In an era dominated by TikTok and Instagram, you would assume email newsletters have lost their relevance. The data tells a different story. An impressive 81% of B2B marketers consider email their preferred content marketing channel, and it's not just the traditional audience – 95% of Gen Z, Millennials, and Gen X actively engage with newsletters.
The digital native Generation Alpha is already developing email habits through school communications, thanks to homework, clubs and school announcements on their phone apps. Today, email literacy isn't just preferred – it's essential.
However, writing emails, crafting topics, content and place to take people (for exmaple, your blog or website) is time-consuming. Here's how I cut down the creation process whilst preserving the fun and creativity.
Your email template operates as your digital storefront. You don't need to mix it up every week - just change a few elements where necessary. This also means you have the following set up, so you never have to think about it:
By planning ahead, you avoid the 'blank page' syndrome and have the time and space to think about the following:
1. Your audience pain points
2. Your industry trends
3. Your competitor's content
4. Seasonal opportunities - for example, Valentine's Day
5. And...your business goals
My rule of thumb is to set the topics 12 weeks ahead, check them against my stats each month and incorporate the research on a weekly basis.
Your newsletter subscribers typically fall into the "middle funnel" in marketing-speak: they're aware of their problems but haven't committed to solutions. This is your sweet spot for:
- Educational content
- Problem-solving insights
- Industry analysis
- Expert guidance
- Case studies and examples
Allocate these alongside your research and you are almost ready to write.
Using your pre-planned topic, move backwards from where you want your readers to go.
1. What action do you want them to take (The link or button or video with your call to action)
2. What do they need to know in order to take that action? (The main text)
3. Why should they take that action? (Your summary AND your title hook. You will also use this to create your subjectline).
80% of your effort should be focused on your subject line and title. If you can't grab their interest long enough to open the email, the rest of your work is redundant. However, you can't do that without knowing where you are going to send them in the first place - so, work backwards.
Just like cleaning your house or mowing the lawn, you need to maintain your email list. As part of your monthly check-in, spend ten minutes on these tasks:
- Remove inactive subscribers after 6 months
- Clean out fake or bot emails
- Monitor engagement metrics
- Track and analyze you unsubscribe patterns; if there's a spike, you need to find out why.
That's probably going to leave you feeling deflated, so take a moment to also enjoy your success. Read through your reports for open rates, click-though patterns and your audience response, so you can build on what they like and what works for you. Ignoring your analytics is stressful in the long run, as you end up guessing your way to success instead of steadily building it.
Building an effective email marketing system isn't about following the latest trends – it's about creating a sustainable, efficient process that serves both your business and your subscribers. Start with a solid foundation, maintain it consistently, and always prioritize subscriber value.