With Facebook, Instagram and now LinkedIn's algorithms working hard to manage the amount of content on each platform, the chances of your readers/ clients seeing your content is increasingly slim (to none). The solution? A newsletter and a data base of interested readers/ customers.
Newsletters have had a love/hate relationship with our inboxes over the past decade but they are now (thankfully) having a resurgence. There's even a segment of the market who are happy to pay for quality subscriptions, which is helping the open rate on newsletters in various industries to rise steadily.
However, it's easy to get lost in the deluge of inbox spam out there, so the best way to stand out is to have engaging copywriting and to offer value. This could be in the form of education, links, discounts or exclusive content. The aim is to create a product that is unique to your brand so your clients look forward to reading it every time it pops into their inbox.
Need some ideas? Here are 10 extra sections you can add to your next newsletter (not all at once!) to encourage your database to open, read and share the contents.
Testimonials/ Reviews We live in a review-led society, so when you get a good review or you have a great testimonial, it's good to highlight it! It builds brand confidence and encourages your readers to interact with your brand.
Behind the Scenes/ Meet the Team Customers are drawn to authentic brand stories, the 'why' behind your company, and two of the best ways to reiterate your personal story are Behind the Scenes or Meet the Team sections. They can give an insight into the reason behind your brand, why they should trust you with their money and be another way to push your message, call to action or cause.
A playlist of the month
Bring your business to life with a changing playlist, or recommend a favourite album/ book or podcast. By aligning yourself with different music and popular culture, you can help your customers/readers to understand your brand's personality and create an accurate brand association.
In the News/ Further Reading
Many people skim newsletters quickly and a In the News/ Further Reading section allows them to quickly assess your offering. You could use this section to link to your blog, or even link to external sources which relate to your brand, industry or any collaborations you have.
Graphics
To break up word-heavy newsletters, graphics (especially dynamic graphics) can create some breathing room. These could be creative ways to present survey results, statistics, social media numbers, sales, donations... whatever works for brand. A good GIF goes a long way.
FAQ Every business will at some point get the same questions asked over and over again. It's annoying and time consuming, but is also a great indicator of what your customers and readers are thinking. You could highlight a frequently asked question in your newsletter to help convert, interest or encourage your readers to take action.
Top blog post/ Top social media post
To direct people to your blog and/or social media account, choose an article or a post that went particularity well and had lots of engagement. Make sure you have a clear link to the original post so people can follow your social media accounts if they aren't already.
Get Involved Are there ways your database can get involved with your brand? Maybe you need volunteers or survey participants? Perhaps you want content for your blog or maybe you would love to repost any mentions of your brand on social media. Do a call out on your newsletter to remind your readers how they can engage with your business.
Ask for feedback Don't underestimate a small section in your newsletter asking for suggestions and feedback. You won't want to take everything on board, but you never know, one day a suggestion might come through that is pure gold.
Giveaway/ Discount
Everyone loves giveaways and discounts, and what better way to share them than in your newsletter. If you don't sell a product or service that can be discounted or given away, consider collaborations and paid competitions. Using another businesses' database to promote these collabs or comps can help grow your database as well.
Refer a friend
We’ve seen this on a few newsletters recently and it's a really simple, clever idea. Just create a small section where readers can refer the newsletter to friends who might like to receive it. It acts as a reminder and a prompt for your readers and shows them how confident you are in the value proposition of your newsletter and your brand.
This is a blog featured on Remedy Content. We specialise in wellness, health and lifestyle content, copywriting, editing, and design. If you have a word-y problem, we'd love to hear about it! Get in touch for a chat/ brainstorm/ strong coffee/ craft beer.