Newsletters and promotions, by the rules

On social media, the platform decides who sees your posts. A newsletter goes straight to people who have chosen to read you. It still has to be sent by the rules, and be something people want to open.

First, consent

The general framework is easy to remember, even if the legal detail has its subtleties. The points below are based on the rules that apply in France and the EU:

• Write to people who have agreed to it. To send advertising by email to private individuals, you generally need their prior consent, given clearly: for example a tick box that isn't ticked in advance. Keep a record of that consent (when, how). Some situations follow slightly different rules, such as existing customers offered similar products, or business addresses: before relying on them, check the conditions with your data protection authority (in France, the CNIL).
• Every email lets people unsubscribe easily, and the unsubscribe is honoured.
• Don't buy mailing lists, and don't reuse for advertising addresses collected for something else (a quote, an invoice) without checking that it's allowed.
• No addresses or customer data in a consumer assistant: the AI writes the text, your mailing tool manages the list.

These are only general guidelines, not legal advice: for a specific case, your data protection authority is the reference.

Writing a newsletter people want to open

• A clear, honest subject line: "New opening hours and the tart of the month" beats "You won't believe your eyes!".
• Short: one main piece of news, two or three short items, a single call to action (book, drop by, reply).
• Your voice: the newsletter comes from a person, not a brand. Sign it with your first name.

A request to copy and paste: "Write the April newsletter for our homework-help association, for our members and supporters. The information: [date of the annual general meeting, volunteers needed on Tuesday evenings, result of the school supplies drive with the exact figures]. 200 words maximum, warm tone, a single call to action: sign up as a volunteer. Suggest three possible subject lines, honest ones, without capitals or repeated exclamation marks. Don't add any figure I haven't given you."

Segmenting, without overdoing it

Segmenting means not sending the same message to everyone. For a small business, two or three groups are enough: a plumber can separate private customers from property managers; a hairdresser, her regulars from the customers she hasn't seen for a long time. The AI adapts the same content to each group: "Rewrite this newsletter for property managers: shorter, more formal, highlight our available call-out slots." Only segment using information you hold legitimately, and never with sensitive data such as health.

Promotions, without fake urgency

An honest promotion says clearly what is on offer, on what conditions and until when. No fake countdown, no "last few places" when there are plenty left, no crossed-out price that was never actually charged. Have the AI reread your announcement with this question: "Is there any wording in this text that could give the customer a false impression?"