You’ve got mail. Why you need a regular email marketing newsletter plan.

You’ve got mail. Why you need a regular email marketing newsletter plan. – contributed by SB Creations

Social media is great, isn’t it? But remember you don’t own your social media pages.

If Facebook locks your account, Instagram goes down for 24 hours, or LinkedIn gets hacked, what are you left with? How do you get in touch with all your followers?

It’s also worth remembering, thanks to social media algorithms, only approximately 5% of your social media followers might see your posts at any time. Whereas an email campaign will be read by many more.

This is why having an email list is SO important.

I love social media as a means of reaching your ideal client. But social media should always be complemented with an email marketing strategy.

Which CRM platform is best?

There’s MailChimp, Campaign Monitor, Monday. com, HubSpot, Mailerlite, Active Campaign… and many more.

They all have their pros and cons – this blog is not here to get into the specifics of each platform (I have used most of them and can see the benefits of each).

What really matters is how you plan and execute a newsletter strategy.

Email strategy tips

You can use your email list to reach out to an engaged audience. Your email list has already granted permission for you to communicate with them.

So as well as a more structured newsletter, you can also send out emails if you have a new product or service, you have some team news, business news, or an event coming up.

If you are sending out a weekly or monthly newsletter, try to put in as much value as you can, and keep to a simple strategy. You can think of your email newsletter as a traditional newspaper. To get the most out of it, make sure you publish on a regular schedule and offer loads of free content – keep the sales promotions few and far between.

Get permission

You cannot just email anyone and everyone. Before anyone goes on your mailing list, you must have their permission.

You have implied permission to email somebody if you have an existing business relationship with them. This could mean they are a current customer, or are an active member of your website, club, or community.

If you don’t have implied permission to email a person, then you’ll need expressed permission to send them campaigns. For example, a separate checkbox for “I would like to receive marketing email from XYZ company”. Or

Because permission should also be verifiable, it’s best to get written permission from each contact.

The consequences without permission can be huge. People who haven’t given you permission are more likely to report your email campaigns as spam, and less likely to engage with your campaigns or make purchases.

Spam reports can lead to you being blacklisted from your CRM, and therefore not able to send any email communication.

Getting permission might seem annoying but it’s actually really a good thing:

• You’ll get better open and click-through rates
• You’ll get a better return on investment from your email campaigns
• You won’t destroy your deliverability rates

Give value

Your newsletter is not about you.

Yep, that’s right. Sorry, but try not to be clouded by what you think you want to include.

Because it’s actually about your audience.

Think about what your customers or potential customers want or need to read. Give value, and keep sales promotions to a minimum. You might include links to your latest blogs, eBooks, lots of tips or relevant industry news etc. You might run a giveaway or offer discounts for your subscribers.

Another way of giving value that a lot of people overlook is that your newsletter should be published on a consistent schedule, this way people can reply on your communications and know that you value them.

Gain insights

Review your newsletter data. Most systems give you heaps of fantastic data, such as open rates, who clicked on which links, which links were the most popular, and who unsubscribed.

This can help you to improve on your content as well as help you to see the dead wood to cut out of your newsletter.

Want help?

When done right, an email newsletter can be such a valuable touchpoint with your audience.

It’s also a proven strategy to build a strong relationship with current or potential clients.

Want help with your newsletter?

I help clients to set up regular, value-packed e-newsletters.

We set up a template if you don’t already have one, then I can go in each month, populate the newsletter with content (this might be a mix of your latest blog, some news, and some giveaways, etc) you can review the newsletter then we send out and monitor the open rates.

Get in touch.

I am a Perth-based copywriter who creates copy and content to help you market your business 🙂

Email me at rachel@sbcreations.com.au and we’ll book in a consult.