Email Newsletter Guidelines for Beginners

Every company seems to have an email newsletter, so you might think that the marketing method is old hat and not worth the effort. On the other hand, you may be inclined to start a newsletter but not know how to carry your ideas to the finish line. Discover why newsletters are effective marketing tools when done well and how you can launch your own with this great guide from the Bismarck Mandan Chamber of Commerce.

Reasons You Need a Newsletter

Customers want to buy from brands with distinct identities. A newsletter offers a way to define your company and deliver value to your audience. Research shows that most people want to see promotional emails from companies they trust. Create credibility and attention with newsletters.

Content that Inspires Engagement

Specify the goal you want to accomplish for each letter and the metrics for success. An appealing newsletter shares timely and relevant information for the readers and has at least a tangential relationship to your brand.

Employ the following tactics for higher engagement:

• Send your messages at the right time.

• Stick to a consistent schedule.

• Create a catchy subject line.

• Keep the design and content simple.

Mistakes to Avoid

Many newsletter campaigns make blunders that render them ineffectual. For example, don't purchase subscriber lists. Random unsolicited emails give the impression of spam, and filters will block your emails automatically if you're flagged too many times. Don't use a personal email, either. A branded email address gives your business credibility.

You shouldn't come across as too "salesy," but you need a primary call to action. Provide a promo code, ask for a follow on Facebook, encourage hashtags on socials for contest entry, or some different response. Don't neglect to track results. Without metrics to measure response, you'll never know how effective your newsletters are. Monitor email opens, clicked links, and unsubscribe rates to see if your messaging works.

An Appearance that Makes a Difference

Black and white text gets boring, so enhance the appearance with data visualization. When educating consumers on how your product stacks up, use charts, graphs, infographics, and animations to make a greater impact than a list of statistics.

Helpful Tools to Get the Work Done

You can't let creating a newsletter get in the way of other necessary work for running your business. Find tools that facilitate creating, editing, and sharing your messages. PDFs are an excellent format because they're secure and easy to upload. The document displays in a professional-looking magazine style. Use an online tool to convert other document and image files into PDFs using drag-and-drop functionality (here is a great tool to convert them). You should also investigate CRMs and marketing tools to aid with campaign tracking.

Times You Need to Hire a Pro

If tools still don't leave you enough time in the workday, hire employees or contractors to help you put out an engaging and informative newsletter. The following experts can make your life easier:

• A marketing agency to help create messaging and campaigns

• A design team for help with images, animations, and videos

• Content writers to flesh out your ideas into a compelling letter

Methods to Increase Your Subscriber List

If the number of subscribers stagnates, review your content and visualization for improvement. Discern what other popular newsletters are doing and imitate their strategies. Remember to market your newsletter on your website, social media, and receipts. Remind customers that newsletters will alert them to exclusive deals and early access to specials. 

Make It Relevant and Attractive

Email marketing is far from dead. Craft a plan to kick off your newsletter and reap the benefits of engaging interaction with your target audience. But make sure that your content is relevant and interesting to your target audience or they won’t take the time to open your message, let alone read it. Using PDFs to create visually appealing newsletters can also help make it look professional and worth reading. And don’t forget your call to action so that your business gets additional growth, too!