As an entrepreneur, your goal is not only to have a substantial clientele, but above all to retain them. For this, various means of communication are at your disposal, each with its specificities. Today, it goes without saying that social networks are very widely used to promote one’s brand. To retain and grow your business you should know how to write a good newsletter.
These allow sharing of information so instantaneous, and, to the greatest number. In this “2.0” frenzy, we are perhaps leaving a little too aside a means of communication which has proven its worth for decades: it is thee-mail.
Yes, that electronic letter that reaches your customers’ mailbox directly ! Unlike social networks which disseminate information in mass, e-mail allows you to create a close relationship with your customers, a more personal bond. Different types of emails exist, but today we are going to focus on the newsletter.
This letter, which is addressed directly and personally to your clients, allows you to establish a climate of trust and solidify the attachment they have towards you. The latter has proven its worth, so do not wait any longer and discover the rules to apply for write a good newsletter !
Writing a good newsletter: taking care of the content
- Have a hard-hitting title
We agree that you don’t want your newsletter to end up in your subscribers’ recycle bin before they’ve even read it. In this case, you owe it to yourself to create a hard-hitting headline. In fact, your subscribers receive dozens of emails per day. Yours must make a difference and stand out from the crowd. To do this, use action verbs aimed at the reader or “shock” information.
- Develop a catchphrase that captivates
Its good ! Your subscriber has opened your newsletter! Now, it’s about keeping his attention so that he gets the message you want to convey to him. For this, a captivating hook is essential. Put your reader directly in the mood. Start your text with punchy numbers, put yourself in his shoes. Your subscriber must be intrigued by these first lines and definitely want to know more.
- Position the most important idea at the start
You may have several pieces of information to send to your subscribers within the same newsletter. If this is your wish, remember to put the content you want to communicate first, at the beginning of your text. In many cases, your subscribers will only read the beginning of your email.
- Structure the text well
No one likes to read compact text: it tires the eyes and requires too much concentration. Remember to air your text. Divide it into paragraphs, using titles, sub-titles, dashes, bullets…. Highlight important ideas in bold.
- Write a short text that goes straight to the point
In your newsletter, be concise and direct. List your information without frills and quickly come to the conclusion you want to give to your post. You only have seconds to convince your reader, who quickly scans your email.
- Use a beautiful layout
The human being is sensitive to the beauty of things. It is still more pleasant to receive a colorful newsletter, possibly with images, which gives us pep! So apply yourself on the layout of your newsletter. It is an opportunity to convey the image of your company and to make an impression. If you’re not a design expert, tools like Mailchimp or Mailjet are available to you. These offer you templates that you just have to customize.
- Share the right kind of content
It is essential that you understand what a newsletter is. The latter is there to share with your subscribers the news of your company: the release of a new book, organization of a seminar, information on a very specific subject… In short, even if the newsletter’s final objective is to trigger a action at your subscriber (whether they buy your products or services), it must be done in a very subtle way. The newsletter is above all there to strengthen the link between you and your prospects. Other types of email, more “fit”, are created to push the subscriber to sell in a very direct way. So that’s not what you should do with your newsletter.
- Think “responsive”
Today, more than 50% of Internet users consult their e-mail box from their smartphone. This is why it is imperative that your newsletter is “responsive”. Namely, that it adapts well to the mobile or tablet format. Your text should stand out correctly and your images should display well. Your e-mail should open quickly and be perfectly ventilated and readable.
Writing a good newsletter: really addressing the reader
- Use reader’s first name
How do you react when someone addresses you, mentioning your first name? You certainly feel flattered and feel that you are truly cared for. Well on the net it works just like in real life. Addressing your subscriber, talking to him and mentioning his first name will make your newsletter much more personal.
- Bring added value
The whole thing is not to send a newsletter to send a newsletter. It’s about conveying relevant content, which will actually do something for your reader. Let him know when your last blog post came out, offer him advice to make him feel better, be more productive… In short, give him something that is valuable to him.
- Target recipients well
Knowing who to send your newsletter to is also essential. First of all, be aware that a newsletter is only sent to people who have decided on their own to subscribe to it. It is therefore not a question of writing to people that you do not know from Eve or Adam and for whom you have found their email address somewhere. The goal is not to “push”, but to exchange intelligently with your community.
Writing a good newsletter: engaging the reader
- Include a CTA
A CTA or Call to action is the act of encouraging the reader to take action. This could be, for example, downloading your last e-book, buying your book or watching your brand new seminar. In short, this is about making the reader active and no longer passive. It is about integrating it into the dynamics of your business.
- Add a degree of urgency
If you want your subscriber to take action by purchasing one of your products or services, increase your chances by including a notion of urgency in your email. The typical example being: “Don’t miss out on this superb 50% reduction, it will end tomorrow at 11.59pm”. Here, it is not a question of putting the knife under the reader’s throat, but rather to “push” it a little. To make him realize that it is now or never the time to take action and that he should especially not miss his chance.
- Insert a PS
The PS or Post-scriptum, allows to highlight an important point. You can use this technique if you want your readers to remember something well. As a general rule, although it is positioned at the end of the e-mail, the PS is the element read first, even before the body of the text! So do not hesitate to use this technique which makes it possible to mark the spirits!
Writing a good newsletter: knowing when to send it
- Find the right frequency
To keep your newsletter relevant to your readers, you need to find the ideal sending frequency. If you space the mailings too much, your subscribers will gradually forget you and the proximity link will weaken over time. If, on the contrary, you write too regularly, your readers will feel overwhelmed by all your posts. It is said that 1 to 2 shipments per month is still a good measure.
- Find the right time
Sending a newsletter is good. Sending it at the right time is even better! Yep, the moment you write to your readers is an influence. They will be more inclined to integrate your message when they are ready to do so. It would seem that there are times that are more auspicious than others. It’s up to you to decide depending on your sector of activity in particular. If you sell spirits, sending your newsletter in the evening, especially on weekends, will be much smarter than sending it in the morning. If you talk about “productivity,” write to your subscribers in the morning on weekdays, rather than on Sundays.
Writing a good newsletter: stay tuned
- Stay on the lookout for digital marketing
If you want your newsletter to continue to be liked by your readers over time, you need to stay on top of digital marketing. Like all digital sectors, this is an area that is constantly evolving. The means of communication are constantly changing. You must therefore remain on the “alert” to offer content that is in the spirit of the times.
- Listen to your audience
Are you running out of ideas on what to cover in your newsletter? No problem, just ask your subscribers what they would like to receive from you. Not only will you find a host of new topics to cover, but in addition, your content will be more than ever adapted to the expectations of your readers. The icing on the cake: your audience will feel truly heard and taken into account.
- Be responsive to its subscribers
By communicating with your subscribers through your newsletter, they may have things to tell you. Whether you have asked them specifically, or they are writing to you spontaneously, you must be able to respond to them as quickly as possible. Your audience should feel that you are responsive and that you are available to them.
- Analyze your results
If you want to ensure the effectiveness of your newsletter, nothing like the use of specific tools such as Mailchimp or Mailjet to produce statistics. Open rate of your e-mails, rate of subscriptions… you will find out everything. Once these figures are in mind, you can edit your newsletter accordingly in order to improve it and make it more effective.
We have therefore seen that the newsletter is a powerful tool for communicating with your community. It allows you to share quality content, while creating a privileged link with your subscribers. Do not neglect any more this formidable means of communication and apply yourself in the creation of a powerful, refreshing newsletter, which makes sense in the eyes of your subscribers and which allows you to strengthen your brand image!