Most of us receive lots of email newsletters every week. There is a reason we get so many, and it comes down to two words: they work.
This is especially true in the B2B industry. Email newsletters help spread brand awareness, customer loyalty, help leverage content such as blogs on your website, and allow companies to make special announcements or special offers.
However, putting together an email newsletter can be harder than we think. To give us some suggestions on how to do it right, we turn to Danny Coello, CEO of DS&P, a digital marketing company based in Chicago.
According to Coello, here are six key things B2B marketers need to know:
Balance: The newsletter should be as much as 90 percent educational, ten percent promotional. "Getting rid of the self-promotion and focusing on providing timely and relevant information is how you win over prospective clients."
Subject lines. The better and more creative the subject line, the more likely someone will be enticed to read the newsletter. "Don't use a question in the subject line. Think of something snappy but relevant that would entice someone to open the newsletter."
Format. Bells and whistles and blinking images are distractions. "The newsletter should have a nice, comfortable look to it. This encourages readers to take the time to read it." Be informational, entertaining and insightful. You can easily lose your subscribers if you don’t provide value.
ALT-text / Hashtags. This can be tricky because not all email clients allow for ALT-text and hashtags, or recognize them as such, but this is the information behind the image that search engines see. If the image is later found online, the ALT-text or hashtag can bring visitors back to your site.
Proofread. Always have two or three people proofread the newsletter before it goes out. Grammar errors "are big no-no's in email newsletters."
Call-to-Action. Make sure to add a call-to-action in every section of your email.
"The call-to-action is essential,” says Danny. "But once again, think outside the box. Don't offer a 'Free’ Consultation. Free this or that is overused. Instead, something more effective could be: "Are you ready to improve your revenue? Click here to discuss options with one of our passionate experts.'"
About Us. DS&P has an almost fanatical approach to increasing your revenue. We establish digital relevance for your business through mobile app development, websites, SEO, social media marketing, paid ads and much more. We are owned and operated by a small but very talented and passionate team. We are all related by sweat and tears, and together we are family.
