Why should you have a newsletter in 2021?
Why should you have a newsletter in 2021?
“A newsletter opens the door to increase a better understanding and knowledge of your brand and the particular products and services you offer.” – Karan Sharma, Forbes
Introduction
In a digital world in which consumers are bombarded with messages from brands and businesses it is vital you stand out. Maintaining communications is a great way to ensure customers feel valued by your business and rewarded for their loyalty to you. But what is the best way for you to do this?
A regular newsletter.
By sending consumers a fortnightly / monthly newsletter direct to their inbox you’re ensuring you’re fresh in their minds whilst also giving them a feeling of importance as they are kept up to date and in the know particularly if they aren’t following you on social media.
But how can you create an effective newsletter that not only is sent to consumers, but is also read and appreciated by them?
Make it worthwhile
There is a fine line between giving worthwhile, important insights and overloading your readers. Therefore when creating your newsletter be sure to avoid large chunks of text purely describing your business, which constantly direct readers to your website in an explicit attempt to drive traffic. This may turn readers off, causing them to mark the emails as spam or unsubscribe.
Instead, be creative with it, include images and more visual content which draws in the reader and breaks up the text. Combine these cues with thought leadership pieces and great offers which resonate with consumers and aren’t available without the newsletter and you will naturally increase your website traffic without people feeling they have been pressured into a purchase. This makes them feel more relaxed and they may return without prompt.
Send it at the right time
Timing is everything. If you send your newsletter at a time when nobody is checking their emails then you’ll likely have low engagement. People won’t give you the time of day, swiping and deleting without even opening, no matter how good the content is. With that in mind it is important to test different days and times to understand what works best for you and your audience.
A/B testing allows you to divide your consumers into two groups and create separate emails and sending times allows you to compare and contrast. From this you can learn the best practices for your business, as there is no blanket method that works for every sector and it will take time for you to truly understand your recipients. You cannot underestimate the power of timing.
Fresh, but consistent
Once you’ve found a time that suits your recipients and a format that guarantees good engagement then it is important to remain consistent. Don’t develop a schedule that you can’t meet or one which requires you to keep rehashing old content. Consumers will see through this and will realise that the newsletter isn’t worth subscribing too long term causing them to drop off.
With this in mind it is important that you select a schedule that allows you to keep the content fresh and relevant to your audience. This runs in tandem with consistent website updates which are promoted within your newsletter and keep the user engagement high. By keeping content new and exciting people are looking forward to receiving your updates and are more inclined to engage.
Closing thoughts
Despite the power of social and mainstream media, newsletters cannot be overlooked. They offer unique 1 to 1 engagement with your audience and allow you to both keep them in the loop with company updates, and additionally they can also reward loyalty with exclusive discounts and offers which both make them feel valued and also retains their custom for the future.