The email newsletter landscape has dramatically shifted from its early days of simple HTML templates and media company-driven content.
As email marketing evolved with more accessible and adaptable ESPs businesses began crafting their own newsletters leveraging the power of email to share deals and company news.
Today newsletters have become a powerful marketing tool that transcends mere email blasts – they’ve evolved into mini media empires.
The acquisition of the Morning Brew by Insider Inc.
for a whopping $75 million and the Hustle’s purchase by Hubspot for $27 million are prime examples of this evolution.
Hubspot’s statement about acquiring the Hustle speaks volumes about how newsletters are now viewed as independent media entities: “By acquiring The Hustle we’ll be able to better meet the needs of these scaling companies by delivering educational business and tech trend content in their preferred formats” said Kieran Flanagan HubSpot’s senior vice president of marketing.
In my experience the most valuable asset a business can have is an engaged email list.
This list represents a loyal audience that’s invested in your brand and importantly it gives you direct access to their contact information and engagement data.
This information is crucial for building a community around your brand and it offers a level of control that platforms like Google Facebook and Amazon can’t provide.
Sadly many businesses neglect their newsletters focusing solely on transactional emails and sales pitches.
It’s disheartening to see brands prioritize quick sales over nurturing a long-term relationship with their subscribers.
Imagine signing up for a newsletter expecting insightful content and brand storytelling only to be bombarded with sales emails.
It’s a recipe for disengaged subscribers who end up ignoring your emails or worse unsubscribing altogether.
Want to build a loyal audience and unlock the true potential of your newsletter? 🤯 Check out our marketplace for thriving email lists! 🚀
The Importance of Goal Setting for Newsletter Success
Want to build a loyal audience and unlock the true potential of your newsletter? 🤯 Check out our marketplace for thriving email lists! 🚀
At Empire Flippers we’ve been running a newsletter for years but we were falling into this trap of neglecting our audience.
Our old newsletter “The Friday Content Wrap Up” lacked focus and direction.
It simply shared four content pieces we produced that week with minimal effort put into the presentation.
The results were predictable – a dismal click-through rate of just 3%. We were essentially scratching the surface of our newsletter’s potential.
The biggest mistake we made was not setting clear goals for our newsletter.
Without a defined purpose it’s impossible to know what to write what to include and ultimately how to measure success.
Over the past two years while working on our revamped newsletter I’ve identified five key goals that a newsletter can aim for:
1. Amplifying Content Reach
Email newsletters can be a powerful tool for boosting content performance across your various channels.
Sharing your YouTube videos blog posts or podcast episodes in your newsletter can significantly increase their reach and visibility.
This cross-promotion strategy works in both directions – you can also encourage your YouTube subscribers to sign up for your newsletter through links in your video descriptions.
Important metrics to track for this type of newsletter:
- Click-through rates to external content: This metric measures the effectiveness of your newsletter in driving traffic to your other channels.
- Social media engagement: Analyze the number of shares and comments your content receives on platforms like Twitter or LinkedIn after sharing it in your newsletter.
2. Building a Strong Community
If you’re running a community around your brand a newsletter is an excellent medium to keep members connected.
Share the most popular conversations upcoming events and valuable insights to keep the community engaged and informed.
Your newsletter can also serve as a window into your community for non-members encouraging them to join and participate.
Important metrics:
- Newsletter signup rates from community pages: Track how effectively your community is driving new subscribers to your list.
- Click-through rates to community resources: This measures the interest in community content and events shared in your newsletter.
3. Delivering Product Updates and Feedback
For SaaS companies and B2B service providers newsletters are a valuable channel for keeping customers informed about product updates and new features.
This communication not only helps customers maximize their use of your products but also fosters a sense of ongoing value and support.
Additionally your newsletter can be a platform for gathering feedback from your audience helping you iterate and improve your offerings.
Important metrics:
- Click-through rates to product tutorials and resources: This metric showcases your audience’s interest in learning about new features and functionalities.
- Feedback submission rates: Analyze the volume and quality of feedback submitted through your newsletter.
4. Promoting New Products and Offers
Many customers and loyal fans want to be notified about new product launches and exclusive offers.
A dedicated newsletter for product promotions is a great way to stay connected with your audience reward their loyalty and drive sales.
Important metrics:
- Click-through rates to product pages: This metric reveals the audience’s interest in your new product offerings.
- Conversion rates from promo codes and offers: This measures the effectiveness of your newsletter in driving sales.
5. Nurturing Brand Love and Building Long-Term Relationships
This is the most comprehensive type of newsletter encompassing elements from all other types while adding a strong focus on building a deep connection with your audience.
It’s about educating entertaining and showcasing your brand personality to create loyal fans who see you as more than just a vendor.
Key elements of a Brand Love newsletter:
- Educational content: Share insightful “how-to” articles explainer videos product walkthroughs and industry news that your audience finds valuable.
- Entertainment: Use humor engaging storytelling and relatable content to keep your readers entertained and coming back for more.
- Company culture and updates: Share glimpses of your team upcoming events and behind-the-scenes insights to humanize your brand.
Why nurturing your audience matters:
Brands that prioritize nurturing their audience build resilience in competitive markets.
Instead of relying solely on short-term gains from ads or sales emails they invest in cultivating a loyal community that supports their long-term growth.
This strategy helps navigate fluctuating ad costs avoid ad fatigue and ultimately build a valuable asset that’s difficult for competitors to replicate.
Key metrics for a Brand Love newsletter:
- Open rates and read rates: These metrics demonstrate the engagement and interest your audience has in your newsletter.
- Click-through rates to different content types: This reveals which types of content resonate most with your audience.
- Feedback and social media engagement: These measures indicate how much your readers value your newsletter and how likely they are to share it with others.
Revenue generation potential:
While revenue may not be the primary objective your Brand Love newsletter can be a source of income through various avenues.
- Sponsored content: Partnerships with brands can provide revenue streams by featuring their products or services within your newsletter.
- Promotional offers: You can generate revenue by including offers and promotions for your own products or services within your newsletter.
Example: Empire Flippers’ This Week in M&A Newsletter
Our newsletter “This Week in M&A” embodies the principles of a Brand Love newsletter.
It aims to educate and entertain our audience with the latest mergers and acquisitions (M&A) news trends and insights.
It encompasses all the key elements mentioned earlier including:
- Sharing industry news and analysis: We curate the latest M&A stories providing context and actionable insights for our readers.
- Showcasing our content: We highlight our blog posts podcast episodes and YouTube videos to provide valuable resources for our audience.
- Sharing company updates: We keep our readers informed about our hiring process new service updates and events.
- Building community: We encourage feedback through a dedicated section allowing our readers to influence the direction of our newsletter.
The “Story Atom” system for selecting valuable content:
To ensure our content aligns with our audience’s needs and interests I developed a system called the “Story Atom.” This system identifies four key elements to assess the quality of content:
- Important: Is the content significant enough to warrant attention and have a lasting impact on our readers?
- Actionable: Does the content provide practical advice or steps readers can take to apply the information?
- Relevant: Does the content directly relate to our readers’ lives and challenges?
- Interesting: Does the content pique the reader’s curiosity and keep them engaged?
Content that excels will incorporate all four elements while lesser content might have just one or two.
Crafting compelling copy using the Story Atom:
The Story Atom framework can also be applied to crafting compelling copy.
Start by identifying the most important elements for the reader and then structure the rest of your copy around those key points.
Ensure relevance include actionable takeaways and add an element of interest to capture attention and make the content memorable.
Audience understanding is key:
Understanding your audience’s preferences interests and sense of humor is crucial for creating engaging and relevant content.
By connecting with your audience on a deeper level you can write in a way that resonates with them building trust and loyalty.
The power of nurturing marketing:
In a world saturated with click-bait and short-term marketing tactics nurturing your audience is a powerful way to stand out.
Providing consistent value without demanding an immediate purchase can build trust and loyalty.
The long-term benefits of brand loyalty:
Brand loyalty is a valuable asset in an increasingly competitive market.
It fosters lasting relationships with your audience and creates a more predictable revenue stream than relying on short-term gains from ads or sales emails.
A call to action:
If you already have a newsletter consider its potential value and whether it could be sold as a valuable asset to other businesses.
Our buyer network is constantly looking for healthy and profitable email lists to grow their own ventures.
If you’re a buyer seeking a thriving audience create a free Empire Flippers account and explore our marketplace.
We offer a wide selection of content-driven businesses that can add immediate value to your existing portfolio.
Remember building a loyal audience through nurturing marketing and providing value is the key to long-term success in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
Want to build a loyal audience and unlock the true potential of your newsletter? 🤯 Check out our marketplace for thriving email lists! 🚀