(Pssst… the answer is B!)
While newsletters are not a new, groundbreaking concept, they’re still an extremely high-performing part of a successful marketing strategy. According to Chief Marketer, emails to customers reliably outperform other marketing tactics. And HubSpot says: “Email marketing remains one of the most important and effective ways for your business to connect with customers and build lasting relationships with them.”
Why are newsletters a critical part of my email marketing strategy?
There are a whole host of reasons that newsletters and email marketing are a great piece of your overall strategy. Here are a few:
Make it easy for customers to stay in the loop.
A reminder of your brand pops up in their inbox, and with a single click, they’re giving your brand and messaging their time and attention. It’s effortless on their end. No searching, no scrolling through endless social media feeds. You arrive on a silver platter.
Infuse it with your values and personality.
Want to stand out from the crowd? Deliver a newsletter that is rich with content informed by your brand’s values and personality. Are you giving back to the community in these turbulent times? Or is your brand personality one that incorporates a certain flair of humor? It’s a great way to show customers how you’re walking the talk, and living your brand’s values.
Drive visits to your website, and increase sales.
And… um… who doesn’t want to see more traffic? And make more sales?
Newsletters are budget-friendly.
No postage necessary! Direct mail is expensive in comparison: paper, printing, envelopes, postage. Not to mention the environmental impact of that tactic. Good email marketing can come together on a tight budget: significantly less than the cost of other advertising methods.
Gather useful feedback and data.
You can easily get highly useful feedback from your email marketing campaigns. It’s a piece of cake to see who is (and isn’t) opening your emails, what they tend to click on most frequently – even the day of the week and time of day most people read your content. (Not stuff you get from a newspaper ad, that’s for sure.)
Need some help to start your email marketing?
Elements of an Exceptional Newsletter
You don’t read everything that hits your inbox. Nobody does. So, how do you make sure that your email is one that earns a click week after week?
Weave in stories, and give real value to your readers.
What helpful, insightful, fascinating information can you share with your customers? If you’re promoting your restaurant, maybe your head chef can make a few suggestions on how to use a prime seasonal ingredient. If you’re a boutique hotel, give us the background on the amazing artist whose work is featured in your lobby. If you’re a pet store, offer your readers some handy tips on training stubborn cats to perform circus tricks. (I mean, my curiosity would inspire me click on that?)
Keep it simple and goal-oriented.
It’s a newsletter, not a catalogue. Resist the temptation to sell everything on the shelf in every communication. Decide on your theme ahead of time. Focus on one topic, service, or product. And keep it fresh! If your content becomes redundant, you’ll lose readers. Unique stories, perspectives, and ideas win clicks.
Be consistent.
Make a plan, and stick to it. Repetition builds recognition. Newsletters and email marketing are not a one-and-done plan. In order to build brand recognition, consistency is key. When a customer sees your name in their inbox every week, they’re infinitely more likely to think of you when they realize they want to eat a gourmet dinner, book a getaway at an exclusive hotel, or finally train their cantankerous feline.
Aim for perfection.
Typos, sloppy grammar, and half-baked messaging aren’t going to do your newsletter or brand any favors. Plan ahead, write it well, and leave sufficient time for editing and proofreading. Press that “send” button with ultimate confidence.
Ready to launch your newsletter? Let’s go!
Elevation Writing 