Practical Guidance for Your Newsletter

If you’re a three-dimensional entity in the global north, chances are you have an inbox somewhere that is bursting with newsletters. You sort, you unsubscribe, you delete. But they just…keep…coming! Why?

Because businesses know that they’re incredibly effective!

An interesting, ethical, correctly-executed newsletter is the cornerstone of your online presence. In fact, it’s almost fair to say that you should have an online presence so that you can have a newsletter. Here’s why.

1. A newsletter is a place to more fully connect with your audience. Newsletters are great formats for making your audience feel special. This is important because they are special! They’re your people, and they have an interest in what you’re doing. Your newsletter is a place to take extra time to connect with these folks because the content of a newsletter is totally in your terms. There are no character limits and few popular conventions as there may be on social media platforms. As a result, your communication is totally unfettered.
2. A newsletter is a way to update your clients on news and specials. Newsletters are more targeted than other forms of communication. You can (carefully) share more personal info, or offer something valuable to a smaller, curated audience. There is an element of control in the dissemination of a newsletter that is totally absent in other forms of marketing.
3. A newsletter is the best way to keep people engaged. Unlike social media platforms or regular advertising, a newsletter is arriving right to the inbox of its recipient. This is valuable real estate, indeed! It shouldn’t be taken likely. If someone is still on your subscriber list it means that you have a good chance of really catching their attention. Treat this as gold!

Here are some great resources to get you started on how to craft a newsletter that your subscribers will actually want to read.

Vertical response shares one of the best posts on newsletters I’ve ever read. It’s a great how-to that will provide a firm guide and steady hand as you plan your newsletter content and strategy.

http://www.verticalresponse.com/blog/7-golden-steps-to-creating-an-effective-email-newsletter/

Hubspot is one of my go-to resources for all things web marketing. They share newsletter insights here:

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/guide-creating-email-newsletters-ht