July 2, 2021
Email isn’t dead. In fact, around nine out of ten marketers use email marketing to share content organically and nurture leads. And when it comes to email newsletters, they’re a proven way to keep existing clients and prospects immersed with your brand.
Whether you’re a complete email newbie or a marketing expert who hasn’t yet tried newsletter marketing, this guide is for you.
An email newsletter is an email type — also referred to as campaign — used in email marketing. It offers subscribers an inside scoop into what a brand is up to, providing fresh content that ranges from news, blog posts and announcements, to exclusive events and product reviews. In other words, newsletters are a perfect way to build a tight-knit digital community.
Ready for a newsletter game plan? To hit the ground running, follow our step-by-step instructions below.
1.Come up with a newsletter strategy
Do some soul searching. What are you trying to achieve with this email newsletter? First, conduct a brainstorm dump, then sift through your ideas, connecting them back to your brand’s overarching business goals and values. Once you’ve set a purpose and defined your newsletter objectives, determine what KPIs you’re going to measure. Some pointers would be to look at open rates, newsletter subscriptions, click-through rates, and so forth.
2.Create a newsletter content calendar
It’s ok not to know a year in advance what newsletter content you’re going to release. But defining your content helps. Plan your newsletter topics, and if you get stuck, look at your competitor’s newsletters to identify what topics they’re covering and what they’re missing out on. Feeling particularly motivated? Create a short survey and send it out to clients, asking them what content they want to see. Then promptly deliver.
3.Select an email marketing platform
There are a host of email marketing platforms to choose from. Some of the most popular ones are MailChimp, Active Campaign, HubSpot, and Constant Contact. Each one comes with pros and cons, so study their offerings to determine what works best for your brand.
4.Build your subscriber base
Perhaps you already have an active contact list. Perhaps you don’t. Fret not; it’s relatively easy to capture leads. Add subscription widgets to your site, like on your homepage, footer, and your blog page. Consider double-opting to keep your subscriber list clean and decluttered.
5.Design your newsletter
With an email marketing platform, you can usually choose a template or build your newsletter campaign from scratch. Whatever template you opt for, ensure the design matches your brand colors and font style and that the layout is responsive and user-friendly. More importantly, your newsletter design should be mobile-responsive.
6.Craft your newsletter content
Create thoughtful, engaging content that provides value to your subscribers. And whatever content you release, consider the characteristics, preferences, and needs of your customers first.
7.Hit send and observe
This is the exciting part where you reap the awards. Hit send, then go to your email marketing’s analytics tool and observe the stats. You’ll be able to grasp what is and isn’t working with your newsletter. Test, tweak and repeat.
With users getting bombarded with dozens of emails per day, you only have a few seconds to make a positive impression (before your email ends up in trash). While sending out a newsletter is easy, creating a worthy newsletter that instantly seizes the audience’s attention is an entirely different story. Below we’ve outlined some best practice tips to ensure your newsletter outshines the competition.
Make your subject headings pop
Your email subject heading literally determines your open rate. Make every character count, and keep it short and sweet (we recommend 41 characters, so it doesn’t cut out on a mobile screen). Also, try to capture what’s in the newsletter by providing a short, enticing summary for readers. This will not only make you appear honest about your intentions, but it’ll also ensure your email doesn’t get marked as spam.
A seamless newsletter layout
You don’t want to come across as amateurish. Presentation matters; use your brand logo and colors to make a statement about your brand. Readers should be able to instantly recognize it’s you talking. A bonus tip would be to design a template that you can use going forward so you don’t have to create a new layout each time. With a set structure, it’ll be quicker to make the newsletter campaign.
Don’t buy subscribers
This may seem obvious, but you’d be surprised at how many businesses think they can buy subscribers and effectively get away with it. Sure, you may end up with thousands upon thousands of contacts, but if they’re not genuinely loyal readers, your newsletter objectives become redundant. So instead, focus your efforts on gradually cultivating a loyal readership, with quality content at the helm of your strategy.
Drive readers to your site
Marketing content should always be well thought out, and newsletters are no exceptions. The whole point of your newsletter is to sell yourself — either directly or indirectly — and that will never happen if you don’t include a clear call to action. Find creative ways to guide readers to your site and induce them to click through.
Promote your newsletter on other platforms
Who said your newsletter belongs to the email platform alone? Promote your newsletter across all channels, including social media and your site. Seize every opportunity to grow your subscriber list. Bonus tip: create a newsletter landing page with a subscriber widget to capture new leads.
Segment your contact list
Instead of sending the same campaign to everyone, use segmentation to determine who will benefit the most from your content. Indeed, personalized email campaigns that speak to a specific group within your database will undoubtedly ramp up your email open rates and click-through rates. It’ll also reduce the chance of folks unsubscribing from your mailing list.
When done right, newsletters are value-packed emails that keep readers engaged and reading, right through to the call to action. Your newsletter should be all of the above and more. So, if you’re ready to commit to building a lasting, loyal readership, crack your knuckles and get creating.
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