Here’s Why You Need to be Sending Email Newsletters (and a Few Tips) by Larry Alton. Available from <http://revenews.com/e-mail/heres-need-sending-email-newsletters-tips/>. [Sept 14, 2016]
If you’re like thousands of other marketers, you’re fully invested in social media and conversion funnels. However, you probably haven’t thought twice about email marketing, and newsletters in particular.
You may want to rethink this oversight, or you’ll deal with consequences down the road.
The Value of Email Newsletters
For many, the thought of an email newsletter conjures up archaic images of marketing campaigns of the late 1990s and early 2000s. However, just as everything else has evolved, so has the newsletter. Modern newsletters – also known as e-newsletters – are powerful and highly effective. Here are a few specific reasons you need to be using them:
- Nurtures relationships. One of the best things about an email newsletter is that it allows you to nurture existing relationships and reinitiate contact with old customers who have been cold for months (or even years). While some subscribers will send your email straight to the trash bin, most will at least give it a cursory look. This gives you the opportunity to catch their eye.
- Drives targeted traffic. When you segment your email list and send highly relevant content to subscribers, you have an opportunity to drive targeted traffic to landing pages, product pages, videos, articles, and other resources that benefit your brand. There are very few other channels that allow you to do this.
- Enhances monetization. Finally, don’t forget about revenue. If your email newsletter is sent to a large subscriber base – and you enjoy high open and click-through rates – you may be able to sell ad space and create an additional stream of revenue.
It doesn’t matter your industry or specific goals – an email newsletter can help you engage customers in meaningful ways.
A Few Handy Tips and Tricks
Exactly how do you execute an effective email newsletter? Let’s highlight a few handy tips and tricks:
- Nail the design. You absolutely have to use a professional design for your emails. You can either hire a professional or use a template. The latter is typically more cost-effective. As Green Residential notes, “There are thousands of options available online for download, whether you’re inclined to pay for them or not. It might be worth it to pay for a good template and give your newsletter a more polished look.”
- Subject lines are crucial. When a newsletter or promotional email comes into an inbox, the headline is often one of the deciding factors in whether or not it’ll be opened. This is why you have to focus on creating strong headlines that grab the recipient’s attention. Since most emails are being opened on mobile devices these days – 40 percent to be exact – short and sweet headlines are preferred.
- Balance the content. While you may want to use your newsletter as just another promotional tool for your brand, put yourself in the shoes of your subscribers. They would much rather read informative/educational content. When developing your newsletters, limit promotional material to just 10-15 percent of the total content distribution. It’ll be much more powerful this way and you’ll experience less attrition.
There’s a lot of creative freedom with email newsletters, but these tips and tricks have helped thousands of other businesses enjoy success. Try them and see what you think.
Leverage the Value of Email
Email marketing should be a staple in your digital marketing mix. While it doesn’t get as much publicity as social media and landing page design, it’s equally important. Make sure you’re leveraging the value of email newsletters moving forward and you’ll reap the rewards of engaged customers.
Here’s Why You Need to be Sending Email Newsletters (and a Few Tips) by Larry Alton. Available from <http://revenews.com/e-mail/heres-need-sending-email-newsletters-tips/>. [Sept 14, 2016]