Okay, but what would I even put in a newsletter? We hear you. We know that this addition isn’t as simple as sending a quick email. You’ll first need a list of people to send a newsletter to. This can be as easy as pulling a list of contacts from Quickbooks, but it shouldn’t end there. Check out our blog on Email List Expansion for tips on growing your list before and after you start sending newsletters! Once you have a list of contacts, you can start creating! Here are some quick, general tips for you:
- Write as if You’re Speaking to One Person. Emails that are personal allow your readers to connect with you, which is the best way to build your trust. The more you can make your marketing strategy about you or your brand, the better!
- Branding Isn’t Everything. Yes, having some guidelines to how you write your newsletters can help build brand recognition, but you’ll quickly lose your readers’ attention if that’s all the thought you put into your creations. Make sure what you write is casual, thoughtful, and personal. While the meaning of those words will vary from brand to brand, the more personalized your emails can get, the better chance you’ll have at getting clicks.
- Send Your Emails Consistently. Every element of your marketing strategy functions to build trust in you and your brand. Potentially the easiest way to show that you’re reliable (and therefore trustworthy) is to be consistent with your publishing schedule. Even if you’re only sending newsletters once per month, the fact that you’re consistent will build that crucial trust.
- Add a Call to Action (CTA). Possibly the most important advice we can give you is this: Always send your reader somewhere else after they’ve read your content. You don’t want them to read your email and then immediately forget about you! Hook them in and then send them somewhere where they have the opportunity to give you business. Whether that’s your website, your social media profile, or asking them to leave a review, always include a CTA after you’ve shared your information with them.
The US Chamber of Commerce also has some great tips for creating newsletters, including making sure it can be read on any device, being mindful of readers’ short attention spans, and to “show, don’t tell,” by using images, GIFS, and videos.
Now that you’ve learned how to craft the perfect newsletter, check out our top 10 content ideas to get you started!
- Announce New Products or Services. This one may seem obvious, but this is the perfect place to share new things in your business! Take this opportunity to get excited about your new offer and tell your reader all about it.
- Offer Discounts and Promotions. Your newsletter is also a great place to let your readers know about deals or specials with your company. This is also an easy way to naturally include a CTA in your content.
- Share a “How-To” Related to Your Business. Tell your readers how to do something related to your niche. It could be instructions on how to clean out their desk, a recipe, or even how to improve their marketing plan! Make sure it’s relevant to your products or services so you can lead them to your business.
- Highlight blog posts, articles, or other content from your website. Again, another natural way to lead them away from your email and toward your business. This in itself improves your SEO, but it also could lead to a transaction!
- Share predictions and trends in your industry. Bonus points: tell your readers how your company will react to these trends, should they come up.
- Share the worst advice you’ve received. Make sure you explain why it wasn’t good advice and then leave your reader with your own advice.
- Share Your Favorite Tools. This could be physical or digital. Either way, share with your readers what helps you with your company.
- Talk About and Share a “Freebie.” Do you offer something for free? Talk about it and give your readers the opportunity to take advantage of that offer! Side note - if you don’t have a freebie, you should. It’s a great way to attract people to your email list.
- Share News about Your Business. Undergoing renovations? Adding new products? Share this with your readers! This will build anticipation for what’s new and hopefully increase business when that new thing happens.
- Share 5-10 Strategies. Solving a problem for your readers is always a good idea. But putting it in a well-organized, aesthetically pleasing, numbered list? People love those!
An email newsletter is a crucial addition to your marketing plan. It gives people the opportunity to read long-form content and potentially learn something from you! While social media platforms come and go, your email list is one of the most reliable forms of communication with your audience. You don’t own your list of social media followers, after all. Hopefully these ideas inspired you to expand your marketing strategy.
If you’re looking to expand your marketing plan, why not browse through our list of blogs? We guarantee you’ll find the exact tips and tricks you’re looking for. Our goal is to help small business owners like you Flourish so if you don’t find what you’re looking for, reach out to book a consultation and we’ll help you make sure you’re getting the most out of your marketing strategy! We help with plans at every stage, whether you just need some pointers or you need someone to take over implementation.
