Newsletters have been (and remain) the golden standard of email marketing. Print news and magazines sales may be on the decline but people still want a fast and easy way to get information they care about. For travel businesses, newsletters can keep loyal customers up-to-date on deals, news, and entertainment.
But with so many newsletters available, it is very important to grab potential subscribers right away. The best way to do this is with a clever title and useful content. So how do you come up with the best possible name for your travel newsletter? Well, you take the name of your street and your first pet and…no wait…that’s something else.
The truth is there’s no simple shortcut to creating the perfect title or content. But when it’s right both you and your customers will know it. Here’s a few examples of newsletters with both style and substance.
The Plum Deluxe Blend is the award-winning newsletter of Plum Deluxe, the website that helps you create moments that matter. As the site features content about dinner parties, entertaining, food/drink, and weekend getaways, the name reflects the “mix” of content featured, but also evokes a feeling. The newsletter page has an image like a tea label, which reinforces this feeling of relaxation, slowing down, and a sense of luxury.
Island Time Trading Company’s newsletter carries the simple title “Island Time Telegraph“. Including a traditional newspaper title like “telegraph” or “bugle” can lend a fun and professional feel to an online publication. The Telegraph offers island news, deals, and promotions. As if visiting an island resort weren’t temping enough.
“Travel Bytes” from Hosteling International USA offers snippets of travel deals, exciting destinations and valuable information for Hostel travelers. Customers who stay in hostels tend to be young experienced travelers and a quick hit list with just the necessities and a clever name reflects a business that knows their customers’ needs.
Alaska Tour Saver is the passion project of a few lovers of Alaska. Their weekly newsletter “Alaska Travelgram” is one part of several mass media presentations. Podcasts, video, and photogalleries all go along with the online newsletter. The Travelgram is message dedicated to the promotion of Alaskan travel.
Tri Travel News offers travel packages for athletes hoping to take part in triathlons around the world. Their newsletter is cleverly titled “The Start Line” playing on the sites slogan “We’ll get you to any start line…but finishing is up to you“. The title is short and sweet, reflecting the content that simply tells you what’s coming up, what’s available, and how to get it.
Travel + Leisure Golf Club, a travel site devoted to golf enthusiasts, issues the quarterly “Tee Times“. The newsletter is advertised as an exclusive extra for those lucky enough to be part of the club. A sense of exclusivity can be a big draw for people who love to feel that they’re being treated to something special.
“Business Travel Footnotes” is a title that implies it would be a perfect read for someone with an endlessly busy schedule. The monthly newsletter from All Seasons Travel gives the reader a quick rundown of everything the seasoned business traveler needs to know. No adorable columns and no games; “footnotes” means strictly business.
Subscribers to XOLA’s “Off the Radar” are interested in adventure and exploration. You can’t have a name like “Off the Radar” without showing off some of the roads less taken in places like, say, Kanderlussuaq. This newsletter shows that with any title, the reader has to know what to expect, even if it’s the unexpected.
Customers definitely know what they’re getting with the Virgin Vacations’ “Deal of the Month“. It’s what a large majority of potential subscribers are hoping for with travel newsletters; a way to save to money. Travel costs can break the bank and nothing grabs people’s attention more than a deal. Except for a deal that’s touted as better than all the others that month.
The Olive Oil Secret caters to a particular passion; fresh imported olive oil. It’s a very specific niche but for people who grew up respecting the oil, it’s serious business. However, the newsletter keeps things light with the clever title “Fresh Press“. Sweet and creative names are an easy way to let subscribers know they’re in for a relaxing read.
Of course titles could always be more direct about relaxing content. World Wide Travels offers their readers the “Life of Leisure“. It’s the title of something travelers often imagine reading when they’re super rich without a care in the world. For many travelers, that day hasn’t come yet. However those who haven’t quite reached the life of leisure may still want to subscribe to the newsletter.
For travelers hoping to plan their dream vacation, a name like “La Belle France” will definitely catch their eye. This newsletter with the pretty name offers reviews and guides to hundreds of hotels in Paris. The romantic title fits the essence of the destination and also just so happens to be a very useful resource.
Even non-profit organizations have to consider the best titles to get subscribers. The National Park Travelers Club encourages travel to America’s national parks. Their official newsletter “The Stamp Pad” sounds and looks just that: official. The online publication offers unique sites and history of beautiful but often underrepresented parts of the country. The title is also a play on their offer to stamp your passport with an “official” Star Spangled Banner stamp.
Not all titles have to be so direct. Some titles can reference art, literature, or ideas that attract readers who would get the most out of the content. These titles express intelligence and uniqueness. Geographic Expeditions’ newsletter carries the tile “RECCE: Literary Journeys for the Discerning Traveler“. RECCE is an expression meaning Renaissance or a scouter. Its title sends a message that this newsletter is for people who want to get the most out of their travels.
“Morocco Bound” is the informative newsletter from Tramp Imperial Travel that offers everything Moroccan. In addition to travel advice, the content includes photographs, recipes, and handcrafted arts all native to the country. “Morocco Bound” gives readers a consistent taste of a beautiful Moroccan vacation until eventually they can’t resist planning a trip.
People are always looking for easy ways to get the information they need and care about. Newsletters can save readers from navigating an endless maze of irrelevant and useless sites, and remind them when you’ve got something fresh and new to say.
Just remember that clarity overrules creativity, always. While fun titles are great, if you don’t make it clear what it is, people won’t signup. So don’t shoot yourself in the foot with a clever title nobody will understand. Create a title and content that accurately and inventively reflects the needs of your most desirable customers and they’ll find you. The best newsletter names, as you have seen, are well in tune with the needs and desires of the customer.