As your inbox has probably told you by now, an email newsletter is a key component of any successful marketing strategy. It’s a direct line to your most ardent supporters, an effective way to grow relationships, and an easy way to market your products and services.
As part of your overall content marketing strategy, newsletters can be even more effective than blogs and social media at getting instant response and quick sales.
Just press “send,” and your carefully crafted message lands right in your readers’ laps every time. It’s a new, unprecedented opportunity to communicate with those who want and need your services the most. This powerful tool is ready for you to use today!
If you’ve been poking around in our blog, reading about blogging and planning, it’s time to move on to the world of newsletters. In addition to this intro, we’ve can help you plan and create your newsletter as well.
What is an email newsletter?
An email newsletter is an email sent to a list of people who sign up to receive it. It’s basically a blank slate for you to say anything you want to your most ardent fans, via email. Rather than writing individual notes to each subscriber, an email newsletter is one finely crafted piece that is sent out to the entire list.
As part of your overall marketing strategy, email newsletters can be even more effective than blogs and social media at getting an instant response and generating quick sales. A shout out to your newsletter list can send traffic to your website within minutes.
Your email list is a valuable resource
You may be watching your social media followers grow, but you’ll get even more value by growing your newsletter list. This list, grown over time, represents the tribe that has the most interest in your products or services. They may be past customers still passionate about your company, current customers singing your praises, or future customers almost ready to buy.
It’s all good for your business. The bigger your newsletter list, the more clout and “digital value” you have. Treat your newsletter list like the important asset it is.
The key elements of a successful newsletter
Use strong, engaging subject lines
Before your audience even sees your newsletter, they have to be grabbed by your subject line. Make it creative, short and authentic. It should communicate the overall feel of your newsletter and get your readers excited to click.
Create a beautiful, user-friendly design
Your newsletter should always be visually inviting and easy to navigate. Text should be large enough to read, headers should all be aligned and the same size, images should flow well from one to the next.
Choose relevant, engaging images
Along with your concise copy, it’s the images that do the heavy lifting in your newsletter. Make them beautiful, relevant and engaging.
You can find gorgeous, free images on websites like Unsplash.
Create content worth reading
If your newsletter leads to interesting content, your readers will continue to open your emails week after week. Invest in high value content that can create ongoing views for you.
Use your copy effectively
Save your long stories for your landing pages. Your goal is to get your readers to click through to your website and spend time reading there, not just read your email and archive it. Keep your copy short, sweet and alluring, and they’ll want more.
Create a clear call to action
Make it easy to find and click through to your website or other landing page. Use a clear visual aid like a “Learn More” box. Place it centered in the most obvious place where the eye will rest.
Connect with your audience
What you choose to include in your newsletter will reveal how well you know your audience. Put yourself in their shoes and stay focused on topics that they need to know about.
Write in a voice that resonates with your tribe
Consider your tone, the words you choose and exactly how you want to connect with your people. Stay focused on connection and engagement.
Go ahead and sign up for a few newsletters from companies that you love. See what they include, and their strategies for getting their audience to click on their links and land on their website.
Note the colors they use, the voice they use in their copy, the way you feel when you read their content. Note what works well, and use those ideas for your own newsletter.