JWB Associates

Broadcast headhunting firm JWB Associates keeps its wide client base of international broadcast employers and professionals up to date on the latest industry news and jobs available to them with an email newsletter.

However, the newsletter could be missing key opportunities to communicate important information and encourage new clients to register.

There could also be room for improvement in the newsletter's focus and design, to better hold the recipients' attention and keep them reading on.

Analysis

1. While the branding used in the newsletter is clear and simple, it is different from the website so doesn’t help the user quickly relate the two.

2. The company’s strapline is hidden away at the foot of the newsletter, so there is no immediately obvious explanation of what JWB does – the recipient may need a gentle reminder to ensure they realise the email's importance to them.

3. Although it’s clear from the header that this is a ‘newsletter’ there’s no indication as to why you might be receiving it, or what you might stand to gain from reading it.

4. There’s nothing particularly stimulating to the eye. Pictures offer an easy opportunity to illustrate the company’s ethos, and give instant clues as to what’s on offer – in this case, jobs and recruitment opportunities.

5. The main article has no headline to indicate what it’s about. Web users are often time-poor, and will be scan-reading – so they need a clear heading to show them what they stand to benefit from delving further into the copy.

6. The main text covers JWB’s visit to the International Broadcast Conference (IBC), however the article is a little unfocused. The opening paragraph dwells on JWB’s activities without offering any useful information to clients until the third paragraph, by which time the reader may well have become bored and moved on.

7. The main benefit to job seekers – the list of latest jobs – is hidden at the bottom of the newsletter.

8. JWB has two types of client – those who want to hear about jobs, and those who are recruiting for jobs. However the newsletter seems a little one-sided and unstructured. There’s plenty of information for job-seekers, but hardly any for employers.

9. There’s no call to action that might encourage recipients to register their details or job proformas on JWB’s website. This means the newsletter is missing a valuable opportunity that seems central to the company's objective.

10. The company registration information is missing from the bottom of the email. Including this information is now mandatory and by leaving it off JWB risk being fined following the amendment to the Companies Act 1985, made in January 2007.

Click on 'next ' to see what changes Andrew recommended ...