How effective is your newsletter? Does it have a high open rate? Does it generate the clicks you want or the revenue you are looking for?
If any of those questions are unclear, then the following tips will help take your newsletter from bland to bold in no time!
But first…
Why do you Need a Newsletter?
Not only is a newsletter a great way to entice readers to become one of your highly valued subscribers, but it gives them helpful, worthwhile information they can’t get anywhere else. A newsletter is what sets you and your business or company apart from all the others in the market.
Maybe they don’t offer one, maybe they do, but it’s not as information packed as yours. Either way, a newsletter is your chance to offer something great, something extraordinary to your subscribers. A newsletter is one of the most effective ways of communicating with your audience.Tweet
The Right Stuff
But to be an effective communication tool, your newsletter must elicit the response you desire. Here are 7 tips to help your newsletter become unforgettable:
- Write down your desired outcome with your newsletter. Do you want to sell something? Do you want to use the information you give out to create a product? Are you raising brand awareness? The answers to these questions will help guide you in creating a newsletter that benefits you and your subscriber.
- What’s In It For Them. While you want to start with your desired outcome, after all, it’s your hard work, but ultimately we are all busy. We want to know “why should I take my time and read this?” How is it going to help me? Think about your reader and what they want to know. And then give it to them.
- Map out your plan. Is it a weekly newsletter? What sort of topics are you going to cover? Mapping out a newsletter schedule takes time, but it is well worth it when you don’t have to sit and think about what to do next. Start small. If it’s a weekly newsletter, plan out one month of topics.
- Create a continuum of topics. For example, a series on blogging tips – covering one tip, in depth, each week. Or a series on social media best practices. Continuity means they know there’s going to be something else following the same lines in the next issue.
- A theme or no theme? I’ve written about this and tested this out for several weeks now. And unfortunately, my results don’t really reveal much. I’ve played around with themes (meaning templates), and discovered that they don’t make a whole lot of difference. I have seen newsletters that stick to one theme and one format for ever and ever. But my findings are that if you give your subscribers a notification that you are changing things up, it won’t negatively affect your open rate. Being a compulsive tester, testing is always my top recommendation. Plus, you’ll get feedback from your subscribers on what they like and don’t like.
- A note from you. Your note is a way to personally thank your subscribers, give an overview of what you have in store for them or tell a story. It’s a glimpse into the real you. Take this opportunity to make a connection with your subscribers.
- An article or two. Getting too content heavy in a newsletter can backfire. While great information is always appreciated, lots of reading is not. Remember, your subscribers are busy. They don’t have time to read long and drawn out articles in an email. Make your info short and sweet.
Always Leave them Wanting More
Here’s a bonus tip: Give them a taste of what’s to come. I’ve seen many newsletters that give all this great information, but then it just ends. No goodbye, no thanks, no nothing! The end of your newsletter is where you wrap everything up and give them a preview of what’s next.
So often, we can get so focused on getting the current issue out, that we neglect to set up the next one. Give an intriguing preview and always leave them wanting more.
Do you have a newsletter? Did you find these tips helpful? Share your thoughts…
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Great tips! I’m glad that your newsletter has been working so well for you. Newsletters are essential for your business – and a weekly one, not once a month. Here are some quick stats from marketing expert Vrinda Normand to show why:
3% will invest with you the first time you meet
30% will never invest with you because they’re just not your clients
67% of people need more contact before they make a decision
That means the vast majority of your business is in the follow-up. It used to be that people would invest after 5-7 contacts, but these days it’s more like 12-15! So keep those newsletters rolling out.
Michelle Mahoney recently posted..It All Starts with Your List
Hey Michelle,
So true!
It took me a while to see the benefits of a newsletter – especially since no one I knew did one!
But, I’m thrilled with it – thanks for the encouraging words!
~Christine
Great idea to give people a teaser of “what’s next”! That has the benefit of making people curious but also of keeping you on track. If you tease something as “next” you must already have an idea or content prepared, right? No copping out next time!
I also dislike content-heavy emails. I get newsletters from people I like a lot but I still don’t make it through their content. Two or three things is plenty.
Really good, practical tips!
Carol Lynn recently posted..5 Questions With Peter Demaree: Custom Tees Plus Personal Service Equals Very Happy Customers
Hi Carol Lynn,
Glad you enjoyed it!
I can relate about the content heavy newsletter – I still have a few sitting in my inbox that I just can’t possibly read all of.
Thanks for the share too!
~Christine
Hi Carol,
Quite true, to give the whats next teaser, one must know what’s next. It pays to map out your newsletters and schedule them before sending the first one off.
That way you can see the big picture and can tell if you are anywhere near the ballpark of your objective zone.
Christine, great post. Thanks for the feedback on the use of templates.
Yeremi Akpan recently posted..How to Write Blog Posts That Gets Shared Everywhere
Hi Yeremi,
So glad you enjoyed it!
Those templates are fun to play around with, but just not too much!
~Christine
Hi Christine,
your blog is reeally mine of information about newsletters. Every time I visit it there is something interesting. I’m working on my newsletter and subscription form(s) and it’s not so easy…
Thanks for sharing,
Chris
Chris @ NPI recently posted..Social Network Sites – Which One is The Best for Traffic?
Hi Chris,
Thanks a lot! I really appreciate the kind words!
I love what I do and I’m glad it shows
There’s more to come on newsletters so stay tuned!
~Christine
Nice tips, Christine! Creating an effective newsletter is the driving force behind a successful business and is especially important for bloggers. Yet, it’s the one thing that I’ve shied away from it for quite awhile because I got overwhelmed by the amount of effort that it takes to create one. But, it’s very encouraging to know that you are building a great following with it, Great job!
Anthony Thompson recently posted..Dividend Reinvestment Plans – A Stock Investment Program for Tightfisted Shareholders
Hi Anthony,
Glad you stopped by
I have such fun with newsletters – they are lots of work, but stick around and you’ll learn all about them!
~Christine
Hi Enthony,
Totally agree with you. Newsletter derive force behind a successful Business.it is not easy that your newsletter will work good.
thanks for sharing this with us.Christine I think your newsletter will be working very good.
Bhushan recently posted..ERP Software Development Companies
Hi Bhushan,
Glad you enjoyed it!
Newsletters are a lot of work, but I’m working on a way to make them easier – stay tuned!
~Christine
Glad to know that you are working on this to make it easier.Good luck with your work and hope you enjoyed it.
Bhushan recently posted..ERP Software Development Companies
Hi Bhushan,
Thanks!
It’s always a work in progress!
~Christine
Hi Christine,
“Always Leave Them Wanting More” I think that is at the heart of every good newsletter, you need that hook, that something that will make your reader look forward to next weeks message…
It’s something I need to improve on because it would greatly increase the responsiveness of my lists and get more of a buzz going around my blog.
Thanks for the tips
- Noel.
Noel Cunningham recently posted..By: Noel
Hi Noel,
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!
I’ve seen my open rates double since doing this!
Thanks for stopping by!
~Christine