Newsletter Example: Local Restaurant


Sometimes I can be quite judgmental of others' newsletters, and most of the time I keep that to myself. Being a critic means I can also appreciate good examples of newsletters, and email marketing in general. Have a look at this one which arrived in my inbox recently from a local restaurant with the subject line: Seasons Greetings from all of us at Finbar's.

The content in this email is just right for several reasons.
  • The subject line clearly said what is was - a holiday greeting. If I wasn't in the mood for holiday cheer, I could have deleted it with little hassle (but stayed subscribed for future news). I was feeling cheery when I received Finbar's email.
  • A good overall balance of images and text - and not too long. It looked like it wouldn't take much time to read.
  • A colourful photo of the young kids dressed for the season - you won't find this on shutterstock; it connects on a personal level.
  • A funny personal story - curiosity got me reading the whole thing.
  • The 'advertising' part of the content felt more like something I needed to know from one of my favourite places to eat.
  • The hours are also useful to me. If I want to get there for my fav Guinness & Bacon Mac & Cheese before Christmas, lunch on Saturday is my last chance.
  • Finally, the contest winner announcement is social proof, important to building your reputation online.
What did this great email do for Finbar's? I only know that I'll be in for Mac & Cheese over the holidays. I bet I'm not the only one.

Thanks to Michelle at Finbar’s Forest Hills who good-naturedly agreed to me using their newsletter as an example. (I wasn't paid to write this and Finbar's isn't a client of mine.)

photo by Meghan Tansey Whitton

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