Newsletters are having a moment. You’ve probably noticed your favourite brands encouraging you to sign up to theirs, so it’s time you added one to your marketing mix.
In a world where there are new social media networks popping up all the time and Google is adding AI to its search ads, email marketing may seem outdated. In reality though, it’s not. Just about anyone who uses the internet has an email address and newsletters are a great way to get through to your audience.
Much of the current popularity of the newsletter can be attributed to Substack, which promises to give publishing freedom back to authors. This has led to a proliferation of newsletters landing in inboxes from everyone from your favourite writer to top chefs.
What this has achieved for marketers is getting the audience primed to receive and open newsletters on a regular basis. There are many platforms available for brands to send out newsletters, but if you’re going to compete with the beautifully crafted missives flooding inboxes, yours needs to be just as well-written and visually appealing.
The newsletter may not be dead, but cookies are certainly heading that way. In a digital landscape where we no longer collect data automatically but ask users to opt in, the newsletter is an effective way to ensure we get those all important sign ups.
When potential customers opt in, we’re being transparent about the promotional material we’re going to send them. Collecting data in this way is much more valuable than the third-party cookies we’ve all been used to, as we’ve got an audience that is interested and engaged with our brand already.
Of course users need an incentive to opt in, beyond just the fact that we’re going to send them insightful content. After all, today’s audiences understand the value of their data and they’re not going to hand it over for free.
Discount codes for signing up, exclusive access to sales and the promise of other perks all help to grow email marketing lists. Your newsletter strategy must attract new sign ups, but also keep them engaged so they don’t hit the ever-present ‘Unsubscribe’ button once they’ve taken advantage of any initial offers.
Many users are seeing newsletters as an alternative to social media platforms where algorithms are stopping them from seeing the content they want. Frustrations with updates on socials that see their favourite accounts disappearing from their timelines is leading to a desire to take back control.
Signing up to a newsletter allows a certain amount of autonomy over the content delivered to an individual. They get to see all the latest news and updates from their favourite brands right there in their inboxes without being drowned out by cat videos or algorithm-chosen ads.
The great thing about newsletters is being in control. You can take your niche content to where your customers are and really explore topics that are interesting to them. Utilise the data and analytics options on your chosen email sending service to see what’s working and adjust your content accordingly.
Newsletter copywriting is a skilled practice and when done effectively, helps to ensure plenty of views. From titles that draw the reader in to calls to action that lead them on to your other great content, make sure your newsletters are performing at their absolute best.
Here at Axonn, we practise what we preach and read lots of newsletters. After signing up for our newsletter at the bottom of this page, here are our recommendations for the best marketing updates you should be receiving direct to your inbox:
Geekout Newsletter – Everything you need to know about the latest developments in social media marketing
TL;DR Marketing – Covering social media, SEO and paid media marketing in a succinct fashion daily
Marketing Brew – Sit down with a cup of coffee and dive into a selection of carefully chosen marketing tips and news
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