A global pandemic is the perfect time to spend some time on your online newsletter! Really? Hell yeah!
A global pandemic is the perfect time to spend some time on your online newsletter! Really? Hell yeah! When times are hard, you shouldn’t be focusing on ‘sneaky’ marketing. Instead, it’s a time to be sincere, invest in building new relationships and nurture your customers. And although I don’t like saying it (especially since this phrase has been used so frequently over the past couple of weeks it makes me want to bang my head against the wall), we’re all in this together.
There, I said it (don’t judge me).
Now, you might think: “That’s all very nice, an online newsletter, but my customers have other things on their minds right now. Wouldn’t it be better if I focused on SEO-proofing my website and my social media channels?”
Yes and no. Yes, SEO is super important, and so is social media. However, the downside of these marketing tools is that, when you use them, you are largely dependent on Google’s algorithms. Also, there are about one hundred billion (OK, I might be over-exaggerating a bit here, but you get my point) other entrepreneurs that are trying to up their rankings in online search engines by doing exactly the same thing. That’s why an online newsletter can be a useful addition to your online marketing strategy.
Not entirely convinced yet? OK, perhaps the following reasons will make you see sense:
1. A newsletter provides a personal touch
An online newsletter might be a marketing tool, but it’s also inherently personal: ultimately, it’s a letter from someone to someone. It may not be a handwritten letter, embellished with stylish fonts and illustrations (unless you want to go crazy on the graphic design part), but it’s a letter nonetheless. Also, a newsletter doesn’t have a character limit like Twitter or Facebook, and you don’t have to ‘spice it up’ by adding emojis and hashtags (which can be a bit of a pain in the you-know-what sometimes).
2. A newsletter enables you to take control
As I briefly mentioned earlier, a marketing plan based solely on social media isn’t ideal. Why? Because it means you don’t have full control. As a professional control freak, I think I can say that I understand it’s not very pleasant for entrepreneurs to be dependent on a group of techies in Silicon Valley as far as their online marketing is concerned… The beauty of an online newsletter is that you have full control. You decide who you send it to, and you own every bit of data that you publish.
3. It’s a money machine (well, it can be)
Studies have shown that email has the highest ROI (return on investment) of all online channels. In addition, there have been studies that have shown that for every dollar you invest in email, there’s a potential return of 38 dollars. Not too shabby, eh? This just shows that, especially if you have a limited budget, an email newsletter is a very wise investment indeed.
“Alright, you’ve made your point. But what are some of the key essentials for a kick-ass newsletter?”
Good question, imaginary entrepreneur! Here’s a nice checklist you can use when drafting your masterpiece:
Checklist when drafting your masterpiece
- Use your own tone of voice. A newsletter is personal, so make sure to use your own, unique voice. Jokes? Yes please, but no abusive language of any kind (no need to explain that one, I think).
- Provide valuable content. A newsletter isn’t a platform for shameless self-promotion (content like that will get you thrown into the ‘trash’ folder before you can say ‘yeah but…’). Provide your audience with useful information and keep it fun.
- Encourage conversation. Ask questions and show that you care. Questions like “What can I do for you?” and “What would you like to see more of in a newsletter?” are always a good idea (but of course there’s room for less serious questions every now and again, like “Are you team peanut butter or team Nutella?”).
- Always write back. Always. It’s the polite thing to do. Just do it.
- Use you as often as you can. It’s not about you, but about your readers. Limit the amount of I’s and use you as often as you can.
“Thank you so much for these awesome tips (hey, I’m the one writing this blog, so I have the prerogative to decide how my imaginary entrepreneur responds), but I’m not really looking forward to writing a newsletter every two weeks. It’s just not my forte.” (By the way, did I mention my imaginary entrepreneur also speaks French?)
Thankfully, that’s a problem that’s easily solved. Really? Really. Just hire a copywriter to do it for you! Just think, why bother forcing yourself to do something you can’t or don’t want to do? And if you’re hesitant because of the costs involved, just have another look at the paragraph about ROI (it’s the one about the money machine).
If you need help crafting a kick-ass online newsletter, just send an email to pm@ludejo.eu. Our copywriters are ready to help.
