E-newsletters work. Here’s how to get them right

Sending out a regular e-newsletter to your customer base help builds trust, brand recognition and rapport. If you have a customer database (and you should), it’s relatively easy to reach out to them via email and provide them with a value-added, informative newsletter that will encourage them to keep you in mind next time they need tires or a service.

Why should I send out e-newsletters?

Despite innovations in technology and social media, email is still one of the most effective marketing tools out there. According to Campaign Monitor, for 10 years in a row email has been the channel generating the highest return on investment (ROI) for marketers. For every $1 spent, email marketing generates $38 in ROI.

Email is also 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than Facebook or Twitter, so it’s really a no-brainer.

Having a database of customers’ email addresses means potential repeat consumers are well within reach, and contacting them with an e-newsletter can lead to more sales and, therefore, profits. Email is a great digital marketing tool, but you have to know how to use it effectively, otherwise it can hurt your brand.

Make sure you have a great design

A badly-designed, amateurish newsletter can really put potential customers off. It says that you are not professional as a business, and it’s unlikely people will read it and then convert into sales for your store. A good e-newsletter is clean, with not too much text and good, decent images. Your text needs to flow properly; try using short paragraphs or bulleted lists to keep it simple and your readers engaged.

Testing your design is crucial. Send it to members of your staff and get their feedback before you send it out. However, you don’t need to do it entirely on your own – there are numerous websites that can help you create the perfect e-newsletter, such as Campaign Monitor or MailChimp where you can easily design something great at a small cost.

Keep your content fresh and engaging

There’s nothing worse than receiving the same old stuff from a company over and over again, or being sent things that aren’t relevant. Even worse is receiving a newsletter that is only full of promotional material. By using interesting and educational content in your newsletter, such as tire care tips or how to check the oil in your car, you are showing that you are genuinely interested in giving the customer good advice and good service. You can also let them know what deals you have going and what your new product lines are. Email subscribers are more likely to stay subscribed and read your newsletter if you are supplying them with engaging and original content.

Expert marketers suggest balancing your newsletter content to be 90 percent educational and 10 percent promotional material. So be creative. Your email newsletter subscribers won’t want to hear about your products and services all of the time, but supplying additional “value-added” content means they are more likely to engage.

Create catchy subject lines

Think of your subject line like the headline of a newspaper. If it is boring or doesn’t catch their attention, people are much less likely to open the email and read it. A subject heading like “New Products In-store Now” or “July News” won’t interest them. However, a subject line like “10 best tips to taking better care of your car” or “Why you shouldn’t avoid wheel alignment” will encourage more people to open your email. The subject line IS very important and, if you are able to, personalizing subject lines using the customer’s name means it is 26 percent more likely to be opened.

Try to come up with an inventive, interesting and creative subject line for each e-newsletter you send and you’ll be rewarded with customer engagement.

Mobile optimization

Mobile optimization is crucial. Only 35 percent of all emails is opened up on a desktop computer. The rest are opened on a tablet or mobile device. If your emails aren’t optimized for these, then you are going to lose an audience and customers. More than two-thirds of online adults in the U.S. and UK use at least two devices each day, and cell phones are at the heart of today’s digital experiences. If you’re not mobile-ready, you’re losing out big time.

Tagged: e-newsletter

E-newsletters work. Here’s how to get them right