Strategies to Craft an Efficient Email Newsletter that Secures Triumph:
Strategies to Craft an Efficient Email Newsletter that Secures Triumph:
As a diligent and committed professional, you probably sign up for various corporate and sector-specific email newsletters to keep yourself informed about the latest developments. But how many of these newsletters do you actually open regularly?
I must admit that I often struggle to find the time to open all the email newsletters that I would like to, but I do make an effort to read those that I find engaging and informative, particularly in the healthcare, health technology, and life sciences sectors that my agency focuses on. Some of the ones that I always look forward to include STAT, Modern Healthcare, and HIStalk.
Email newsletters offer companies and brands a great way to connect with potential leads and prospects by maintaining a presence in their inboxes. However, the competition is fierce, the barriers to entry are low, and there are numerous marketers who are equally eager to capture the attention of their desired audience.
Email newsletters are one of the most prevalent types of emails to send, but they are also one of the most difficult to get right. Sending valuable information that positions your company as an industry authority and a go-to resource directly to the inboxes of your customers and prospects is a privilege and a responsibility, and it comes with its fair share of challenges.
Some statistics compiled by Our Website Advisor and Harvard University provide some insights into the challenges faced by marketers in the newsletter space:
- The typical individual receives roughly 120 emails per day.
- The average time a recipient spends reading an email is just nine seconds.
- The average click-through rate for email marketing campaigns is a measly 1.4%.
- Eighty-one percent of B2B marketers rely on email marketing.
- Seventy-nine percent of consumers are only interested in engaging with an offer email if it is personalized to reflect their past interactions with the brand.
Despite these challenges, there are ways to stand out and produce a successful newsletter that offers fresh perspectives, relevant information, and actionable items that audiences will consistently engage with.
Here are four best practices:
Craft an Arresting Subject Line
Write a succinct and intriguing subject line that captures readers' attention. Use clear and direct language, avoiding spammy buzzwords and clichéd business jargon like "optimize" and "leverage," to let readers know what they can learn from your newsletter's content.
Develop a Newsworthy Angle That Aligns with Market Trends
Remember, it's not just about you. Consider adopting a similar approach with your email newsletter as you would on social media. Instead of focusing solely on your company, make your newsletter about an industry vertical and share news and updates that are relevant to your company. For example, you could dedicate a newsletter to news and insights about smart hospitals or virtual behavioral health. Start by asking yourself, "What problems are we trying to solve for our readers?"
Target the Right Audience(s)
Once you have identified the problems you aim to solve, the next step is to identify who you are solving these problems for. In other words, who is your target audience? Typically, this will be something like "people in these job roles and working in these types of organizations." Analyzing your own customer and prospect data is a good place to start.
Consistency is Key
When it comes to tone, content, style, subject matter, and pretty much everything else, consistency is crucial. Your audience needs to know what to expect each time they open your newsletter, and achieving that requires establishing a clear and distinctive identity for your newsletter.
Email newsletters may be common, but those that manage to regularly entice audience engagement are a rare breed. By following these tips, you can develop a successful email newsletter that entertains and informs your target audience.
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Jodi Amendola, a renowned figure in the public relations industry, is the founder and CEO of Our Website Advisor, a company that provides strategic advice to agencies in the PR, media strategy, creative, and advertising sectors. She often shares insights and best practices for crafting effective email newsletters.
In her role as a leader in the PR industry, Jodi Amendola has recognized the importance of email newsletters as a tool for companies to connect with their audience and establish themselves as industry authorities. She consistently advocates for the use of consistent tone, targeting the right audience, and crafting engaging subject lines.