One common misconception that marketers have is that most people are not interested in receiving promotional emails. However, research indicates that the opposite is true; many people are actually opening to receiving these messages and more than 60 percent of those that sign up for brand emails are looking forward to seeing promotional messages in their inbox.
Signing up to get updates for your business indicates that the user is interested in what you have to offer. They are using this as an opportunity to connect with you and newsletters are a great way to inform people further about your products and services.
How newsletters can help your business
With the right content and execution, newsletters can help build higher customer loyalty and revenue. A study conducted by BtoB magazine found that 59 per cent of B2B marketers listed email as their most effective channel for marketing and generating revenue.
There is no right or wrong way to construct your newsletter; however, you will need to follow some general guidelines to make sure that your business is capable of adding real value to your subscribers without getting too persistent or intrusive.
These communications can cover almost any topic. The most common reasons for sending a newsletter is to provide updates on the products or services of a company, describe news and events that are within the industry and company, and give tips and advice relevant to the business that the subscriber may find useful.
The most common timeframes for sending email newsletters are weekly, monthly, and bi-monthly.
Setting your goals
Your newsletter needs to have a sense of direction that fits with your overall email marketing strategy. These goals should aim for something that is beyond just getting people to open your email.
For example, you may want to use your newsletter to further advocate your brand. This will push you towards content that will encourage user-generated assets, such as quizzes and contests.
Or more commonly in the B2B space your objective will be to further position your brand as an authority in your niche to push people further through your marketing funnel.
Make sure that you know who your target audience is and what they need so that you can also match your language to theirs.
Your newsletter does not have to be a “newsletter”
Many companies think email marketing is about getting all of your content out in front of as many eyeballs as possible – this is a sure way to decrease open rates over time.
Email marketing tools have become very sophisticated, and have the ability to segment based on the way people interact not just with your email, but also the way they interact with your website. Use this data to send smart campaigns.
Wrapped up in the data being collected by your email marketing service is the ability to segment your email database based on emails they have opened in the past, pages they have visited on your website, whether they added something to your ecommerce cart, if they purchased something, and even where they open their emails from.
There is no reason to always be generic – the secret to engagement and conversions is how specific your marketing messages are.
Preparing your content
Some newsletters focus on curating content for their readers. While this is a legitimate way of preparing a newsletter, it does not help you reap the most engagement. Unique content gives your audience a reason to anticipate your newsletter because it helps you stand out.
Understand what pushes people through your marketing funnel, and deliver content based on this.
Keep in mind that calls to action (CTAs) are an important part of email newsletters. Regardless of whether you are using a button or a text link, make sure that your CTA stands out clearly so that the subscribers do not miss it.
Choosing a design template
If you want to start out a newsletter but are a little tight on cash, consider using a template that has already been prepared beforehand. There are plenty of email marketing tools that offer a wide variety of templates you can use for your newsletter. You can also work with your digital marketing company for help. They will have a good grasp on your branding and marketing efforts, making them capable of guiding you in the production of your very own newsletter.
If you are using the ability to segment your email database, your email design may even be quite simple. A lot of top marketers get their best results from emails that are very similar in structure to the emails you send every day – a single column with just one call-to-action (although that call-to-action may be repeated several times in the email, e.g. a text link and a button at different parts of the email).
After you have created content to include in the newsletter, all you need to do is to make sure that the final design is easy to scan, read, and engage with. Schedule a test run by sending it to your email and opening it to make sure that everything is where it should be.
Getting Started
Email is still one of the most effective marketing mediums out there, especially when you have a good understanding of what your audience needs and wants. This is an endeavour that sets you up for long-term success, so try not to get too affected by the trial and error at the start. Eventually, you will establish your position as a reliable source of information amongst your audience.
Buzz Web Media is a digital marketing company that offers SEO services, website design, social media advertising, and more. We are based in Sydney, Australia. Schedule a consultation with us today and let us help you make the most out of your company’s presence online!
