Newsletters are one of the best ways to reach out to a large number of customers at once, but they’re also a great way to build a relationship with your customers and keep them coming back for more. Newsletters also allow you to target your marketing efforts towards consumers who want to hear from you, improving the chances that they will buy from you. And when done right, newsletters are still an effective way for you to promote new products and gain traction.
You know those emails you get from different companies about their newest product or service? They are probably newsletters. They are also probably helping those companies increase their sales and stay connected with their customers! That being said, if you haven’t started an email newsletter yet, it’s time you did! In this guide, we will show you how to start an email newsletter that will grow your customer base and keep them coming back for more.
Step 1: Pick the right email marketing platform.
When it comes to email marketing, choosing the right platform is critical. A lot of people think that all you need is a list and an email address. But no matter how good your email marketing campaign might be, if you don't have the right tools to support it, then it's never going to be effective. Your customers expect to receive personalized emails from brands they do business with. To build a strong relationship with your customers, you need an email service provider that can help you create meaningful and engaging emails through automation, segmentation and personalization. They also expect to get their emails on various devices such as smartphones, computers and tablets. You need an email marketing platform that allows you to send across all these devices. A good email marketing platform like MailChimp will have a wide variety of templates, analysis tools and integration options for your business.
Step 2: Start building your email list.
You need to be able to communicate with your customers. Whether it is for marketing, support, or just plain old socializing, email is the best way to reach people. The problem is that email inboxes are often overflowing, and you need to get permission before you can send someone an email. If not, they might not even see the message or worse yet, report your company as a spammer. But there's one place that people are always willing to give up their email address: on your website. After all, they are already interested in what you have to say; they have already made an investment of time by visiting your website. The only trick is getting them to commit their email address. If you are running a newsletter or other regular communications, make sure visitors know what kind of content they can expect and how often you will be contacting them.
Step 3: Get started on creating your first newsletter.
Think of your first newsletter as a first date. You want to make a great first impression, but you don't want to come on too strong either. Writing a great first newsletter is all about giving them a taste of what they can expect from you and your brand in future emails, without overwhelming them with content. If you promise them special deals in your welcome email, then send special deals. If you say you will share industry news, then share industry news. If you say you will send stories about inspiration and motivation, then send stories about inspiration and motivation. Whatever it is you offer in this initial email should be representative of what they can expect from future messages. Otherwise, they have no reason to stay subscribed. And do not forget: a good rule of thumb is to keep your subject line short and sweet, while still giving subscribers an idea of what the email contains.
Step 3: Do not hesitate to receive feedback.
Understanding how your customers are interacting with your newsletter will help you determine if it’s effective. Ultimately, if you have decided to create a newsletter, you will want to spend time making sure that your content is presented in a clear and concise manner. Ask other designers what they think about the look and feel of your newsletter. Do they find it easy to navigate? Do they like the images you’re using? What parts of the newsletter are unclear, or open for improvement? If possible, ask someone who may be unfamiliar with your business to experience your newsletter as well. The more feedback you gather, the easier it will be to improve and expand your newsletter as time goes on.
So are you excited about starting your own newsletter? Go for it! No matter what you have to say or what kind of content you plan to share, if you start with a small list, you can always grow it over time. We hope that our tips have helped with whatever questions you had about how to start a newsletter. And if there is anything we did not cover above that you would like to know more about, do not hesitate to reach out to our team at Crowned Marketing and Communications!