You know you need to email to your subscribers regularly, but coming up with new things to send them can be difficult. So just what should you send to your email list that will keep your subscribers interested? Here are five ideas.
Just because you’ve spent months building up your mailing list doesn’t mean you can count on those subscribers being around for the long haul. In fact, a recent report reveals that email marketing databases degrade by approximately 22.5 percent annually. If you want to continue growing your revenue, it’s important to make up for this drop in contacts by sending the kinds of messages customers want to receive.
Here are five tips on choosing the best things to send to your email list:
1. Helpful Hints
Businesses often make the mistake of focusing on what customers can do for them. To be successful at email marketing, though, it’s wise to let subscribers know how you can help them by solving their existing issues and concerns. For example, a small business that offers personal finance services might send an email with tips to help customers budget for holiday purchases or save up for a big summer vacation. The goal is to anticipate a subscriber’s issues and struggles throughout the year and offer solutions while setting yourself up as an industry leader. For best results, include a variety of content types, including blog posts, infographics, videos, and expert interviews.
2. Discounts and Deals
Most of us like receiving special offers and exclusives and email subscribers are no exception. If you want customers to convert, consider sending your email list offers that aren’t available to normal web visitors. Along with providing details on upcoming sales, you can invite customers to attend in-person seminars or webinars or visit your shop for a launch party. And of course, you can offer discounts on products and services, coupons for free shipping, and gifts with purchases over a certain value.
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3. Exclusive and Shareable Content
Email marketing offers a great opportunity to share exclusive content and information with consumers. Guides and checklists are always useful, but you can also feature worksheets, fun quizzes, and even product reviews and testimonials that aren’t present on your website or blog. Additionally, you can offer links to free e-books and whitepapers not available on your site or post videos that show how to use your products. The idea is to incentivize subscribers to stay on your mailing list by offering them specials that aren’t available to the general public.
Additionally, newsletters are great for sending content that you want consumers to share with their friends and family members. When crafting your monthly (or weekly) email, sift through your content and select those pieces that are most shareable. Although there’s no magical formula for crafting shareable content, viral social posts tend to be emotional, inspiring, surprising, or frightening. They might include unusual facts, helpful tips, touching stories, or impressive visuals. For best results, be interesting and unique. And of course, you should ensure your newsletter includes social media buttons, so readers can share, tweet, or post with ease.
4. Relevant Events
Emails and newsletters are ideal for notifying subscribers about upcoming sales and events. Most of us enjoy feeling like we’re ahead of the curve, so use your email marketing to alert subscribers to upcoming events and product releases that matter to them. You can segment your mailing list by demographic and interest to ensure that consumers receive the most relevant information while saving them from content that might not be to their liking. For example, if your restaurant is hosting a kids-eat-free day, you will likely want to send this announcement to subscribers who are parents rather than those who attend your bar trivia nights. Hosting events in your restaurant or store is also a great way to get to know your customers, so you can keep their preferences in mind for future business planning
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5. Images
When it comes to creating shareable, compelling content, nothing beats a stunning image. Photos, illustrations, memes, and infographics all score well with newsletter subscribers and social users. One caveat is to avoid stock images that consumers are likely to have seen on other websites. If your budget allows, arrange for a skilled photographer to take a few great shots of your business and its products. If you must use stock shots, opt for those that show people over those that don’t, and choose dynamic images featuring members of your target audience. However, don’t feel compelled to fill up every inch of the page; having white space in your email makes your content more readable.
Just because something appears on your website or social media page doesn’t mean it’s appropriate content for your email marketing. Send the above materials to your subscriber list to boost the odds of readers becoming long-term users of your business.
