The return of the newsletter

Newsletters have regained their status as the next big thing. Here’s how to do it right

Although social media accounts for a significant share of digital marketing strategy, the mailing list remains a powerful tool. Its conversion rates (the number of people who open the mail) are far higher, more or less along the lines of the difference between a sniper rifle and carpet bombing. It is not by chance that this month a major transaction was consummated, in which a majority stake in Morning Brew, which specializes in newsletters, was acquired by Business Insider for 75 million dollars. There is no longer any doubt about the importance of investing in data collection, or of giving customers who have signed up a sense of special value.

What exactly is a newsletter?

A newsletter (hello, we’re here…) is a letter sent by email at regular intervals to an audience of recipients who have agreed to receive (and are interested in receiving) the email (under the new CAN-SPAM Act). It contains information, news and updates about the organization and its area of activity – from fashion companies to infrastructure companies, economic research institutes or media and crisis management firms, with owners whose fingers are always dancing on the keyboard and who have a tendency to rewrite anything and everything that moves. Newsletter target audiences could be existing company customers, potential customers, employees, members of organizations and nonprofits, people who are interested in a particular field, and many others.

Why is a newsletter important?

First and foremost, every firm needs a newsletter to strengthen and maintain personal connections with its clientele. A newsletter is an efficient marketing tool for building relationships with existing and potential customers. Research has found that a newsletter is the customer’s channel of choice for receiving updates regarding the firm’s activities and special offer campaigns. Why? Because customers feel that it is theirs, and it is for them.

Is there a plus side?

As we said, a definite yes. A newsletter grants the business owner complete control over content. It allows him to publish all information, special offer campaigns, discounts and company news clearly and methodically, without the consumer getting lost on Facebook, Instagram or a website.

A personal message: A newsletter helps to maintain a more personal relationship between the business owner/brand and the consumer, and helps to form and build a community – your mailing list is in fact consumers who actively want to know what is happening in your business/brand.

Staying in touch: A newsletter is a simple, efficient means to build ongoing contact with new and returning customers. It helps keep consumers abreast of goings-on, tempts them to visit the site or order a new product. The newsletter reminds the consumer of your existence.

Statistics and data: One of the most significant advantages of the newsletter is control and data collection. Most mailing systems enable the receipt of information on the number of recipients who opened the newsletter, average reading time, who stopped reading and where, whether products were purchased as a result of the newsletter, and more. These data are valuable assets to businesses, so not only is investing in a newsletter worthwhile, but it is also worth knowing which mailing system to use.

What makes a newsletter successful? 

In a nutshell – it must be interesting and relevant.

This point can be explained at length, but ultimately, it comes down to the basics: if the newsletter is interesting and relevant, it will survive. If not, it will unceremoniously end up in the junk folder.