Part 1: Distribution
(This is the first post in a series on email newsletter best practices.)
In IMN’s 2014 Content Marketing Survey, 60 percent of content marketers cited email newsletters as one of their most effective content marketing vehicles. Our respondents work in many different industries with varying budgets at their disposal.
While 60 percent is a decent majority, we want to see the number grow. When done right, newsletters can help brands gain new customers and keep current ones happy.
We help a lot of struggling marketers create effective newsletters because of IMN’s tradition of email marketing success. The following answers some common questions about effective newsletter distribution. We hope it helps shed light on the “secret truths” to building a great email newsletter.
How do I build my email subscriber list?
When our clients first start building their email lists, they want to know how they can get people to give them email addresses.
We serve clients from very diverse industries, but we always give the same answer: Give potential readers a good reason to give you their email addresses.
Everyone has an email address, but not everyone will sign up for your newsletter. People exchange email addresses to gain something useful in return. Discounts and coupons, guides, news, information, and social connections can all be powerful incentives for submitting an email address.
Follow these four steps as you work to build your subscriber list:
- Understand who your potential audience is and what they want.
- Offer what they want in exchange for their email address.
- Make it easy for them to give you their email address.
- Deliver on your earlier promise to earn their trust.
Small brands (such as direct selling representatives or franchisees) can tap into their community and network. Host an event that focuses on helping your potential readers solve a problem or enrich their lives. Avoid the temptation to make the party all about your brand.
Big brands (such as automotive dealership groups or major financial services institutions) can tap into their resources and industry expertise. Host a giveaway that offers a product to help ease potential readers’ pain points or improve their business. Make sure your offer reinforces your brand message in some way and isn’t just a flashy new gadget.
When should I send emails?
No matter your industry or your message, your ideal send day for emails depends entirely on your audience.
Let’s repeat that: Your ideal send day for emails depends entirely on your audience.
Predicting the best day to send an email can be like predicting the weather. You might know all the variables, use the latest technology, or even have a holistic, spiritual connection to the email/weather gods. However, untested predictions can be wrong because nobody knows your audience like your audience does.
That’s why we test different email send times. We encourage our clients to see how their audience responds (which they can easily identify through our reporting tools). No amount of research or expert articles can replace audience interaction.
Send emails on different days and at different times, then compare engagement results. Measure email open and click-through rates and pick the send time that yields the highest for both.
(Fun fact: Our ideal send time is 10:30 a.m. Content Marketing Institute likes sending at 10:14 a.m., whereas Direct Marketing News sends their emails at 7:01 a.m. The more you know!)
The best time to send an email might not even be a specific time of day but rather after a notable event. An article from KISSmetrics says sending an email to people during their birthday month, after clicking through your content, or after they spend a certain amount of money is a powerful way to show customers that your brand pays attention to who they are and what they want.
Conclusion
You’re one step closer to a better email newsletter. As you build your email list, give your potential readers a great reason to submit their email addresses to you. Then test different send times to figure out when they’re most likely to read what you send.
If you still struggle to get your emails opened, it may be time to take a long, hard look at your email subscriber list. Got undeliverable addresses? Our next post will tackle how to eliminate that deadweight from your list.
What tips and tricks do you use for email newsletter success? Share your newsletter secrets with us on Facebook or Twitter, hashtag #betteremail.
