Why Your Newsletter Is Your Best Asset

How important are email newsletters in today’s Instagram age? According to Annette Vartanian, founder of A Plus A Digital, a digital marketing consultancy and creator of the vintage shopping blog, A Vintage Splendor, newsletters are still key to growing your customer base. There are many misconceptions about the e-newsletter and the digital landscape is changing daily, but Annette breaks down why the e-newsletter should be at the forefront of your marketing plan. Read on…

Most people balk at the idea of a newsletter and tell me the only thing that matters right now is Instagram. Do you own Instagram? Nope. Do you own your customer email list? Yes! So why are you ignoring your biggest asset? More often than not, I just get a blank stare from my clients because they are unsure of the answer.  Yes, Instagram is important as it’s one of the most popular social media platforms, but your newsletter has the potential to have the highest engagement out of all of the social media platforms combined. Your newsletter remains the most effective audience and customer building tool you have as a business, allowing you to drive loyal customers back to your site every day. That’s because you don’t have to worry about third party algorithms or pay-to-play policies that limit the numbers of impressions or engagements with your content and brand.

A common mistake I hear from brands is that they fail to develop a dedicated newsletter for their business. I get it, between running Facebook ads, creating Instagram content, and running a business, there is no time, no money and no energy left for anything else. Although building an email database and strategy takes time, it will translate into sales if you stick to it.

If you’re still asking why you need a newsletter, here are four reasons why you should get started now:

1. Awareness

A newsletter puts you front and center with a new customer and allows you to have a one-on-one contact with them. When you’re top of mind with your current customers, that’s when you convert sales and get referral traffic.

2. Promotion

People love first dibs on new products or services or simply getting a sneak peek. Why not offer a first look to your most dedicated customers? Including information on special offers or building excitement for a new product or service helps reinforce your advertising and promotional campaigns so you’re extending your marketing reach even more.

3. Contact

Do you ever get an email from a brand and wonder if you ever signed up for their email? Or you may get too many emails to the point that you feel like you’re drowning in spam emails. You don’t want either to be the case with your newsletter. When you develop your newsletter strategy, come up with a consistent and realistic schedule. A strategy and schedule help you maintain contact with customers and prospective customers in between purchases. A customer who received communication from you on a regular basis is much more likely to buy from you than the customer that never hears from you!

4. Growth

This is the most important part of building your newsletter list. A few tips to help you get started:

1. Place a newsletter sign-up on your website so you can capture contact details of prospective customers by asking visitors to subscribe. Offer an exclusive discount code.
2. Add a sign-up widget on Facebook.
3. Run a contest or giveaway that engages your customers. The key is to ask entrants to register for participation with their email address.

Lastly, if you’re excited to get started but running into writer’s block here are 4 content ideas:

1. What’s new: new office, new products, revamped website? Tell your lists all about it!
2. CEO or company point of view article: establish your brand as a leader within your industry by sharing a few words of wisdom from company leadership.
3. Testimonials from happy customers: a happy customer is the best endorsement out there.
4. Recent Press: does Gwyneth Paltrow use your product and was it in InStyle Magazine? Share it in your newsletter!

I hope I’ve convinced and motivated you to get started on your newsletter. If you need some pointers or help, get in touch and let’s chat! In the meantime, you can catch me on Instagram.