Your association newsletter is one of the most valuable ways to keep members and prospects informed about events, advocacy, continuing education, and industry updates. Email marketing continues to deliver one of the highest ROIs across channels—but effectiveness depends on how the newsletter is designed, not just what it says.
As the number one digital publisher for associations, we’ve sent millions of emails across more than 30 industries. Through consistent auditing and performance analysis, we’ve identified design best practices that directly affect engagement, accessibility, and inbox placement. This two-part series focuses on what an effective association newsletter should look like—and what it should avoid.
Word count and email size
Research shows the optimal e-newsletter length falls between 700–1,200 words. Longer emails risk reader fatigue and, from a technical standpoint, can create deliverability issues. Gmail truncates emails larger than 102kb, forcing readers to click to view the full message—often resulting in drop-off.
Emails can exceed this limit due to excessive content, images, or complex coding, so keeping content lean supports both readability and deliverability.
Article limits and summaries
Summaries should stay brief—typically two to four sentences. The goal is to spark interest and drive clicks back to your association’s website, not fully publish the story within the email itself.
Including too many articles in one send can overwhelm readers. We recommend 10–12 articles per newsletter, paired with concise summaries to help readers quickly identify what matters most to them.
Skimmability and consistent visual structure
Skimmability is essential in email, where readers are scanning rather than reading line by line. Clear text hierarchy—such as descriptive headlines, subheads, short paragraphs, and visual spacing—helps readers quickly understand what each section is about and decide where to focus.
Consistency supports skimmability when it shows up as a repeatable visual system: consistent font choices, font hierarchy, spacing, and layout patterns across newsletter editions. While individual emails don’t need to be identical, maintaining a familiar structure helps readers navigate content faster and reduces cognitive load over time.
Text alignment and readability
Text formatting should prioritize ease of reading and scanning. Any body text longer than a few sentences should be left-justified, as centered text becomes harder to track across lines and increases cognitive effort—particularly for readers with dyslexia or other reading challenges.
Accessible text hierarchy and spacing
Clear hierarchy helps readers quickly understand what information matters most. Using consistent heading styles, short paragraphs, and intentional spacing improves comprehension and supports accessibility by making content easier to parse visually.
Responsive layout and mobile-first considerations
Most newsletters are opened on mobile devices, so formatting should adapt cleanly across screen sizes. Simple, responsive layouts with predictable spacing reduce friction, prevent awkward reflow, and ensure content remains readable whether viewed on desktop or mobile.
File size matters
Images should be no larger than 40kb. Large image files contribute to slow load times and deliverability issues.
When images help vs. hurt
A wall of text can be just as detrimental as an image-heavy layout. Images, icons, and even lightweight animations or GIFs can improve skimmability by breaking up text, reinforcing hierarchy, and guiding the reader’s eye—especially on mobile. The key is balance. Visuals should support the content without dominating the screen, crowding out copy, or pushing key messages too far down. Considering image height, placement, and how much of the screen they occupy helps ensure visuals enhance engagement rather than disrupt it.
Table of Contents (TOCs)
TOCs were originally designed for presenting data sets—not email layouts. They add unnecessary code, increase file size, and are not mobile-responsive. Across our association publications, TOCs consistently show little to no engagement.
Inaccessible color usage
Color choices should support readability and accessibility, not undermine them. Issues typically arise from low-contrast combinations, inconsistent use of color to indicate hierarchy or links, or relying on color alone to convey meaning. Incorporating brand colors is important, but they should be applied intentionally and in ways that maintain sufficient contrast and a clear, user-friendly reading experience.
Repetitive content presentation
Certain topics—events, conferences, continuing education—will naturally reappear throughout the year. When presented the same way every time, readers tune out. Varying copy, imagery, or placement helps maintain attention. Calendar or “upcoming events” modules can also reduce repetition fatigue.
Hyperlink limits
Overusing hyperlinks—especially multiple links within a single sentence—creates visual clutter and decision fatigue. Links should be used intentionally, often directing readers to a single landing page via a clear CTA rather than scattering options throughout the text.
HTTPS requirements
HTTP links are increasingly blocked or flagged by modern browsers. HTTPS links use TLS (SSL) encryption and are more secure, helping protect users and prevent broken links or warning messages that can erode trust.
From subject lines to mobile responsiveness, effective newsletters require thoughtful design decisions. When done well, newsletters do more than share information—they support engagement, drive website traffic, and strengthen long-term member relationships.
Because newsletters remain one of the most measurable and reliable communication tools associations have, investing in smart design practices pays dividends over time. If your team is evaluating how to improve performance—or looking for support managing, designing, and optimizing your association newsletter—we can help.
Our team partners with associations to manage newsletter strategy, production, and delivery with engagement, accessibility, and results in mind. Contact us to learn how we support association newsletters end to end.