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Insights @Work, Life, and Work Life
The Secret Recipe for an E-Newsletter That’ll Actually Get Read
Every day, 4 billion people log into their email accounts to write or read emails. Amidst the occasional email from a friend or party invite, there are many marketing newsletters.
If you’re like a lot of people, you’re subscribed to dozens or more email newsletters – most of which you don’t even remember signing up for. (Did you really subscribe to deals on dog food when you don’t even have a dog?) What’s more, a good chunk of e-newsletters are never read or even opened.
Email marketing can be tricky. It’s easy to get lost in the abyss of an email inbox, making your efforts not just unsuccessful but a complete waste of time and resources. But it can also be one of the most effective forms of communication with potential customers, and over one-third of brands are upping their email budget to take advantage of this form of connection.
The good news is that there are ways to make sure your e-newsletters are not just opened but also read. At SFC Group, we’ve got the secret recipe that will completely change your email marketing game and the success of your business.
Start with a flavorful subject line
The first step to getting your e-newsletter read is getting it opened. To encourage people to click on your email, add flavor to your subject lines to make them captivating and intriguing. Readers should want to know more about the content you’re alluding to because it’s valuable or interesting.
One way to do this is to use time-sensitive language. For instance, “urgent,” “breaking,” “important,” and “alert” all lead to high open rates. Other timely words, like “announcement” and “invitation,” can hold similar intrigue.
Personalization can also go a long way, particularly if you use the recipient’s first and last name.
Finally, while the word “free” can be enticing in some industries, like restaurants and beauty products, it (understandably) doesn’t hold any allure in the healthcare world.
Use information as a base with a pinch of promotion
Just as with any recipe, it’s important to understand which ingredients are essential and which are complementary. For instance, you’ll always need bananas in a banana bread recipe, but you can adjust the amount of sugar or cinnamon to your liking.
In an e-newsletter, focus on the key components – and limit the extras. A strong email newsletter highlights your most interesting content, announcements, and promotions. At the same time, it is not a way to dump all the promotions, sales, and offerings into your readers’ laps all at once.
Keep your e-newsletters mostly informative. For instance, if you’re an infant formula company, you might include information on how to store formula or choose the right formula for your baby.
Then, throw in a pinch of promotion, expertly weaving it throughout the content so it’s not distracting, overwhelming, or off-putting.
Don’t stray from key ingredients
Some recipes rely on complexity, but many thrive on simplicity and consistency. A few quality ingredients shine when they’re not bogged down by a slew of other flavors.
E-newsletters should also remain simple and minimal in content and design. Your reader won’t take 20 or even 10 minutes to weed through an onslaught of information. What they will do is scan the newsletter and take away key points, so long as they’re purposefully placed.
Be purposeful with your content by including quality content and design that adds value to the e-newsletter and doesn’t take away from its message.
Top it off with a main CTA
E-newsletters might feel like a convenient place to dump all your calls to action, encouraging your reader to please click on just one. But this can be confusing and overwhelming.
Instead, choose one primary CTA. Whether it’s to make an appointment or read a blog post, make the CTA simple, clear, and easy to follow. If you include other secondary CTAs, craft them as bonuses if your reader has the time.
Keep working on your recipe for success
As with all things digital, it’s critical to track your content’s performance through data. Keep an eye on:
- Delivery and bounce rates, which can point to issues with delivery
- Open rates, which can point to issues with your subject lines
- Click-through rates, which can point to the content and CTAs within your e-newsletter
Then, adapt as needed to develop your company’s recipe for success. Not all brands will find success in the same way, so it’s important to continuously monitor how your readers interact with (or don’t interact with) your content.
Leave it to the professionals
If you’re overwhelmed by the idea of starting or reviving your email newsletter, don’t fret. Just as you’d go to a restaurant for a quality meal, you can leave your e-newsletter and other marketing tactics to the professionals.
At SFC Group, we’re seasoned pros at crafting e-newsletters that will get opened and read, helping your organization meet its goals. Connect with us to today to get started.
