Effective Email Newsletter Strategy

We explained the importance of email newsletters and what elements are necessary in a previous article, so now we can talk about making them as engaging as possible. Note that not every organization can follow the same rules or strategy as different industries in different locations have varied audiences. 

Just to recap, an email newsletter is a digital communication sent from a company to its list of subscribers. They can be used for a number of reasons, but each one should have the same effective strategy for optimal success.

Be on brand

Going right along with design, you want your email newsletters to be just as on-brand as you are on every other marketing platform. This means consistent fonts, colors, logos and content. If you’re going text-heavy, then adhering to your brand’s voice is important. 

Remember, you trade your email for our audience’s time. If they have made the effort to open your email, you should be giving them enough value to make it worth their while. If your email wastes their time, they won’t open the next one.

A/B test as much as possible

Until you test what your followers like, how are you supposed to know what content to create? Do they like your subject lines? Does using their names increase the open rate? Do videos get more click-throughs than call-to-action-buttons? 

Whatever newsletter tool or program you use, there are several ways to A/B test your emails. 

Mobile friendly

Of the number of emails that are opened, 81 percent are on mobile devices, a number that has increased massively from 27 percent in 2011. It should go without saying you need to optimize your email newsletters for mobile devices. If they aren’t optimized, then 80 percent of recipients will delete the email immediately.

Segment your audience

Have you ever received an email that was completely off-topic for you? By segmenting your audiences, you are able to deliver more focused content to people who actually want it. One company found that segmented campaigns produced 30 percent more opens and 50 percent more click-throughs. 

Set email newsletter goals

If you’re going to take the time and effort to make and send a newsletter, you first need to know why you’re sending it. It can’t just be because you read that you need to include them in your marketing strategy. Set goals for your newsletter channel per issue and define the goals’ corresponding metrics. If you need a place to start, research your own industry’s benchmarks on open rates and click-through rates.

Email newsletters are a strong tool in any marketer’s toolkit. It can be used for content marketing, sales nurturing, customer conversions and so much more. While it can be tough to stand out from the noise, our dedicated marketing team at Rooted Web can help you narrow in on what’s best for your company. Let’s chat!