An e-mail newsletter campaign can be highly effective at driving new business, raising awareness or educating a targeted audience. Yet in a world dominated by digital communication, e-newsletters with weak messaging or poorly designed templates are simply deleted. Businesses literally have a few seconds to capture the attention of readers who are fully committed to clearing out overloaded inboxes.
Define Short and Long-term Goals for the E-newsletter Campaign
Company newsletters should have a specific purpose and intended audience. Is the goal to increase sales? Educate potential customers? Develop a public reputation as an expert? Create a concept that’s tailored to the company’s goals, and focus on building an e-mail database with people who can support those goals.
Create Opportunities to Build E-Newsletter Databases
While the size of an e-mail database is important, it’s not the only driving force of a campaign's success. Businesses need to strategically promote their newsletters to individuals who would benefit from the campaign’s goals.
As a starting point, post subscription options on the company website(s), blog(s) and social media networks. It’s also beneficial to distribute newsletter sign-up sheets at work-related events, trade shows and even reception desks. Visit How to Build an E-Newsletter Database for more tips.
Create an E-mail Newsletter Template to Reflect the Company Brand
An e-newsletter template is a direct reflection of a company’s brand and capabilities. Recipients consciously and subconsciously draw immediate conclusions about senders based on the quality, readability and creativity of their messages.
Consider hiring a professional graphic designer who specializes in e-mail marketing to develop the newsletter template. Pros are trained to mesh function and marketing objectives with elements of good design.
Those with limited funding can modify ready-made templates from online newsletter services like Constant Contact and MailChimp. These “off the shelf” solutions are widely used by small businesses and non-profits with tight marketing budgets. Companies taking this route must be cautious of “over-designing.” There should be a specific reason why every image, color and component was selected for the template. Busy templates can turn people away. When it doubt, opt for newsletter designs that are simple and functional.
Establish Newsletter Sections and Themes That Resonate With Targeted Audiences
Create a core list of sections, categories or chapters that will appear in each newsletter. If the concept and content is targeted correctly, this strategic organization can help build up anticipation and encourage readers to open the e-mail.
For example, a salon customer may value rotating monthly specials. The anticipation of a new deal each month would encourage him or her to open, save and share the newsletter. On the other hand, a financial planning firm may find success with an educational newsletter that regularly features legal updates and investment tips impacting its client base. This approach could foster trust and loyalty.
Newsletter sections will vary depending on the campaign goals. What works for one business may not work for another. Each company should tailor messaging for its intended audience.
Keep in mind that it may take a few months of experimentation to narrow down reader preferences. It won’t be possible to please everyone, but e-mail tracking reports should reveal general trends.
Create an E-Newsletter Production Schedule
The distribution frequency of a newsletter will depend on the campaign goals, industry and audience expectations. It’s generally best to err on the modest side, but this too may require some experimenting.
Once the frequency is set, create a schedule for identifying content, copywriting, copyediting, layout, testing and distribution.
Establish a Tracking and Reporting System to Monitor the E-Newsletter’s Reach
Analytics reports are standard on do-it-yourself newsletter services. At a minimum, companies should track how many people opened the newsletter, where readers clicked and which e-mails were bounced. It may be necessary to adjust the template, content or copy based on these findings. For instance, if readers aren’t responding to a promotion, then the messaging or concept needs to be reworked.
E-mail marketing is most effective when it’s targeted, tested and refined. The planning and organization phases of an e-newsletter campaign are vital to its success.
For more information, visit How to Create an E-mail Newsletter People Want to Read. This article offers suggestions to revitalize stagnant campaigns, or start a new one.
Andrea Aker - PR & Marketing Professional in Arizona Andrea Aker founded Aker Ink Public Relations in 2007, armed with an diverse background in PR ...
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