There was once a time not too long ago when email newsletter felt like a thing of the past. Consumers were looking to social media for 1:1 interactions with their favorite brands. But as social media engagement declined in 2022, brands went back to a tried and true organic communication method with their consumers: Email newsletters.
A Brief History of the Email Newsletter
You might be surprised to hear email newsletters were a thing as early a 1977, when the first email newsletter was sent. It took email a couple decades to become a mode of personal communication though with the creation of Hotmail in 1996. As email surged in popularity, brands started getting on board with sending out communications to their customers and fans, allowing them to build personal relationships with their base and share information like product updates and news directly. But then, social media rose to popularity and email, while still popular, saw a decline in engagement. But just like all famous empires, social media’s reign took a turn in 2022 with user sentiment annoyed with the misinformation, over-saturation, and declining algorithm. With that engagement decrease, brands went back to basics and started sending out email newsletters again to rebuild those 1:1 relationships with their base. Today, it’s a no-brainer for any brand to create their own email newsletter.
Literally, Everyone Loves an Email Newsletter
74% of Boomers, 72% of Gen X, 64% of Millenials and 60% of Gen Z consider email to be the most personal channel for brand communications. That’s right, everyone loves an email newsletter. Which isn’t that surprising considering email subscribers are literally people who have raised their hand and say “Hello, I want to hear from your brand regularly! Send me the things!” But not all email newsletters are created equal.
The Recipe for a Successful Email Newsletter
When cooking up your email newsletter, you need to ensure its got a little bit of sugar, a little bit of spice, and everything nice.
Your content needs to be timely.
If you own a clothing brand and spring is near, send those bright and fun colors and all the shorts and dresses. If your brand was just featured in a major magazine recently, share it in your newsletter. If the holidays are fast approaching, share that holiday gift guide. Be aware of the time of year and what’s going on in the world around the time you’re sending.
Your content need to be relevant.
This feels simple. If you own a coffee brand, your content should be coffee-forward and you might not want to talk about tea (unless you’re starting a tea line). But other than product news and launches, you need to include other robust content that’s relevant for your users. So back to your coffee brand: Including content about recipes containing coffee, when the best time to drink coffee is for optimal productivity, and the best coffee accessories is the best kind of content for your caffeine-loving base. Think outside the box when coming up with content, but still keep it relevant to your customer base’s interests.
Regularly offer a reward to your subscribers for being loyal fans.
Remember to regularly reward your subscribers for being loyal. Send them an exclusive offer, let them in on product launches or news before the general public finds out or give them early access to a major sale. But make sure to regularly give them a little somethin’ somethin’ for being the best subscribers.
Personalization, personalization, personalization
Segmenting your subscribers into different buckets and sending them additional communications outside of your larger newsletter increases customer retention and loyalty even more. You can snag this information by setting up a preference center to be completed when a customer subscribes to your newsletter or sending out surveys to get more information about your subscribers. A great example for your coffee brand would be having a special newsletter for your decaf fanbase or a unique newsletter for your espresso drinkers. This personal touch lets your subscribers know you know them well and makes them feel all the warm and fuzzies for your brand.
Newsletters are here for the long haul baby, and its a fun and personal way for you to keep in contact with your subscribers and customers. The team of experts here at On Par are here to help you get your newsletter program started or revamp your current newsletter to perform even better!
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