Three ingredients to better email marketing newsletters

What separates an effective email marketing newsletter that generates a lot of leads from one that simply sits in the recipient’s email inbox unopened? This is a commonly asked question among many entrepreneurs – it’s easy to collect email addresses and send out a batch newsletter, although getting those clicks is another issue entirely.

Lisa Scalia, cofounder of Melting Pot Food Tours, would say three things help to create more effective email newsletters: customer knowledge, personal interaction and proper formatting. By keeping these three concepts core to her communications, she is able to generate an impressive 30 percent click through rate with her monthly campaign.

“The successful marketers send out good content, have an opt-in model and create a personal connection with potential subscribers. They know what people are looking for and sometimes they use good marketing services,” the American Express OPEN Forum notes.

Keep the customer at the forefront

A common mistake with any marketing effort is trying to push products and services on customers. After all, the goal of most campaigns is to bolster sales or generate leads, and directly promoting goods straight to the end consumer seems like an effective way of accomplishing this objective.

The problem is that this approach leaves consumers feeling unwanted. In their perspective, they are just another number in the sender’s database and a box on their checklist. They don’t feel as if products or services are relevant to their wants and needs because these emails have clearly been broadcast to everyone on a list.

Instead, entrepreneurs should put themselves in their customers’ shoes. What would be the best way of to connect with them? Scalia starts each email with a warm greeting and some information about what her company has been up to. She’ll write about business trips, interactions with travelers and other interesting anecdotes. It isn’t until the end of the email that Scalia promotes upcoming events or services and even at that, there are no hard sells or aggressive calls to action.

“It’s not about us; it’s about them,” Scalia told the news source. “It’s about fulfilling their needs and desires. When you care about people, they come back for more.”

Relevancy is personal

Of course, Scalia didn’t start her company newsletters with that format. However, over the course of writing the messages and learning more about her customers, she was able to develop a feel for what her subscribers were looking for.

Because Melting Pot Food Tours’ email marketing newsletter is opt-in only, Scalia can already assume a somewhat intimate relationship with her subscribers. If they aren’t customers, they are people heavily interested in her services. She knows she can’t misplace their trust by sending spam or overtly promotional messages, highlighting the importance of creating both relevant and personal content.

Format is crucial

It’s also vital to consider how a newsletter is formatted. Many browsers feature different default settings – some allow images, some don’t. Others enable HTML by default, while some may be text-only. Developing a format that’s easy to read yet accessible through all these different permutations is pivotal to creating a successful newsletter.

If small businesses have trouble achieving this, they could consider tapping an email marketing service to help them design a professional newsletter. It’s paramount to make a good first impression with their messages, and broken communications or downloadable PDFs are ways to turn prospects away.

What tricks to you employ to improve your email marketing efforts?

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