Email newsletters are a popular marketing tool to inform and persuade people. They are an ideal way for businesses to keep in touch and connect with clients. Email newsletters can be very effective if you know how to use them as a tool correctly. In addition, it is free and/or low cost to send to everyone on your database.
The days of sending long email newsletters are gone with less information, and sending emails more frequently becoming the norm.
Main reasons to send an e-newsletter
Some of the more common reasons that small businesses send e-newsletters are to:
- Keep your business at the forefront of your customer’s mind
- Show your customers what you have been up to, be it new products or services
- Show your customers what your business can do by sharing what you have done
- Attract more customers
Grow your client list
If you’re relying on social media to engage with your clients, the organic reach is low and becoming more difficult. Instead, grow your client list by using email marketing channels you own, such as your website and email.
Drag and drop vs Hybrid Templates
There are many email marketing platforms to choose from Mailchimp, MailerLite, Constant Contact and GetResponse, to name a few. You can create a perfect branded template for your business. Templates are a way to save time, be consistent and build trust with colours that match your brand. They are easy to use, with many providing a drag and drop template such as Mailchimp.
While Hybrid templates are also an option and can be developed for those times when more than one person is involved in compiling news for a business. At minimum, a sales and news template and a sign-up form are recommended for most businesses.
Content
As a writer, I sometimes struggle to find topics to write about in my e-newsletter. I am conscious of boring my clients and what to ensure that the content is relevant. A way that works for me is to keep a content file of topics and information of interest. This is a great resource to refer to when drafting my content.
Some content topic ideas:
- Your successes
- Pillars – what do you and your business stand for
- Throwback Thursday
- Quote or question on another day
- Blogs you’ve written (or blogs that you have read and resonate with)
- Useful tools
- Industry news
- Testimonial or review
- Social media items of interest
- Staff profiles
- Case studies within your field
- List upcoming events
- Offer links to other useful websites
- Pet photos
- Offers, products, insights, articles, research, tips
Writing content that rocks
Your newsletter should mostly be about providing value to your customers and not always pushing your own business. In the same way that social media posts are trying to get the most attention, e-newsletters are the same. The content that works best on social media like the photos of your pet, what you had for dinner last night and what you did on holiday, will do the same in your e-newsletter. It needs to meet the needs of your readers which is entertainment and information. This also helps build a connection and relationship.
Using a structured approach in your e-newsletter that includes an introduction, middle and conclusion work perfectly for most.
Writing the introduction
My top tips for writing the introduction are:
- Keep it short
- Keep it topical
- Personalise it with material related to you
- Explain what will be in the newsletter, give the reader a taster
Writing the middle
The middle sections are where all the important information goes, such as:
- your latest blog
- your Christmas specials
- staff profiles
- how you can help your customers – focus on a particular service/product
Writing the conclusion
Sometimes it can be a natural flow from the beginning and middle to the end, and other times it requires a bit more thought. Here are some suggestions:
- Keep it brief
- Sum up what you have talked about in your newsletter
- Include a call to action. Tell readers what you want them to do next
- You could give a sneak peek at what is coming up in the next one
If you are looking for some more tips, my e-book ‘How to write better and engage with your customers’ has helpful information on writing emails and email newsletters.
Most important of all, develop a goal or strategy for your e-newsletters. For example, if you want to let customers know about a new service your business is providing, then make that the newsletter’s focus and go from there.
Rule of thumb for e-newsletters is that three to five pieces of information at the most! If you can link every item/story back to your website, this will help with google rankings. This will also ensure the reader is not overwhelmed with too much initial content.
If you need help with creating an e-newsletter strategy, developing content and/or sending your next newsletter, get in touch. I offer a free 30-minute discovery chat over coffee or zoom.