Email Newsletter Best Practices
Despite all of the different and changing trends in the ways companies connect with target audiences, email marketing has remained a strong and relevant contender for a few decades now, producing the highest ROI for marketing efforts. One of the best ways for companies to utilize the power of emails is to create an email newsletter that helps keep consumers engaged while also building strong long-term relationships with them.
Double Opt-In Option
Companies that already have low open rates, or note that a lot of people tend to unsubscribe from a newsletter every time one is sent out, should already understand that the subscribers aren’t interested in that content. Instead of looking to clean up the email newsletter subscriber list the hard way, it’s best to add a double opt-in option for subscribers. That means aside from website visitors having to input their email address into a form, they have to verify that they subscribed to the letter by clicking a confirmation link in the first email they receive. Although this strategy tends to lead to a smaller number of subscribers for companies, it also guarantees that all of the leads that have subscribed to the newsletter are interested in what a company is saying, and will be engaged.
Subscriber Expectations
Another best practice for email newsletters is to set the expectations of the subscribers with the very first email. Additionally, potential email subscribers should be informed of what they’ll be subscribing to before they enter their email in a form. The form should disclose the frequency of the email newsletter, the type of content a subscriber would be receiving, whether the company sends out discounts or product recommendations. The form could also provide any links to other relevant blog posts. Putting this information in the signup form helps companies create a more engaged list of email newsletter subscribers.
Subject Lines
Email newsletters don’t do their job well if they’re not being opened or read by the subscribers themselves. The best way to get subscribers to actually open up an email is to start with a catchy and concise subject line. Most of the time, it’s the subject line of an email newsletter that can make or break a company’s open rates, which means businesses should pay special attention to crafting the best one possible. There’s no need for a subject line to be too wordy, or to use too many emojis. It should also align with the content of the email, and be personalized according to each subscriber.
Branding Consistency
Whenever a subscriber opens a company’s email, they should immediately recognize that company’s branding. Being consistent with branding across every channel– from the company’s business website to its social media accounts and even its email newsletters– is important, as it’s what helps companies distinguish themselves. Consumers have a great ability in recognizing and becoming familiar with a company’s branding, which is why businesses should be consistent by creating a branding template for every type of content they produce.
