, simplicity and clarity of call to action) and put them together, you could have a pretty great newsletter yourself.

So those are my favourites… but what about yours? What alerts and newsletters grab your attention and keep you reading? Leave a comment and let us know!

Bian