What is the Purpose of a Newsletter & Should You Be Sending Them Out?

It could be argued that business and company newsletters are a little ‘old out’. However, before you decide to ditch the practice or decide not to start one, there are actually several benefits associated with sending out a newsletter, but you might not know what the purpose of it is, exactly, or maybe how to devise one successfully. So in this article, we’ll be discussing what a newsletter is, its purpose, the benefits and tips for creating one yourself.

 

What is a newsletter?

A newsletter is essentially a way for businesses and organisations to keep customers and those who are interested in their work updated with news and other relevant, valuable information. A newsletter will give you direct access to your subscribers’ inboxes.

This enables engaging content to be shared as well as promotions and email campaigns – anything that will drive traffic to your website. Essentially, a newsletter is a form of communication but it’s also a content piece that, when done properly, can be used to your advantage. So why should you still consider sending out newsletters? Firstly, we need to look at their overall purpose.

 

What is the purpose of a newsletter?

A newsletter is used to promote a number of things about a company. Whether it be a new product or service, a sale or special offers or news about the business in general, a newsletter is a direct channel to your customer base and/or other people who are interested in your work and your industry.

However, the exact purpose of a newsletter really does depend on what you want to use it for, exactly. You might have a different range of objectives that won’t involve general company news. Maybe you don’t want to promote a sale and instead wish to use it to launch new product lines or another specialised service. Basically, there’s no set answer to this question because it’s individual to each and every business depending on what you want to get out of it.

Company news or a form of press release might be better if you wish to increase traffic to your website, but if you want to increase sales, you’d use a newsletter to display what you have to offer your customers, either in the local area or further afield. Before devising a newsletter, you should first ask yourself what you want to get out of it.

 

What are the benefits of a newsletter?

Newsletters can be extremely beneficial for companies in this modern age. Where the days of sending out physical newsletters might well be well and truly over, sending email newsletter has never been easier or  more advantageous. Not only will you be able to reach a relevant audience who actually want to catch up on company news, but it’s also far cheaper and easier to send over the internet. So why should you keep sending out your email newsletters?

 

They help to drive traffic to your website

When someone opens up your newsletter, they’ll likely see a link that goes to your website. Let’s say you’ve written a newsletter advertising a sale you currently have on, maybe you want to get rid of old stock, then someone is incredibly likely to follow the links and head straight to your site to have a nosey – who wouldn’t? 

Even if you aren’t promoting a sale, it will often lead to a drive in traffic heading to your website. You might find a lot of them are returning visitors, but each website visitor could, potentially, lead to a sale. Even if it doesn’t, you’ve exposed your brand to them and they’ll likely remember you next time they’re on the lookout for something you’re selling or providing.

 

Newsletters will aid in the generation of leads

As already touched upon, a website visitor could end up becoming a customer. The more traffic you have the more likely it is you’ll receive some custom. This is especially the case if you’ve sent a newsletter that details a new product or service you’ve introduced or if you have a sale or promotion currently. Christmas, Boxing Day and Black Friday are all dates in your diary that you need to prioritise when it comes to sending out bespoke email newsletters.

This is because they’re often associated with spending. People will be looking for Christmas presents, but after Christmas, they’ll be looking for bargains. Either way, for your business, it’s a win-win situation. Yes, this does depend on the industry you work in, but even if you run a windows and doors company, you’ll reap the benefits around Christmas time.

This is because people might say “I want a new front door for Christmas” or “I want to have new windows in by Christmas”. Homeowners tend to want most things done for Christmas, so make sure you cash in on that and send newsletters out that promote your goods and services around this time of year. 

 

It’s an opportunity for you to educate your subscribers about both your industry & your brand

You might run a very bespoke company or work in an industry that’s not too well-known. It might even be something as niche as an artist or will only paint pictures of people’s dogs. Either way, you should use a newsletter to try and educate your customers and/or your subscribers in general about your industry and the work you do.

Why should they choose you over your competitors? Why are you more trustworthy than a similar company? Have you had to undergo specific training to be able to do what you do? Let your subscribers in on every detail of your work and you’ll likely gather an audience who is generally interested in what it is you do.

 

Long-term, professional relationships can be formed

Sending out a newsletter will help to build a professional rapport with your customers and/or website visitors. It shows you’re dedicated to keeping your clients updated on a regular basis. It highlights that you’re taking the time out of your day to make something for them. 

This makes customers feel more valued rather than taken for granted. This is what your clients will remember and so it’ll aid in ensuring customer retention. It might also help to spread the word about your business and the work that you do, resulting in even more leads and sales.

 

You’ll stay up-to-date with modern, tech-lead consumers

Email newsletters will enable you to reach a whole new, modern audience. These days, people can get emails straight away, on their smartphones and other devices. It means we can view online content with the touch of a button anywhere in the world. We no longer need to be sitting at a PC at home, dialling into the internet in order to gain access to our emails. That’s when a physical newsletter that’s pushed through the door would reach more people. But in this digital age, a newsletter pushed through our letterbox isn’t likely to get read. An email newsletter, however, will be. 

Young people, especially, are always using smart devices to access the internet, for one reason or another, and if they’re checking their emails or get a notification, they’re incredibly likely to open and read it, especially if it’s coming from their favourite brand or a small, quirky business they love – that business might well be you. 

Digital newsletters can also be shared via other means – social media. Millions of people use some form of social networking every single day, so it’s unlikely that a newsletter you’ve shared on Facebook, for example, won’t be seen by your followers. However, if you’re wanting to share your newsletters on social media, you need to choose the right platform in order to do so. Instagram, for example, won’t be wholly suitable for such long-form content. LinkedIn, Facebook and even Twitter can be used to share newsletters as opposed to Instagram or TikTok.

 

You can promote sales and offers using a newsletter

Everyone loves to grab a bargain. So if you’ve got old stock that you’re struggling to get rid of, then you should consider selling them for a knock-down price. But how are you going to get the word out to your customers? Newsletters and social media will be able to help with this.

Promote your sale using a newsletter and then share that around on social media. A newsletter could be published to your blog or news page once a month or emailed out to your customers. Make sure you publish this content on social media as well so the news gets out to as many people as possible.

 

You can use newsletters to announce new products, services, events and more

If you’re launching a new product or service or if you’re putting on an event for the whole community to enjoy, then advertise it through your newsletter. After all, it still qualifies as relevant company news and it’ll be of interest to your followers and client base. Even those who follow you simply because they have an interest in your industry would be intrigued by a new product, service or a special event you’re putting on. Even if your business has decided to give out free chocolate eggs at Easter, make a big deal about it in your newsletter.

 

4 tips for creating a newsletter

A newsletter might seem like an easy piece of content to create, especially if you’re writing it about your own company, products or services, but there’s actually more of an art to writing them than you might think. As such, here are a few tips for writing your own newsletter that’ll catch the attention of your followers and customers.

 

Have a subject, topic or focus in mind

Each newsletter you publish might well be wildly different to one another. This is because it’s used to talk about many different things that are relevant to your business and/or industry. Sometimes, however, figuring out the main focus of your newsletter isn’t as straightforward as you might think.

It might take you a while to decide what it is you want to discuss. But then again, there might be some months where you don’t have anything to write about at all. If, however, you want to keep them as consistent as possible (which we recommend you do), and you’re struggling to decide what to write about, then perhaps ask your employees what they think should be included. It might be that they have some news about the company that you’re not yet aware of, like a collaboration deal or a change of premises, for example.

 

Keep it simple & engaging

A newsletter doesn’t have to be long-form. But then again, it shouldn’t be so short that it’s barely worth publishing or talking about. We recommend opting for between 750 and 1,500 words. This way, you’re displaying just  the right amount of information but you won’t be in danger of waffling or repeating yourself. If you keep your content clear and concise, people are far more likely to read through the whole thing.

You should look to split up your content into headings and subheadings so that it’s easy for your readers to look through and navigate their way around. It would also be worth, before writing your newsletter, listing everything you wish to talk about so that it’s not as much of a brain dump.

 

Keep an eye on trending topics or significant events

You should keep an eye on irrelevant industry trends, news or significant events. This will help to give you a talking point if you’re struggling to find one, but it would also be of interest to your followers and customers. People are always on the lookout to be kept in the loop. 

The public are always looking to get the latest gossip and this doesn’t stop with celebrities and friend circles. Your readers are following you for a reason and that’s because they have an invested interest in you and your business. As such, any industry news will be of relevance and interest to them. Keep this in mind when you come to write your newsletter.

 

Be as consistent & as unique as possible

As already touched upon, being as consistent as possible when writing and publishing your newsletters is paramount to gaining and retaining valued readers. There are a number of reasons for this. Usually, it’s so they can keep checking back and they’ll know that fresh content will be available for them to read.

Being as individual as possible is important when writing a newsletter. It’s important because it helps to build trust between, not only yourself and your readers, but yourself and your employees. You can’t publish inaccurate information and you might well find that your workers will be able to aid in producing the content for your newsletter.

 

 

Kumo Digital is a highly-experienced digital marketing agency located in the heart of the East Midlands. We have a team of specialists who are experts in their individual fields. Whether you require website development, content creation, SEO services or PPC services, you’ll always be able to count on uis to catapult your business into the limelight. For more information about how we can help you today, get in touch with a member of our team – we’re always happy to hear from you.