Intro Blurb: 1-2 sentences setting the tone and highlighting what is inside.
2. Promo/Sponsor Banner (New)
Placement: Insert your Snowplanet banner (or other promotional banners) directly below the intro. Placing it near the top ensures high visibility before the reader starts scrolling.
3. Current Feature Spotlight
Header: "Current Feature: [Feature Name]" with a direct link to the main feature page.
Content: Feature 2 to 3 key articles. Use an eye-catching image alongside a short 30 to 40-word teaser for each, followed by your standard blue "Read More ..." button.
4. Upcoming Features Teaser
Header: "Upcoming Features:".
Content: Maintain your side-by-side square image layout to visually tease the next 1-2 features (e.g., The Golden Years, Home Sweet Home). Link these images directly to the relevant upcoming feature pages or media kits.
5. Directory & External Link Highlight (New)
Header: "Focus on the Coast" (or similar).
Content: Use a brief 2-sentence block to drive traffic to a specific directory section that aligns with the season (e.g., "Getting ready for winter? Check out our Property Maintenance directory..."). You can also include 1-2 relevant external links here, such as a local council update or community news bulletin.
6. Latest Local Events
Header: "Latest Local Events ...".
Content: Include a sentence linking directly to your "our Local Events Calendar" followed by a 2-column highlight of specific upcoming events, complete with short descriptions and "Read More ..." buttons.
7. Business Growth & Classifieds (New)
Header: "Grow Your Local Reach."
Content: An encouraging, brief call-to-action outlining the value of your services. Example: "Want to be seen by the Coastie community? Grab a Classified Ad for immediate visibility or check out our SMART Plans for long-term growth." Include two clear buttons: "Submit a Classified" and "View SMART Plans."
8. The Monthly Draw
Header: "CONGRATULATIONS! To our business winner this month -".
Content: Announce the winner cleanly at the footer. This trains readers to scroll all the way to the bottom of the email.
Best Practices for Formatting & Media
Overall Length: Aim for a 2 to 3-minute read. Readers will scan headings and images, so keep all paragraph text strictly to 2-3 short sentences (approx. 40 words max) per item, just like your current layout. Let the "Read More" buttons do the heavy lifting.
Image Types & Ratios: Stick to standard JPG or PNG files. For your current layout, use square (1:1) images for the side-by-side upcoming features and events, and landscape or square images for the alternating article blocks.
Image File Sizes: Keep all image file sizes under 100KB if possible. Large image files will cause the newsletter to load slowly on mobile devices and can trigger spam filters.
Banners: For promotional banners like Snowplanet, use a standard horizontal "hero" format (e.g., 600px wide by 200px tall) to span the width of the template without pushing the core content too far down the page.
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