Have you heard the phrase “the money is in the list“? The “list” refers to your email marketing list. What is an email list? An email list is a list of email addresses of people who have subscribed to a newsletter, blog or website. It also includes other emails that you have gained from people you have met, have contacted you or you have done business with in the past.
Your email list starts to become very valuable when it comes to email marketing. The larger your list of email subscribers, the better, especially if they are active as they have the potential to bring you additional income.
It is very simple, your email list of subscribers is a goldmine of potential customers, clients or patients. It is easier to convert someone who is a fan of your business, than a cold lead.
If your business does not have a list, are not doing email marketing or sending out a newsletter, then the following tips on how to create a newsletter are for you.
Now that you are aware of the potential money in an email list, do you finally want to start a newsletter for your local business?
Email newsletters can help boost your sales dramatically but most small business owners simply overlook its significance. Email open rates are still very high, making an email newsletter a solid investment – if you do it right.
Keep these tips in mind, and start it off right!
If you want people to read your newsletter, you need to give them a compelling reason to do so. Pick one vertical and stick to that. You can always segment newsletters for other aspects of your business if you want to.
You want to give subscribers a compelling reason to open your newsletter instead of ignoring it. For example, a local clothing store might try something like: April Newsletter: Spring Scarves and a Special Promotion Just for You!
Just make sure to keep your subject line relative to your email. Nobody appreciates being tricked.
The second thing to keep in mind is that you are writing a newsletter, not a sales letter. People subscribe to a newsletter to get information, not to get a hard-core sales pitch delivered to their inbox. When you give a subscriber something for nothing, you create a sense of obligation in them. You have provided them with something valuable, and they feel they owe you.
When writing your email newsletter, deliver the content to come in small, easily-digestible chunks. Make sure to include a few relevant images to illustrate your content. You don’t want to overdo it with pictures and video, so keep in mind that everything you add has the potential to slow a subscriber down when they scroll through the newsletter.
Video is hugely popular, and recent research shows that simply including the word “video” in the subject line of an email increases open rates by 19%. If videos are already part of your marketing mix, then you should include them in your newsletter. Even a short, 30-second video can add a lot of appeal.
Not sure about using video in your business? Check out a podcast we recorded “Top 4 Benefits of Video Marketing For Business” to help you see the light!
Make sure that you offer an easy-to-see, easy-to-use way for subscribers to opt out of getting your newsletter. (Easy to do with Mail Chimp and Constant Contact) No customer enjoys the feeling of trying to unsubscribe and not being able to do so.
Keep your customers in mind and create content they will find value in. As long as you put your subscribers’ needs before your own, you can create a great newsletter that will help you grow your business.