In this #ContentChat community conversation, we talk shop about email newsletters, including the technologies attendees use to create, distribute, and promote them. Read on for tips to apply to your own email newsletter program, and for the scoop on our must-subscribe email newsletters for marketers.
Q1: Do you have (or are you planning to launch) an email newsletter?
Q1: Do you have (or are you planning to launch) an email newsletter? #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) September 23, 2019
Nearly half of our poll respondents have a newsletter, and roughly a quarter are planning one. Some organizations are even managing more than one newsletter, each with a different purpose.
#ContentChat Our org has more than one newsletter. We are going to try and more carefully integrate this into our patient experience. I’m not entirely sure at present, however, that’s going to work. https://t.co/49dlvFnOpd
— Jen Brass Jenkins (@chrliechaz) September 23, 2019
A1: Yes, we have an email newsletter. In fact, We have at least three of them that I can think of, and I’m sure I only have vision into a small number of them. #ContentChat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) September 23, 2019
A1: After many years of thinking about it, I’m launching a newsletter this month. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) September 23, 2019
A1: I ran the PJ email program for 14 years and also created my own branded email program a few months ago. Great for learning, targeting your audiences, testing and creating content. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) September 23, 2019
A1: Most professional brands I’ve worked for have had multiple e-newsletters from non-profits to the radio industry. #ContentChat https://t.co/tYYmlLWHpL
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) September 23, 2019
Q2: For those of you who have an email newsletter (or three), what’s it about? Who’s it for? And where can we sign up if we are interested?
Check out the newsletters linked below. If you missed the chat, comment below with an overview and link to your newsletter.
A2: My about-to-launch newsletter will cover #contentmarketing tips, tools, and trends. It will also include links to things I write, great content I’ve recently read, and our latest #ContentChat recaps. You can signup for it here: https://t.co/nFgWW8iXUA https://t.co/dRJ3qNSACz
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) September 23, 2019
A2] Please check out the Actionable Marketing Guide weekly newsletter:https://t.co/Mm4k9bApXF
It’s my weekly perspective on what’s happening in marketing. #contentchat #digitalmarketing
— HeidiCohen #CMWorld 2019 Speaker (@heidicohen) September 23, 2019
A2: My email is about digital and social thought, tips and insights – you can sign up here https://t.co/SqRST0KYbO #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) September 23, 2019
A2: We’re so glad you asked! We have a weekly newsletter called the Content Marketer. It’s all about sharing insights, and tips/tricks of the #contentmarketing & #SEO trade. You can subscribe here: https://t.co/SPX077B3Rk
— Brafton (@Brafton) September 23, 2019
A2: We currently have a newsletter served towards other marketing professionals and creators. We would love to have everyone sign-up and let us know what they think. We’re always looking for feedback on how we can improve. #ContentChat https://t.co/aMm6hh9q20
— The Karcher Group (@KarcherGroup) September 23, 2019
A2
On the email newsletters we run:
They are just updates given to customers of our clients about what has been happening through out the month and any new offers. #ContentChat https://t.co/TGulfRzTnw— Kahill Insights (@Kahillinsights) September 23, 2019
A2: Our radio stations do have multiple, one is sales-driven for PERKS (think groupon – but very local to our communities).
We also have one that goes out about weekly with content specific to the radio station: contests, concerts, jock’s blogs, pop news. #ContentChat https://t.co/lujJIHSTEm
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) September 23, 2019
A2: Our newsletters center around the workplace. talent acquisition, leadership, the future of work, compensation. I think the broadest compendium would be the Institute newsletter: https://t.co/2UE7mFDnmq
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) September 23, 2019
A2: We have a newsletter that goes out each week with our latest blog post. It includes a snippet and the link… Super simple, but it works for driving traffic! #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) September 23, 2019
A2. Our newsletter is designed with our clients in mind. We use it primarily for educational purposes to keep clients up to date with new features and best practices for using our platform. We’d love to add anyone interested in #CompleteCRM. #ContentChat https://t.co/sevKuNpQJZ
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) September 23, 2019
A2: “Reflections and HOPE” offers a dash of encouragement – visit https://t.co/VrvcH4uSSp to sign up.
There is also one for writers looking for some prompts, challenges, or tips – visit https://t.co/IF6Y4bhhAP to sign up.#contentchat
ugh . . . twitter needs an #editbutton https://t.co/mQov0bcuj4
— Kathryn Lang (@Kathrynclang) September 23, 2019
Q3: What are some benefits of producing an email newsletter? What goals can they help/have they helped you achieve?
Email newsletters offer an array of benefits for your brand. Primarily, they serve as an engagement tool to keep your brand top of mind for your audience.
A3: Producing an email newsletter keeps prospects engaged with your brand so that when they’re ready to buy, they think of you.
— Amy Ahrens (@AmyAhrens12) September 23, 2019
Totally agree! Newsletters are a great way to keep your brand/business top of mind for prospects. Plus, if they keep reading your content, the prospect already knows the value you offer! #ContentChat
— Brafton (@Brafton) September 23, 2019
A3 A newsletter helps you build trust with readers and in my opinion, it’s the queen in content marketing. A newsletter also helps you keep in touch with your followers when social algorithms may change and affect the number of people who see your content. #contentchat
— Nancy Casanova (@nancycasanova) September 23, 2019
Your content will make or break your newsletter. Focus on providing value for your audience, and establish goals for the newsletter (we dive deeper in Q5). Some optional goals include to: showcase your company style…
A3: There are so many benefits. It can be a great way to engage and nurture prospects, share expertise and to showcase your brand’s style. It’s helped us generate leads, webinar sign-ups, referrals, etc. Plus it’s also a great way to get feedback from your audience #ContentChat
— Brafton (@Brafton) September 23, 2019
It just seems like such a smart way for folks to get a feel for your style, and see if you’re the right fit. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) September 23, 2019
Develop industry thought leadership…
A3: The goal for my newsletter will be to keep in touch with content marketers by sharing my perspective on industry trends and tactics. And by doing so, to be top of mind when the need for a content marketing consultant or workshop facilitator arises. #ContentChat https://t.co/kdIzYWeytY
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) September 23, 2019
A3: For us, it’s a personal touch we offer clients and followers. It gives us a chance to talk about things outside of just our business and really create a connection with our readers through valuable and inspirational content. #ContentChat
— The Karcher Group (@KarcherGroup) September 23, 2019
Gain valuable insight on your audience by seeing what newsletter content they engage most with and what content drives them to your site…
A3: Some of the goals that I have…provide value, learn from data and what others are doing and to develop a database of email addresses that I own compared to other platforms in which you don’t. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) September 23, 2019
A3
Some of the benefits of an email newsletter include:
*Offer customized content to your audience.
*Get visitors to your site
*Track better performing content
*Sell#ContentChat https://t.co/qrPxv41VSH— Kahill Insights (@Kahillinsights) September 23, 2019
Retain customers by constantly providing value…
A3: Benefits depend on intent, but they include retention, thought leader positioning, and lead generation. #ContentChat
— John Cloonan (@johncloonan) September 23, 2019
I’d put heavy emphasis on retention. A critical mistake many startups make is valuing new leads more than existing customers. #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) September 23, 2019
A3 They’re really goodfor client retention and to remind them of our content in tge learning center. Also to invite them to our FBcommunity.
— Visme (@VismeApp) September 23, 2019
Develop a relevant mailing list and dedicated channel to reach them…
A3: the big reason for producing an e-newsletter is so you have something YOU own, access you earned.
Social media could disappear tomorrow, will you still be able to reach your audience?
You also get to drive sales how you want to. #ContentChat https://t.co/bt28L4mGYC
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) September 23, 2019
Or, drive leads and support your other business goals.
A3: Producing an email newsletter can help build client relationships, boost lead generation, grow your community, drive sales and set your company up as a subject matter expert. A newsletter can be a leverage for achieving biz goals. #ContentChat
— Wayne Hendry (@ideakid88) September 23, 2019
Q4: What are some reasons we might *not* want to produce an email newsletter?
Just because you can create a newsletter does not mean you should. Start with your value proposition—a newsletter should feature its own value outside the content it links to. If you intend for your “newsletter” to just promote your latest blog posts or case studies, then it should be branded accordingly.
Too often I see email newsletters sent out that are just a blurb and a link to owned content. It’s really a blog digest, and not a newsletter at that point. #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) September 23, 2019
A4 Don’t treat it as just a distribution channel for all of your latest blog posts. Spoil your newsletter subscribers with extra material that can help them/add value. #contentchat
— Nancy Casanova (@nancycasanova) September 23, 2019
A4. If you can’t think of a good reason to do so. If your content doesn’t add value to anyone’s life it’s pointless. #ContentChat https://t.co/EY8YzzREIA
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) September 23, 2019
Time commitments are often the biggest hurdle. First, growing your email list will take focused effort and time, which means your newsletter may be slow to start (and you should set expectations accordingly).
A4: If you don’t already have an email list, it can be really daunting to start from scratch. Or if you’re unable to regularly produce engaging content, maybe you should pass. For readers, it’s really important that newsletters are consistent- in quality & in timing. #ContentChat
— Brafton (@Brafton) September 23, 2019
Next, your newsletter needs a consistent publishing schedule. Do not over-commit on the publishing cadence or the amount of content in each issue. Quality will always beat quantity, and you need to prioritize value for your readers.
A4: A newsletter is an ongoing time and resource commitment if you want it to gain traction. If you only send it out every few months, it’s really more of an occasional email than a newsletter. #ContentChat https://t.co/dzOTRrIFyr
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) September 23, 2019
A4: Some of the reason that I see not to produce a newsletter is…
– Don’t have time to dedicate time to
– Not enough content
– Frequency is too far apart
– No value
– Content is just a mirror of website or social channels. #ContentChat— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) September 23, 2019
A4: One would be the time commitment. It isn’t something that can be haphazardly thrown together at the last minute like a high school math assignment. It takes thoughtful curation and time to make it worth your readers time. #ContentChat
— The Karcher Group (@KarcherGroup) September 23, 2019
A4: You don’t have enough content to fill one or you’re not willing to share external content.
— Jared Loftus (@JaredLoftus) September 23, 2019
Don’t do one if you 1)don’t have enough to say or 2)cannot be consistent – nothing worse than an email newsletter that’s been padded out without any useful or interesting content – that turns it into spam!
— Lucy Saxelby (@saxelbynews) September 23, 2019
A4 You need to be consistent and timely. Someone needs to be in charge of it so it sends out regularly and keeps track of analytics for improvement. #contentchat
— Visme (@VismeApp) September 23, 2019
A4: If you’re not going to be consistent with sending your email newsletter, then why bother? The whole point of having a list is to stay connected with your subscribers. #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) September 23, 2019
You may realize a newsletter does not fit in your current workload, and that’s OK. Either develop a plan to eventually roll out a newsletter, or simply spend your time on other, more important company channels.
A4: I have a networking brand that I don’t use a newsletter for – I am completely out of pocket and don’t have a budget; I know there are free options, but it’s not where I want to invest my time and efforts.
We thrive with our social media based community. #ContentChat https://t.co/LWAXCn7HVG
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) September 23, 2019
Q5: Let’s talk metrics. How do you know if the frequency and content of your email newsletter are helping you to meet your subscriber’s needs and your business goals?
Your KPIs will depend on the goals of your newsletter, but some common metrics include: open rate, click-through rate, unsubscribes, sentiment of email responses, forwards, and more.
A5: We look at a variety of metrics to measure the success of our newsletters. Open rate is a great one to see if your headlines are compelling enough. Click to open ratio & CTR as well. We also take into account email responses & other qualitative feedback #contentchat
— Brafton (@Brafton) September 23, 2019
A5: Opt-outs is a good way to see if your frequency of emails are too high.
CTR is a way to figure out what content is (and isn’t) working. #ContentChat https://t.co/ZErBJRvePi
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) September 23, 2019
A5: First, you need to actually set goals so you know which metrics are important for you to track.
For example, if your business goal is to drive traffic or sales, you’ll want to measure just how many readers and clients came from your newsletter. #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) September 23, 2019
A5.
*How often is your audience opening the email?
*How many are clicking the link(s)?
*How many are buying as compared to how many are bouncing?
*How many new subscribers as compared to un-subscribers?
*Forwarding rate.Etc#ContentChat https://t.co/mALUkoWXkw
— Kahill Insights (@Kahillinsights) September 23, 2019
Regularly monitor any of the above KPIs to detect early issues with your newsletter direction or content quality. Bonus points: ask your readers how you can improve.
A5: In addition to tracking your metrics, consider having a simple 1-question poll each issue (like a net promoter score), or annual reader surveys where you find out how well you are meeting their needs and expectations. #ContentChat https://t.co/NMSWMeNsYd
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) September 23, 2019
A5: I love looking at my metrics. I start with a baseline and then A/B test frequency, subject line and content to see how changes impact the ROI and metrics that I’m measuring. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) September 23, 2019
A5: We like to regularly ask for feedback from viewers and use @HubSpot‘s tools for metrics that allow us to see where viewers are spending the majority of their time in the email, the most clicked links and the times they are viewing the email itself. #ContentChat
— The Karcher Group (@KarcherGroup) September 23, 2019
Q6: What are your favorite, must-have email newsletter production, distribution, and promotion tools?
The community recommended their favorite tools below. Did we miss any?
A6: I’m using @ConvertKit for my email newsletter signups and list management. I’m likely going to use @Mailchimp for sending out the emails themselves, to have flexibility with my templates. And I will use @Canva for images. #ContentChat https://t.co/BIgaHzr7Om
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) September 23, 2019
A6: I’m a big fan of @Mailchimp and the ease of use. Great for targeting, welcome emails and drip series. I also use @pexels for photography @canva for some creative and photoshop for original creative. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) September 23, 2019
A6: We used to bounce between a few different platforms but have recently taken production, distribution and promotion all over to @HubSpot. #ContentChat
— The Karcher Group (@KarcherGroup) September 23, 2019
A6: I’m biased, but I think @rasa_io is a great tool for a newsletter with personalized content for each individual recipient.
— Jared Loftus (@JaredLoftus) September 23, 2019
A6 @MailerLite is great fot creating funnels too. Their newsletter templates are drag and drop and easy to use. Segmentation is pretty good too. #contentchat
— Visme (@VismeApp) September 23, 2019
A6: We use Secondstreet for our email (and contesting) needs. But if you don’t have a big budget, the non-profit I worked for used MailChimp and that fit our needs nicely. #ContentChat https://t.co/XGjgVatMMZ
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) September 23, 2019
A6. GreenRope, Adobe, Canva! I’ve also heard good things about Grammarly. #ContentChat https://t.co/CQvFqTFKaO
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) September 23, 2019
A6: We’re big fans of @ConvertKit! #ContentChat
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Team (@ExpWriters) September 23, 2019
A6.
*You need great email marketing software. Mail chimp stands out a lot..
*You also need great content which is grammatically sound. We use Grammarly.
*Great photos we use unsplash or take pictures ourselves
*You need great graphics.
Etc#ContentChat https://t.co/ohbe64mipY— Kahill Insights (@Kahillinsights) September 23, 2019
A6 @MailerLite is great fot creating funnels too. Their newsletter templates are drag and drop and easy to use. Segmentation is pretty good too. #contentchat
— Visme (@VismeApp) September 23, 2019
Q7: What email newsletters do you subscribe to and recommend we check out?
May your inbox be filled with quality content thanks to the below suggestions!
My fave email newsletter that I look forward to each week is @annhandley‘s Total Annarchy email newsletter. Go and subscribe. You’re welcome. https://t.co/e8JLygUTSk #ContentChat
— Erika Heald | Marketing Consultant (@SFerika) September 23, 2019
A7: So many good ones…here are a few peeps that have a programs to check out.@KarcherGroup @ExpWriters @MeetEdgar @annhandley @AmyPorterfield @garyvee @ThatChristinaG @GenePetrovLMC #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) September 23, 2019
A7: There are so many good ones but to list a few amazing newsletter creators:
– @annhandley
– @B2the7
– @TheHustle
– @ThisIsSethsBlog
– @ScottMonty #ContentChat— The Karcher Group (@KarcherGroup) September 23, 2019
I subscribe to @ExpWriters newsletter. Its great. #ContentChat
— Victor Immanuel Oloo (@ImmanuelOloo) September 23, 2019
I like @Adweek a lot! #ContentChat
— GreenRope (@GreenRope) September 23, 2019
A7 We love seeing @byrawpixel newsletters when they add new visual assets. Also @hubspot emails are great. @latermedia sends great IG insights.
— Visme (@VismeApp) September 23, 2019
A7: I probably subscribe to too many… but @socialmedia2day, @SMExaminer, @Buffer, and @SproutSocial are all ones I regularly receive emails from. #ContentChat https://t.co/irVcHzEjHo
— 🎙JMatt (@JMattMke) September 23, 2019
A7] Among my favorite email newsletters include: @annhandley @cspenn @ScottMonty @austinkleon @tamadear @Allen
Why?
Because they all curate information I find useful. #contentchat #digitalmarketing
— HeidiCohen #CMWorld 2019 Speaker (@heidicohen) September 23, 2019
Q8: Any last thoughts re: what makes email newsletters awesome?
What makes a great newsletter? Passionate writing, genuine value, and a good story. Constantly assess what is/is not working so you can always provide the best value for your readers. If you find your newsletter has lost its direction, start back at the basics. Or, know when your audience would rather consume content in other ways.
Email marketing is awesome because it is NOT close to being dead and is still one of the most effective and effecience tools you have…plus you own the subscribers and content. #ContentChat
— Bernie Fussenegger #Digital360Chat (@B2the7) September 23, 2019
I think of a good email newsletter as a good book. It should capture my attention, make me feel invested in the characters (company) and ultimately make me keep coming back for more. #ContentChat
— The Karcher Group (@KarcherGroup) September 23, 2019
Late reply, but the age-old wisdom for creating content whose source I can’t remember… if you’re going to put something out you should:
1) Love it
2) Learn from it
3) Laugh at it#ContentChat— Derek Pillie (@derekpillie) September 23, 2019
The key to an awesome newsletter is to treat your reader like a real life friend! Hat tip: @annhandley #WriteForDoris #contentchat
— HeidiCohen #CMWorld 2019 Speaker (@heidicohen) September 23, 2019
Passionate writing about whatever their topic is. A creative a unique angle to solve generally dull problems.
— Visme (@VismeApp) September 23, 2019
A good email newsletter go straight to the point as soon as possible. Do not dance around the point just because you want people to find it in the link. Instead hit the point home and create content that will compel people to open your link. #ContentChat https://t.co/F78kGFrZQ9
— Kahill Insights (@Kahillinsights) September 23, 2019
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