How to Write E-Zine Teaser Copy—Ten Tips

As far as we know, there are no courses in the University of Iowa writing program on how to write story teasers for an e-mail newsletter. But it’s an art that should be studied.

That’s because the teaser is just as important as the subject line. The latter may get people to open your e-mail, but the teaser draws them to your Web site. And you can’t have one without the other.

So what are they?

Appearing between the headline and the link, e-zine teasers are usually one or two cleverly written lines that explain the story and engage the reader’s interest. They are similar to the decks that accompany magazine headlines.

But there’s a difference: The text of a magazine article starts near the deck, and can be easily scanned by the reader. That’s not so with the typical e-mail newsletter.

The e-zine writer has seconds to convince the reader to click through, and must provoke an action while providing information.

Just how long should a teaser be? In some cases, especially in news-oriented e-zines, a simple headline might suffice. But that won’t work when you have a complicated or unfamiliar subject.

The perfect length is two sentences, but we have also seen good one-line teasers, and even some with three or four lines. It all depends on how quickly you can get the information across.

With that in mind, here are some pointers from Prescott Shibles and Geoff Smith of our own New Media department at Primedia Business:

1. Write short and clever teasers that are heavy with keywords.

2. Write them so that they are action oriented but subtle.

3. Don’t overpromise. Readers should know exactly knows what they’re going to get when they read the story.

4. Throw in a little humor, but don’t overdo it.

5. Avoid words like “free,” or anything that might trigger spam filters.

6. Know your audience and make sure that your heads and teasers are relevant.

7. Keep it short. The teaser should give you a taste—not the entire article.

8. Write simple sentences and avoid tongue-twisters.

9. Clearly direct the reader to the link.

10. As Return Path suggests, don’t bury your links with fancy designs.

Yes, teaser writing is an art—but one with immediate and measurable consequences. You will know at once if you are doing a good job.