Why a newsletter?
Newsletters are a popular form of email marketing. They allow you to keep customers informed from time to time about what’s happening within your company. This could include innovative services, a new addition to the team, or other relevant news.
According to the Content Marketing Institute (2020), 87% of B2B marketers in North America use email as a distribution channel for their content. For B2C marketers, that figure is 79%.
A newsletter offers several benefits. For instance, it helps build your brand, allows you to track your goals, and enables you to share high-quality content. With your newsletter, you can achieve specific goals, such as expanding your network or even generating additional revenue by including subscriptions or advertisements. Here’s a list of things to keep in mind when drafting your email:
Tips for creating your newsletter:
- Choose a compelling subject line
The subject lineis the first thing readers see when your email lands in their inbox. Based on the subject line, they decide whether or not to click on the email. So create a subject line that is relevant, but also brief and intriguing. One example is asking a question to encourage the reader to keep reading.
- Make your newsletter personal
Of course, you can include interesting facts and figures in your newsletter, but be sure to add a personaltouch as well. Customers want to know what’s happening within the company, and numbers don’t always tell the whole story. A bit of news, such as an employee’s birthday or a customer gift, makes the newsletter more personal.
- Keep it short and to the point
Customers are often busy enough as it is and don’t have time to read a thousand-word newsletter. Not to mention the short attention spans we have these days. Keep your newsletter short and to the point, and direct readers to your website for more information, where the full article is available. Aim for about three to four columns or sections to structure your newsletter effectively.
- Working with images
It’s true that images don’t always improve loading times. Still, it’s a good idea to include them in your newsletter. Images grab attention and add a touch of personality, especially when they’re personal photos. The photos really stand out next to all that text. But don’t overdo it. The images should, of course, remain relevant. For example, you could add an image to accompany a short text about an article.
- Encourage interaction
Make sure you don’t just send out content—create interaction as well. For example, ask your readers a question and answer it in the next newsletter. This will make your readers feel truly engaged with your business.
- Add calls to action
The purpose of your newsletter is to encourage readers to take action: that’s what calls to action are for. Use clear and creative CTAs to encourage readers to click. Make sure readers know what to expect when they click a button. The trick is not to overdo it with your calls to action. Limit the number of buttons, otherwise your readers will get lost in the CTAs of your newsletter. For example, use just one to specifically prompt readers to take action so they don’t have to think about which button to click.
- Make sure your newsletter works on every device
Not everyone checks their email exclusively on a desktop. Customers may also open your newsletter on a smartphone or tablet. And if the text and images get jumbled up and become unreadable, they’ll quickly click away. So when creating your newsletter, make sure your email is optimized for every device—in other words, use a responsive design. For example, use large buttons that people can easily tap on their smartphones.
Our first newsletter is now out
We’ve also sent out a brand-new newsletter this month. In it, you’ll find updates on recent developments at our web agency: our latest blog post, exciting new projects, and other relevant news. In short, you’ll get our top stories from the month of May.
