Make Your Email Marketing Efforts Matter

by | Mar 21, 2022 | JFG News

Your current inbox is likely full of newsletters. That’s no surprise since email marketing is still a leading trend when it comes to digital marketing.

If you believe email marketing is dead, trust us, it’s very much alive. Over 306.4 billion emails are being sent every day.

However, what your newsletter contains has become much more important. Creating newsletters that provide worthwhile content that your audience is genuinely interested in consuming can reap huge benefits for your business.

Make It Mobile Friendly

Feel like you’ve heard this before? You probably have but it’s well worth repeating. Most people are opening newsletters on mobile devices – making mobile-friendly designs an absolute priority.

When designing a newsletter template on a desktop or laptop, it is vital that you keep in mind how the content will translate to smaller screen sizes. Luckily, email platforms often allow you to preview your newsletter using the “test” feature – this can help ensure that your newsletter looks good on mobile before sending it out.

We’d encourage you to send a test to yourself before sending it to your contact list to review how the design looks, check that the links work, open it in multiple browsers, and so forth.

Consider Your Content

If you are going to send out a newsletter regularly, you need to make sure that your content is worthwhile. Your target audience likely receives multiple newsletters daily – so setting yourself apart is vital and your content has to be something they want, or perhaps, need to see.

We’d encourage you to look at what your competitors are doing, ask your customers what they might want to see, and take inventory of what is working and what is not as you begin sending out communications.

Try several different approaches and evaluate based on clicks, engagement, form fills, responses, total unsubscribes, and so forth: you need to see what works and adjust accordingly.

Mind the Time

The time of day you send out a newsletter can largely determine how many people will open it. With so many emails going out regularly, there is certainly a lot of competition.

A lot of newsletter platforms have tools that can help you determine the best time to send your newsletter – we also encourage testing different dates and times to see what works best.

Luckily, you can pick a new time to send a newsletter depending on when your customers are most engaged.

Be mindful not to send newsletters too often though, since that’s why most people unsubscribe. Being picky about how often you send newsletters and what you include in them will also ensure your content is worthwhile. Email newsletters allow you to connect with your customer consistently, but it’s up to you to decide when the time is right.

Don’t Forget the First Impression

Your subject line can be one of the most challenging components of a newsletter. You want to think outside of the box while also directly referencing the subject matter it contains. You also don’t want it to sound like a sales pitch which can land you in spam folders quickly.

The subject line is your first impression when someone receives your newsletter, so it can be the deciding factor in someone opening it. Consider what sets you apart from your competition and what types of things your audience is most interested in and then lead with those.

Consider offering industry tips, templates, or trends that customers will look forward to receiving again.  The first newsletter you send will set the precedent of what your audience expects to receive in the future – so you need to make it memorable.

Evaluate Your Unsubscribes

If you have people unsubscribing from your newsletter, don’t be too hard on yourself. People get multiple email newsletters every day and although it’s still a common digital marketing practice, it is also a popular one with very stiff competition.

In your newsletter template, you’ll be required to give someone the option to unsubscribe and they’ll have an opportunity to explain why they are doing so. If you see consistent responses, you’ll quickly know what needs to be fixed. People might feel you’re sending them too frequently or maybe that content doesn’t apply to them or interest them. Finding this out gives you a chance to correct those mistakes for future communications.

With that being said, you never know when someone might be interested in your newsletter. Give your audience a chance to sign up on your website and social channels.

Need Help With Email Marketing? Contact JFG Today.

If you think your company could benefit from an email newsletter, but you aren’t sure where to start, check out our digital marketing services. Contact us today – we can help you stand out from the competition.