It’s 7 a.m., and I’m just about to get up for a full work-from-home day. Before I do, I check my phone.
Unlike years past, where I would have checked Facebook or Instagram first, I now check my email. Why? To read newsletters.
From The Gist and The Athletic Daily, to The Good Trade’s The Daily Good, newsletters on topics that interest me — right now: sports, wellness and self-care — come right to my iPhone, making things more personalized in a world where I find myself easily overloaded by information.
Many of you might be living this newsletter experience, too. Whether it’s daily updates from your favourite news source, a monthly newsletter from your friend’s small business, or (like me) a daily dose of sports updates, you’ve more than likely got a newsletter or two sitting in your inbox right now, ready to be read.
There are lots of theories out there as to why newsletters are making a reappearance. And, for those of you who are considering starting a newsletter within your business, lots of reasons why it might be simple and beneficial for bringing in new clients, reengaging recurring ones, and promoting your products/services.
DRIVING WEBSITE TRAFFIC
Though emails don’t directly influence search engine optimization (SEO), it ensures that links to your website and blog posts are readily available to those clients who are most likely to engage with them, and for the longest period of time.
What do I mean by that? Hopefully, your newsletter subscribers are those who want to be updated on your business, and thus want to engage with what you send to them. Once they’ve clicked a link in the newsletter, they are now engaging with your website — and the longer they stay there, the more likely they are to purchase a product or service.
BOOSTING SEO
Newsletters content can either promote blog content, or be an inspiration for you to write something longer form for your blog. Did you post a link to a trend in your industry in a recent newsletter, and it’s getting a lot of clicks? Write about it for your blog! Alternatively, use your newsletter to promote blog posts you have already written.
Blog posts boost SEO, which helps you get further up the search rankings and makes your website one more likely to be seen by those looking for a product/service you provide.
BRAND VOICE
Newsletters are a great platform to promote your brand voice. Whether you want to speak in a casual, personable, even funny tone, or have a business that requires a more professional tone, a newsletter is a recurring space to make it clear to your clients who you are.
This also applies to the images and the links that you place in the newsletter. It all helps towards solidifying your brand identity..
PROMOTION AND MARKETING
It almost goes without saying, but a newsletter is a great space to promote things going on with your business: a sale, a new product, a new service, a special package you’re offering, whatever you need! With some strong visuals, those promotions can be an engaging piece of content to click on, and help you make the sale.
SHOWING WHAT YOU KNOW
A newsletter is also a great space to show that you are an expert at what you do. Use the space to promote blog posts you’ve written, to expand on the latest issues and trends in your industry, or even promote other events, book releases, etc. to show that you are in the know and constantly thinking about how your business fits in your field.
BUILDING COMMUNITY
The power of newsletters can be a two-way street. Use it to get feedback from your clients. Include feedback surveys in your newsletters, or use the subscription process to ask questions about content they would like to see in future editions.
Promote your newsletter on social media, and engage in conversations around your articles and blog post (if you feel comfortable doing so).
Use it to foster engagement, and community.
PLAYING TO YOUR AUDIENCE
A newsletter allows clients to get relevant content about your business right to their inbox — even content they might not seek out organically themselves, on a daily basis.
At the same time, regular timing of newsletters instills a daily habit in recipients. They know to expect that newsletter at a certain time, and it becomes part of their routine — they might even look forward to it, as I do with those I’m subscribed to!
There are lots of other reasons a newsletter is valuable to a business. We would love to know what benefits you see, if your business has a newsletter!
Speaking of, have you signed up for Always Brave Creative’s newsletter?
~ written by Lucy Fox
