How to Craft an Email Newsletter That Gets Marketing Results
Email Marketing is one of the best marketing tactics that can successfully be used to gain business. It is not an easy task, there is loads of planning and testing that needs to be done before it can be implemented. Once the campaign is designed, there is a lot of patience required on your part.
Email Marketing can be a difficult process, especially since newsletters are super difficult to compile and there is also the uncertainty factor that you are never really sure if people will open your email, replying can be a distant possibility. So, how do you make sure that your email newsletter is getting the required marketing results? Our article today covers some basic points that you need to consider before you send out your next email newsletter.
#1 - Give People Incentives
Everyone is fond of freebies. You can use email marketing to give people different incentives such as coupons, sample products or even discounts. Imagine opening an email to get a 25% discount upon subscription. You will instantly have subscribers if you are offering an incentive which is a good deal for the customers.
Moreover, promise your customers future discounts as well. You may also offer benefits that are not just monetary. Customer care is a great way to attract people, you can offer your customers incentives according to the kind of product or service that you are selling. For example, if you are marketing for a salon, offer them a complimentary facial to the ladies who have subscribed to your email newsletter.
Do not be monotonous with your email marketing, try to come up with new and creative ideas. Generate ideas that are genuine and don’t seem like a hoax to the readers. Remember that you need to retain customers through this marketing tactic. Try to engage the users in ways so that they keep coming back.
#2 - Define your Marketing Goal and Stick to it
Defining your goal is extremely important for any marketing tactic that you are implementing and the same strategy goes for email marketing. Define what you are trying to achieve through newsletters. This should be the first question that you are asking yourself before you start your campaign. You cannot expect your subscribers to know unless you are sure.
The following is a list of some common goals that brands are trying to accomplish through email newsletters:
• Boost sales.
• Improve presence on social media platforms.
• Generate website traffic.
• Promote the sale of a new product/service.
There could be a different goal for your company, maybe you want customers to download your e-book or product catalog. Whatever goal you have, make sure that you stick to it throughout your campaign. You can even include links for relevant pdf to doc converters so that your customers can download the catalog/e-book in whatever format they prefer.
#3 - Post Relevant Content
You should be aware of it by now that whoever opens your email will only be skimming through it. It is the bitter truth, but the sooner you realize it, the better it will be for your email marketing campaign. Plan out your content and make sure that you do not include anything irrelevant. This is probably something that every digital marketer stresses upon.
The content in your newsletter dictates whether your customers will subscribe to your email newsletter or not. Always plan out your email newsletter. Starting from the title of your email, keep in mind what your goal is. Include content that is easy to read and is relevant. If you are trying to promote your products, stick to it. Nobody likes to scroll through paragraphs; be short, concise and straight to the point. You can start by brainstorming the relevant points, drafting an email in advance will help you plan your email newsletter in a better way.
#4 – Don’t Annoy your Subscribers
Deliver the newsletter to your subscribers on the promised date. Be consistent with the quality of your content and deliver on time. If your customer has subscribed for a weekly newsletter, they will be expecting one on the due date. Nobody forgets about the stuff they have paid for. If you miss out on a newsletter, the damage to your reputation is irreversible.
Conversely, don’t be annoying with the alerts. If people have subscribed for 2 newsletters in a month, let’s keep it that way. The last thing anyone wants is to end up with a feeling of being spammed. The moment you do practice this, there will be a small window for you to regain your credibility. Most likely, the user will unsubscribe and the rest will be history.
#5 – Add Visuals to you Content
Visuals are a great way to attract users. Moreover, visuals enhance the content and are a better way to explain the concepts. According to a study, on average a subscriber spends about 51 seconds on a newsletter. You have to make it worth their while.
Another study has revealed that readers will on average read only 20% of the content. Visuals will allow the user to absorb more content. Using videos helps to generate a higher click rate. Visually appealing content is known to attract a higher number of users. However, do make sure that your visuals make sense and are aligned with your goals.
#6 – Measure your Results
It will be beneficial if you have the tools to measure your results. These results will also help you understand whether your strategy is working or not. Depending on the goal you have aimed for, decide on a relevant tool. Generally speaking, you should be able to monitor the following aspects through the tool you have chosen.
• Website bounce rates.
• Number of unsubscribes.
• Click through rates.
• Forwarded emails.
Keeping a track of such occurrences can be highly beneficial for your email marketing. You will be able to understand what you are doing wrong. There are plenty of online tools that you can use free of cost which provide you with such details. Integrating a tool with your website can also help you understand other aspects of your website in a better way as well.