Newsletters have been around for a looooong time.
Did you know that the first email marketing message was sent in 1978? Digital newsletters even existed before the internet!
And it only stood the test of time. Just ask Ross Geller from FRIENDS. He has his own newsletter for family and friends, "The Geller Yeller".
And decades later, the newsletter strategy for email marketing is still going strong.
And there's a reason for that. There are over 4 billion email users worldwide. Consumers also prefer email when it comes to communicating with brands.
Even millennials and Gen Z prefer email for live alerts.
As you can imagine, newsletters for email campaigns are not going anywhere. So don't let your eCommerce brand fall behind!
In today's blog post, I am going to let you in on how to make your newsletter strategy successful.
But first, you have to know...
What Are The Benefits Of Having A Newsletter?
Newsletters are one of the more popular ecommerce email marketing strategies used by online brands. And the benefits are ripe for your taking.
First, you will have...
A Continuous Source Of Traffic
With a newsletter campaign, you don't have to worry as much about your website traffic.
Let me explain.
Other forms of marketing can fluctuate. For instance, Facebook's organic engagement is changing. Ad blockers can restrict your banner advertising.
But newsletters can reach your customers' inboxes. And as long as your subject line is relevant and attention-catching, then they are likely to be opened.
This will increase your chances of your subscribers tapping on the call-to-action button that leads to your online store.
Another amazing benefit you can gain is...
The Ability To Access First-Party Data
Bad news: Third-party cookie is set to end by 2023. That means targeting will be harder than ever.
But with the email platform, you can directly gather data from your customers.
Your customers give you their email address when signing up for your newsletter. Or when they want a free trial. That means they see your brand as trustworthy enough.
And you know that the subscribers you are reaching out want to hear from you.
Newsletters also give you a...
Simple Way To Measure Performance
How do you know when your marketing communications are working? It has to reach certain Key Performance Indicators, of course.
And measuring the success of your newsletter strategy is pretty simple. Your email software has analysis tools you can use. Specifically, the statistics section.
This section has all the information you need. Things like click rates, bounce rate, number of unsubscribes, which links are used, etc...
These tracking systems will assist you in calculating your return on investment. As well as help you create more relevant content.
On the subject of revenue, newsletters also...
Increase Revenue With Monetization
Email is still one of the most reliable marketing channels out there. In fact, it can give you 44x return on investment. How so?
Email is an exceptional platform for ads. You can directly advertise to your high-quality contact list. After all, they already have a captivation with your brand when signing up.
And isn't an extra source of revenue very crucial, especially during this pandemic?
Lastly, successful newsletters also...
Nurture Relationships With Customers
Email is a one-on-one type of marketing. It's just between you and your subscriber. Unlike social media, you won't have to fight for their attention with others.
And that alone builds trust.
Ultimately, customers won't sign up for your newsletter subscription if they don't trust you. So, nurture that trust by providing an awesome weekly newsletter.
And you can do that with an effective newsletter strategy.
Are you ready to get your subscribers engage better with your newsletters?
Let's go!
Step-By-Step Guide To A Successful Newsletter Strategy
1. Establish Goals
What do you hope to accomplish?
Answering this question will guide you through the whole process. Clearly defining your goals will help you create newsletters that your target audience wants to read.
For instance, do you want your subscribers to buy more products from you? What about increasing engagement with your brand?
You can set your goals with your corporate values in mind. Also, go over your existing customers and check what kind of content they like. Do they want new blog posts or detailed statistics? What about the latest industry news or exclusive events?
Your goals are important to keep in mind for the next step...
2. Segment Your Audience
Sending your newsletter to your email recipients all at once and being done with it won't get you that far. Using a basic, bland newsletter template won't encourage readers to go through it.
But a personalized email will. And no, it's not about just putting their name in. It's about efficiently dealing them relevant content.
For instance, you can create special newsletter landing pages for customers who just purchased from you. Or you can segment your contact lists according to age, location, etc.
Your readers will appreciate your effort more. Doing so will also boost your clickthrough rates.
Once you segment your target group, you can...
3. Set A Newsletter Calendar
The next question you want to answer is... When is the optimal time to send out a marketing email?
You need to figure out when your customers are in front of their phones or computer. It'll be the best time to make your existing customers aware of your newsletter.
Here's how you can find out your newsletter calendar. Do an A/B test with your target group. Send your newsletter at various times of the day. Check when are the times that your clickthrough rates are highest from your target group.
Use the data you will gather to organize a calendar for sending out your newsletter.
After this step, your entire focus should be to...
4. Define Your Content Guidelines
So, how do you achieve the goals you defined beforehand? By creating content that is relevant to your customers. And content guidelines can help you do that.
So, think about what content the users visiting your online store want.
If you're not sure where to start, there's no shame in looking for inspiration from your competitors. Find out what works on their end. Notice how they write subject lines. Go through the entire page of their newsletter and gain inspiration from it.
You can also directly ask your customers what they want to receive from you. In return, you can offer a freebie giveaway, a discount, etc.
Once you create content guidelines, go ahead and...
5. Pick A Newsletter Software
Your company's newsletter strategy won't be successful if you don't have the technical infrastructure needed.
You see, professional newsletter software will take loads off your shoulders. With a professional email service, you can send and analyze your email campaign.
Yes, there are many email service providers in the Shopify app to choose from. To choose, you'd want your professional provider to have a high level of reliability. As well as secure your customer's data sufficiently.
So make a list of the email service providers with all the newsletter tools you need. To help you out, here are some qualities you need to consider...
- Gives you the ability to personalize and segment your contact list
- Has the ability to do A/B testing
- Offers you a responsive subscription widget
- User-friendly, especially with integrated image editing
- Has templates for newsletter subscription sign up widget
- Gives statistics for your KPIs
The next step is the juicy part...
6. Create A Newsletter
The first thing you need to focus on is your newsletter landing page design.
You can definitely use the templates available on your newsletter software. Tweak it to your liking to match your brand's image.
Plus, make sure that your design looks good on both desktop view and mobile.
For example, take a look at Debutify's newsletter. It is informative, as it is aesthetically pleasing!
Next, direct your attention to your content.
Your content includes your subject line and header. It's the first thing your customers see when they receive an email from you.
So make sure that your subject line matches your brand's style and tone. A good way to get noticed is to use fun phrases. You can also incorporate your customer's name or even emojis!
Finally, hone in on your newsletter's content.
Don't be afraid to mix it up. You can include your most recent blog post, event invitations, seasonal calendars, etc.
But keep in mind not to put too much content all at once. Also, position your most essential information at the start. That means that piece of info can get more attention.
Now that you have your newsletter at hand, get ready to...
7. Send Out Your Newsletter
Just like everything with your online store, preview if your newsletter looks good on all types of screens. Send it to yourself and check it on every piece of device you have your hands on.
Then, you are now ready to send your newsletter. You can either immediately send it, or schedule it for a later time.
After sending it out, wait for it and...
8. Analyze And Optimize Your Newsletter
How do you know if your newsletter is reaching its goals? You have to analyze its performance.
Here are the metrics you need to keep your eye on:
- Open rate: percentage of subscribers who open your certain email out of all of them
- Click rate: percentage of people who clicked on at least a link in your newsletter
- Revenue per email: total conversion generated from your email
With these KPIs, you can define the strengths and weaknesses of your newsletter strategy.
Find out the adjustments you need to make. Then, implement the changes with A/B testing.
And just like that... Your successful newsletter is up and running!
So, get your customers to...
Subscribe And Read!
When you follow these steps properly, you don't have to worry about ending up in the spam folder. Your subscribers will be thankful they signed up in the first place... And will keep looking forward to each newsletter!
Once you have them hooked, be sure to let them know where they should go after reading.
So keep your eCommerce site fresh and ready for them.
Because your awesome email will go to waste if your customers see that your online store is subpar. Or worse, super slow and uber messy.
Fret not, Debutify can handle that for you!
Debutify is more than just a Shopify theme. With 50+ Add-Ons, it's your perfect Profit Optimization Partner. It also carries the must-have Newsletter Pop-up. Capture your visitor's email before they leave with this customizable Add-On.
Keep on strategizing and...
Enhance Your Newsletter Strategy With Debutify -- For Free!
14 Days Trial. 1 Click Installation. No Credit Card Required.
Ricky Hayes
