30 Tips for Creating Successful E-Newsletters

I work with clients on their social media strategies. BUT whilst social media is amazing, in terms of creating lots of new business, it takes more than just doing a few posts on Facebook etc!!

One of the most effective parts of online marketing is email marketing. Done correctly, email marketing will play a huge part in keeping your pipeline moving in the right direction.

Whilst you may not have an actual database set up currently, just think of all the email addresses you have with on emails or business cards in your top drawer!!

Just get them all together on a word doc or spreadsheet and you are on your way! You will need a portal to send the mailers out rather than from your gmail/outlook etc. I suggest looking at Mailchimp or Active Campaign

Whilst GDPR is a factor, done correctly you can utilise all these email addresses to keep people in the loop with the goings-on in your business, quickly and effectively.

Once you are all set up and ready to go, use my 30 tips below to help steer you in the right direction.

Follow these tips for developing, marketing and maintaining a successful email newsletter.

1. Set goals to reach a specific number of subscribers for the first month, year, etc.
2. Look at what you are shouting about on social media and replicate this to your email list
3. Choose a maximum of 3 subjects to talk about on each mailer. Better to use the content for a series rather than all on the one.
4. Add links to your website and social media feeds.
5. Add links to images on your mailer, directing people to the relevant pages of your website
6. Utilise bold and underline to highlight key words.
7. Hire other writers to write guest blogs for variety and time management. See mine here
8. Include tips and advice to show your expertise.
9. Bring up debatable discussions.
10. Create clickable titles for articles.
11. Attempt to send out weekly mailers at the same times.
12. Send out mailers again to people who did not open. They may be off work or just too busy to open the 1st time.

13. Do not use jargon. Use a language that lamens will understand.
14. Ask for feedback. Ask their views on the main discussion points.
15. E-mail people you have met at events or who have emailed you for more info about your products/services.
16. Create a subscription link on your website. This is done via the likes of Mailchimp or Active Campaign
17. Write original, opinionated pieces worth sharing.
18. Make the newsletter benefit yourself as well as the reader.
19. Learn from others – identify items you enjoy in newsletters you receive.
20. Include personal and topical news.
21. Feature statistics or infographics.
22. Automate when possible. Most programmes will allow you to schedule send outs for times when people are more likely to read (after work, lunchtimes, weekends)
23. Find a reliable mail program that can handle 500+ email recipients. Mailchimp or Active Campaign
24. Be prepared to pay to send out emails especially if you have a large database. It’ll pay for itself easily if done correctly.
25. Quote other experts and authors. Look at their social media and use their content in quote marks. Always put links to their website or social media.
26. Feature new books or documentaries that relate to your subject.
27. Tell an interesting story about your brand. How it started. What are your goals etc.
28. Tells stories about your suppliers, your team, your customers.
29. Don’t get despondent if anyone unsubscribed. It’s all part of the game and better to speak to a captive audience.
30. Don’t give up; stay the course. Rome wasn’t built in a day!!

I hope this has helped you a bit!

Starting any marketing exercise can seem like standing at the bottom of a mountain with no signposts showing you the best way to go, but spending time on it, you will realise that it’s not as hard as you think.

Plus you’ve always got me to lean on!!

So go on, what are you waiting for?