How to Create a Newsletter for Your Business and Why You Should

In an age of text messages and social media, email marketing may seem old-fashioned. However, every dollar you spend on email marketing returns $42 to your business. Sending a company newsletter through email is one of the most effective marketing techniques. The Washington County Chamber of Commerce offers these expert tips on how to make it happen.

How Newsletters Help You Grow Your Business

Newsletters can help you grow your business in several ways. Almost everyone has an email address. Emailing newsletters can help you connect with more customers. Consistently providing useful information to your subscribers helps build credibility and authority in your industry.

Your newsletter subscribers have already expressed an interest in your business by subscribing, so they are more likely to be interested in what you have to offer than random people you might connect with by advertising on social media or search engines. Finally, your newsletter is an ideal way to direct customers to your other marketing channels, such as your blog or online store.

Tips for Writing an Effective Newsletter

The first thing you must do is give your subscribers a reason to stay subscribed. The best way to do this is to ensure that your content is engaging and provides value to the reader. Next, make sure you stay focused on your goals. Your newsletter should have a specific purpose, and everything you put in it should serve that purpose. Make sure the subject lines of your emails are enticing, otherwise your readers probably won't open the email.

Mistakes to Avoid

There are several pitfalls to avoid when sending newsletters. First, use a branded email address and don't buy lists of subscribers. Purchasing subscriber lists makes your newsletter seem spammy. Don't forget to include a call to action, such as a promo code, a request to follow you on social media, or an instruction to take some other action. Don't skip tracking how many people are opening and reading your newsletter.

Tips to Help You Get More Readers

Avoid overly-promotional content. Your newsletter needs to provide value to readers. If your subscribers think you are just trying to sell something, they will probably stop reading. Make your content easy to read by using plenty of white space.

Add images to make your content more engaging. Use a distinctive template that includes your business logo. Break up your content with subheadings to make it easier to skim and read on mobile phones. Personalize your newsletters by using your subscribers' names in the subject line or content. 

Useful Newsletter Tools

You can streamline your newsletter campaigns by using tools to help you share, edit, create, and modify your newsletter. PDFs are a good option for distributing your newsletter because they are secure, easy to upload, and allow you to create magazine-style content. You can easily convert other types of files to a PDF format by dragging and dropping them into an online PDF conversion tool (check this one out).

How Data Visualization Makes Your Newsletter Better

Data visualization is a technique for translating large and complicated datasets into visual formats that are easy to digest. Well-designed visuals increase reader engagement and help them understand complex or dense information. 

Present Quality Content

Creating an engaging newsletter that provides value to readers can provide multiple benefits to your business and your customers. Email newsletters can be a valuable part of any business's marketing plan, but only if you create content that interests your target audience and present it in a visually-appealing form. Use a PDF converter to create magazine-like quality, and avoid generic subject lines that might cause your reader to gloss over it. If you’re going to commit the time to a newsletter, make sure you make it worthy, too.