Email newsletters are not often considered one of the strongest marketing strategies for small business. However, recent industry research has suggested that email newsletters are not only tremendously effective in terms of building business, but are also cost-effective and provide a high return on investment. According to Evok Advertising, email newsletters require approximately one-third the cost of producing a traditional printed newsletter, allowing your small business to leverage the savings for other marketing or operational expenses. Here are some of the best benefits of using email newsletters to build and grow your business.
Email newsletters complement your website
An unavoidable aspect of doing business in today’s digital and interconnected world is the having a well-maintained, user-friendly and optimized website. After all, the vast majority of shopping decisions are made after first consulting information online, on a company’s specific website or on a third-party educational site. Additionally, many purchasing transactions are themselves completed online. Featuring your website prominently on an email newsletter is likely to drive traffic significantly, according to the news source.
The key is to give readers an added value that they can’t gain on the website. For instance, include exclusive information behind the history of a new product and talk about its unique features and appeal to customers. Then, share a link to your website where the reader can purchase the product that he or she just read about. The idea is that your website and email newsletter can work together to complement and drive traffic to each other.
Email newsletters help maintain relationships
Oftentimes, a consumer might buy something from your company and then not visit your website or store again for months on end. The best relationships between customers and retailers are ones that are maintained over a sustained period of time, while featuring regular two-way engagement. Email newsletters provide a sterling opportunity for maintaining relationships, according to WiredImpact. With tremendously fierce competition in all industries today, it is essential to not lose customers to your competitors. Regular value-added email newsletters can help you stay on the customer’s radar for a prolonged period of time. However, be careful not to send email newsletters out too regularly to your customer base – nobody likes being spammed and if email newsletters arrive too often, most of them will likely end up in the trash folder.
Email newsletters contribute toward an exclusive community
Amid the increased competition among businesses, customers enjoy having their loyalty competed for. Many consumers choose to be loyal to companies and brands that treat them the best. Email newsletters can contribute significantly in this department. Use the email newsletters as a gateway to an exclusive community of the most valued subscribers. Make the readers feel like they’re staying well ahead of the curve or gaining some kind of competitive advantage over other consumers and companies.
The email newsletter should serve as the voice or spokesperson for your company. All exclusive information should be delivered through that medium, reinforced with notions of exclusivity. Additionally, don’t be afraid to share special offers with this specific group of customers. Let it be known to them that they, the readers of your email newsletters, are the only ones receiving these special deals or coupons. This will serve not only to increase readership of these newsletters, but also eventually the subscriber pool, once word of the exclusive offers gets out.
