Are newsletters worth it?
Are newsletters worth your time and money?
Well, the short answer is yes. If you do it right, of course. Don’t waste the opportunity!
Overall, sending an email newsletter a few times a month is yet another way to talk to your customers and ideal clients. It’s another chance to get your name in front of them and to communicate your message. Make your name recognizable, something they can reference when they do have a need for your business.
Think about the most frequent marketing emails that show up in your own inbox on a regular basis. Not spam, just the regular old promotional emails.
There’s a reason you haven’t unsubscribed from them yet. It’s because, even if you don’t read the whole newsletter all the way through each time, you know there’s some valuable information in there. Even your most loyal customer might not have the time to pore through the email just this second, but they’re going to keep it in their inbox for that moment when they do have a few extra moments. Or when they’re curious about that compelling subject line.
Quality always trumps quantity
Just like with anything—food, alcohol, exercise, silly jokes—there’s a point of diminishing returns when it comes to the frequency of your newsletters. One to four quality newsletters per month is optimal. Too many overwhelms your readers, to the point that they’ll get irritated, automatically deleting them without even glancing at your subject line, let alone the first feature of the newsletter.
Invest in a quality design with a few repeat features—perhaps an interview with an employee, some satisfied customer testimonials, a longer-from article or blog, tips and advice, hints at upcoming sales or discounts, and relevant links to your website. Then surprise them occasionally with giveaways, free shipping, or bonus items or services.
Let customers know that you’re ready
There’s something about knowing that you’re a busy, thriving, bustling business that’s really appealing to customers and potential customers. A regular newsletter shows them that you’re active and successful, working hard for your lucrative business with proven results. At least results strong enough that allow you to pay for another round of newsletters. When they need your company, you’ll be prepared to meet their unique needs.
Nurture the relationship with your current customers
And keep your potential customers and clients on the line. They might not need you just yet, but if you keep showing them week after week or month after month that you’re a reliable expert with unique goods and services, you’ll be the first name that comes to mind when they need it. Show them that you understand their needs, their problems.
Whittle down your audience
Some people will unsubscribe and that’s okay. Don’t take it personally! It’s always a certain percentage, which means that the more people you blast your newsletter to, the more that will unsubscribe. First of all, the unsubscribers probably weren’t going to buy from you anyway. Who knows how they got on your distribution list—maybe it was a mistake—but the truth is that your business and the content of your newsletter was irrelevant to them in that brief moment. Which means they weren’t about to spend any money with you anyway, so no big deal, not a huge loss!
Pay attention to the analytics
Check the analytics and note open rate—how many people are actually opening your emails. And take a peek at how long people spend reading them before they close them again. Are they clicking on the links you’ve included and visiting your website? Or just scrolling through the email itself? Aim to put your calls to action (CTAs) and your most compelling content in that first stretch, where the data says that people are most likely to see it.
Purge your distribution list
While you don’t need to fret over the people who unsubscribe from your list—they’re replaceable—you should pay attention to the people who don’t open your emails at all. Eventually, you may want to trim these people from your list. For whatever reason, they’re not engaging with you. After all, you’re paying to reach these people and the ones who don’t pay any attention to you aren’t likely to use your business. If they’re not opening after a certain amount of time or a certain number of newsletters, take them off your distribution list. And replace them with people who WILL open, who DO want your business!
Freshen up old content
There’s no shame in re-using some old material form your website, like an old blog post or reiterating something from your company’s “about” page. Your email list is likely ever-changing, so just because you’ve included similar content before, either in an old newsletter or somewhere else on your website, doesn’t mean that everyone has read it. You likely have new readers each time you send or post something. They’re warm contacts. Meaning they’re interested in what you’re selling, and maybe they only know you from social media or a personal referral. They’re intrigued by your message, so this is your chance to show off your stuff.
Just make sure that it’s truly fresh. Take out any references to current events or pop culture that might be stale. And be careful to reflect current pricing, policies, goods and services. And for the love of all things internet, check to make sure that any links and backlinks are working properly.
Post the newsletter on your website
By featuring each newsletter somewhere on your website—perhaps the side of your home page?—it keeps your website up-to-date, which helps with SEO. It encourages visitors to click around, thus more likely to hit on something that interests them or gets them to use your business.
Share on LinkedIn and your other social media
You worked so hard on your newsletter! Or your copywriter did. So don’t let it go to waste! Share it anywhere you can and reach people that you wouldn’t otherwise reach by email. The more people see your brand, the more clicks you’ll get, the more customers, and the greater revenue.
Pepper in some of your branding
Again, you paid for your logo, and you worked hard to compose your company’s motto or mantra, so show it off in each and every newsletter. You might even somehow include a line or two about your company culture. Let people know what makes you unique and why they should trust you above the competition. You’re knowledgeable, experienced, and you’re determined to be the best in the biz.
Include contact info
Even if it’s just a simple “contact us” button, this might be one of the most important features in any of your outreach to potential customers. Otherwise, what’s the point? Let them know what’s next. Where can they click to order? Or chat with your customer service representative. If you don’t give them a very clear and precise action, they’re more likely to close the email, delete it, or totally forget about it. Instead call them to action (CTA), right now, while your message is fresh in their brain. Again, it’s all about nurturing the relationship and making them feel like you’re a reputable business, but also that there’s a face behind the name who genuinely cares about its customers.
A newsletter is a great way to nurture the relationship with customers and potential customers, boost your name recognition, plug your brand, and remind the world that your company is out there, just plugging along, ready for their business as soon as they call. And, just as is true with your blogs, social media posts, and anything else with your company logo on it, it’s a good chance to show off your expertise. You’re the best. You’re efficient, conscientious, passionate about your industry and your business, and committed to success.
If you need a little more help with your newsletters, I can help! Check out my Services & Rates page, and let’s chat.