How to Build Your Newsletter Email
Most brands have a social media presence, and they have an e-mail account; however, not all have an e-mail newsletter or even see the benefit…especially when they routinely delete 85% of their daily inbox. Even though this is the norm for many, it’s still a good idea to do a newsletter. Here’s why.
Why You Need a Newsletter
The primary reason every brand should have a newsletter to send to their e-mail subscribers is that e-mail will outlast social media. Your audience might abandon a platform that you worked hard to build a presence on at which point, they forget about you. What is more, on social media, if your audience misses your content in the feed or if the algorithm neglects to highlight it, it doesn’t get seen and your audience forgets about you.
E-mail, on the other hand, enables you to reach out to your audience one-on-one. Even if they don’t click on your e-mail newsletter every time you send it, they are aware that you’re there because your name is in their inbox.
What Should Go into a Newsletter
The contents of an e-mail newsletter vary by brand. A rundown of the latest blog links, industry news, sales and promotions, new releases, etc. are all great examples of newsletter content. You can use pictures, links, memes, videos, longer stories, or a combination of all of those things in your newsletter.
When selecting your newsletter content ask yourself:
· How does this add value to my customer?
· Would I want to read this? What would I want in my inbox?
· In what way does this content help add to my story / relationship with my audience?
· How does this content encourage my audience to engage with my brand / product / website, etc.?
Whatever you put into your e-mail newsletter, make it fun; make it something your audience would want to read.
How to Lay Out Your E-mail Newsletter
When it comes to laying out your newsletter, a lot of address-gathering services (like MailChimp) have templates that you can use to customize your ideal newsletter layout. As a brand, have one or two primary templates that fit your style. In terms of content, some best layout practices are:
· Put the most important and relevant content front and center. Assume your reader will click on the e-mail but that they won’t scroll down.
· Below that, feature the newest news and related links. Encourage your audience to scroll by using an interesting link headline as your subject line and then placing that content at the bottom of the newsletter. Some travel brands do this, so the subject line might read, “The Weirdest Things People Do on Planes”, but that article won’t appear until the end of the newsletter, which means the user has to scroll past other interesting content and sales that they are ideally compelled to click on.
· Rather than posting entire articles, post a rundown of the content (like the Daily Skimm) with links to read more on your site (or elsewhere if your newsletter shares curated content or if you have affiliate links in your newsletter)
· Include links to social media either at the top of your newsletter or at the bottom.
· Don’t overstuff the newsletter. Negative space lets your audience’s eyes breathe.
· A balance of images and text is always a winning strategy.
How Often to Send Your Newsletter
Lastly, you should send your newsletter when you have something relevant to share with your audience. Once a week, every two weeks, or even once a month can be appropriate. A daily newsletter works for some but can be overwhelming; audiences quickly become blind to things that appear in their inbox every day…especially if they don’t click on it.
Do have a consistent schedule for distributing your newsletter, though. Audiences who engage with your content will be able to anticipate it and will look forward to hearing from you. This ultimately strengthens your relationship.
Looking for new ways to reach your audience or to engage more meaningfully? Let us help you get into your audience’s heads as well as their inbox. Click this link to contact us, The Storyteller Agency, to see how we can help you grow your business.
