Most of us have utilized the email newsletter at some point in our business pasts, however the advent of the blog and social media typically meant less time devoted to such matters. Social media in particular made contact with our clients, customers, and fans almost instantaneous, making the need for a well crafted e-mail newsletter almost irrelevant. So the question is: does the e-mail newsletter still have a place in your email marketing strategy? Or is time and effort better spent elsewhere?
The fact is that some marketing tactics do not change, and odd as it may seem, the email newsletter should remain a part of your promotional and advertising arsenal. If that sounds strange, then there are a few things you should stop to consider.
People choose different channels to disseminate information. Email is one of those channels that may be effectively used in a number of ways. An email newsletter can go out, and yet still be reprinted through social media, published to a blog or RSS feed, and Twitter messages sent out with links back to the content at hand. Think of the email newsletter as one piece of a much bigger puzzle, but a link piece that pulls together the entire picture.
Most customers will not sign on to follow you on Twitter, or necessarily become a fan on Facebook, however, they may initially sign up to receive emails from your company. Use that opportunity to build a relationship with the client, and over time they may feel comfortable enough to connect with you through other available online channels. Email can accomplish this in a way few other online avenues can.
Even if they are unread or skimmed over, email newsletters have a very good way of keeping you at the forefront of your customer’s mind. I have more than one company that I receive from, and while I don’t always read everything they send, it is always a nice reminder that they are still out there when I need them. Always keep the customers thinking fondly of you.
At the risk of quoting a tired cliché, content is king. Make sure your email newsletter has an attractive combination of written content, pictures, or video, because an attractive presentation is far more likely to be passed along, perhaps even reposted to through social media outlets.
Three little letters…SEO. Every time you add content to your site, you increase your visibility in the eyes of outfits like Google. Archiving your newsletter is a great way to add quality content to your site on a regular basis, drastically improving your search engine optimization efforts. It is one of the easiest ways to benefit from the release of the newsletter.
Content marketing is also easily addressed through the use of the email newsletter, since newsletters are nothing but content and leveraging that marketing tool may result in markedly improved numbers.
Multi-use content. Content is of much value, and can be uses several times over if properly reintegrated. You can get a lot of mileage out of your content by reusing it on your blog, producing a whitepaper on the subject, or composing a Facebook note. Making use of your content through several varied sources can only produce beneficial results, provided the content of well done and maintains a level of quality from release to release.
Clearly, there is still a place for the email newsletter. So as you embrace the new, don’t forget to make continued use of that which has already proven its worth.
