5 easy-to-add elements for effective newsletters
In an era of endless marketing options, many small businesses are doubling down on a method that has stood the test of time and continues to produce an impressive ROI – the email newsletter. In this article, we will explore five essential elements that can significantly enhance the effectiveness of your newsletters and don’t require complex tech skills to create.
Email newsletters are the single highest performing ROI for digital marketing, and the best part is that they are incredibly cheap or free to create. The trick is standing out from the crowd and not getting lost in the inbox, or worse, spam.
1. Subject text
Subject lines are a fundamental element to capture your audience’s attention. If you send fantastic content, but your subject line falls flat, it may never get read, meaning your hard work never pays off.
We know subject lines can be tricky, even for seasoned copywriters, so don’t be afraid to use tools to help you create them. AI tools such as ChatGPT, can help, but we love Headline Studio, a free app that will rate your title or subject line.
If you have an email marketing platform, such as MailChimp, Mailerlite, or ConvertKit, use the A/B testing function. You could test two radically different subject lines or do something more subtle, such as using a synonym, but don’t underestimate this incredibly useful tool.
2. Preview text
While subject lines remain crucial to grabbing attention, preview text intrigues people enough to click on an email. Preview text, also known as preheader text, is the short section of text that appears after your subject line. It needs to pack a punch but be limited to a single line, as mail clients set different cut-off limits. Try to tease what’s inside to maximize your clicks!
3. Legitimacy markers
Never underestimate account setup for deliverability and authority. Use a “from” and “reply-to” that clearly identify you and/or the business. Many business owners like to add a personal touch, so don’t be shy – we send ours from “Lynn from Cyber PR Army Solutions Inc.”! If your subscribers feel you are a real person and understand which business it is from, they are far more likely to open your emails.
4. Personalization & Segmentation
This one is a little trickier, but if you use an email marketing platform, use personalization and segmentation. What does that mean in plain English? Use the options available to address your email to the reader’s name rather than “Hi, everyone.” Segmenting can get complicated (and Zoey will happily talk to you all day about cool things you can do with it), but at its core, it’s splitting people into groups based on what they have been doing or who they are. For example, if you have an e-commerce business, you could send an automatic “We’ve missed you” campaign with a voucher to everybody who hasn’t shopped with you in 6 months. Or send an email to people who live in certain areas announcing a talk or a pop-up shop. Get creative with it, and think of it as a way to ensure that the right people get the right message.
5. Clear CTA
This one is the big one. We see it on websites, social media posts, and email campaigns are no exception. Every time you communicate with your customers (or potential customers), give them a clear action so they know what to do next. If they don’t know what to do, they’ll feel like the communication didn’t have a point. If you give them too many options, they will suffer from analysis paralysis and won’t follow through at all. Start each email knowing what action you want your audience to take after reading it, and give them a clear and easy way to do so once they reach the end. This doesn’t always have to be “buy our product!”; it could be to check out a video, join a waitlist, share with their friends, or even a thought exercise if you are a coach or trainer.
Next steps
Email is an immensely powerful tool that can keep your customers coming back for more, but a lacklustre campaign may lead to more unsubscribes than additional sales. Email platforms now pack a serious punch and can become the backbone of your business, but it all comes down to understanding how to best use it to grow and engage simultaneously. We know everyone has different comfort levels with email marketing, which is why we offer a full suite of email marketing services. We can audit your existing content and offer a roadmap for improvements, we can teach you how to get up and running or expand your skills, and if email marketing just isn’t for you, we can take it completely off your hands. Find out more about our email marketing services by clicking here. Whatever system you’re on, let’s make it work for you!
Cyber PR Army Solutions Inc. Digital Marketing Made Easy.
