Haven’t sent out a year-end email message yet to your customers or supporters? There’s still time, and you also have time to make it effective.

Consider a year-start email if getting a creative year-end email together seems too daunting. Whichever you choose, now’s the time to make the message more exciting and more appealing to your readers, as highlighted in a recent Network for Good article:

1. Go simple. You’ll need your logo, tagline and website, of course, and any basic consistencies in format you’ve used the rest of the year. However, a year-end email or year-start email can stand out if you focus on just one great element of your product, or one customer story, instead of several. Consider making it readable in just one screen view with a very straight-forward message.

2. Make your images count, and give them tags with keywords. Choose just one or two key images and make sure you give them appropriate tags to increase traffic.

3. Thank your readers for their action toward your brand. Let them know you’re looking forward to a great new year together. A year-end email is a great way to let them know they make all this possible.

4. Consider adding one simple video message. Verbalize your gratitude and appreciation for your audience with a 30-second clip, which could even be a voice-over as you’re showing some “behind-the-scenes” images of your product or service.

5. Put your year-end or year-start email message on Pinterest.

6. Add links to your website within your message, but also add links to your blog and your social media accounts.

Like other content creation tools, email marketing can’t stand alone – but it can be very powerful when it works in conjunction with keyword utilization, strategic social media posts, and high-quality website content that gives readers real value. That’s the truth for all phases of the year.