Newsletters for Your Business Success

Business newsletters are essential for companies to keep their customers and stakeholders informed about their latest news, products, and services. A well-crafted newsletter can help businesses establish a stronger relationship with their audience, increase brand awareness, and drive sales.

In this article, we will discuss what is a newsletter, its purpose in the business world, what to include in it, how often to send it, and the importance of a catchy subject line.

What is a Newsletter?

Newsletters are printed or electronic publications that are distributed regularly to a specific audience. They contain articles, stories, or posts focused around a particular topic or industry. Some key things to know about newsletters:

• They are distributed periodically, typically weekly, monthly, or quarterly. Regular frequency helps to keep readers engaged and anticipating the next issue.
• They have a focused topic or theme, like a hobby, profession, product category, or area of interest. Readers subscribe because they want information about that particular subject.
• They generate recurring traffic and repeat visitors. Loyal readers will open, read, and revisit newsletters with each new issue that comes out.
• They help build community and authority. Over time, a newsletter can become a trusted source of information for readers and strengthen the reputation of the individual or company that publishes it.
• They drive action and conversions. Effective newsletters include calls to action that prompt the reader to take further action like purchasing a product, signing up for a service, attending an event, sharing content, and more.
• They can be print (mailed) or electronic (email, website, blog). Most companies today distribute email newsletters and online or digital newsletters as they are more cost-effective, flexible, and environmentally friendly.
• They may be free or paid. Some highly specialized, technical, or investment newsletters charge a subscription fee, while many casual or promotional business and marketing newsletters are offered for free.
• They are an important marketing and communication tool for companies, organizations, clubs, and communities. Regular newsletters help to build brand awareness, retain customers, and generate new business.

Newsletters are very useful publications for connecting with and engaging an audience around a shared area of interest or industry. For many businesses, they are a vital part of an effective marketing strategy.

What is the Purpose of a Business Newsletter?

Newsletters are an effective way for businesses to communicate with their audience on a regular basis. They provide an opportunity to showcase new products or services, share company news or updates, and offer exclusive promotions or discounts. Newsletters also help businesses stay top-of-mind with their customers and build brand loyalty.

Business newsletters serve several important purposes:

1. Build brand awareness

A regular newsletter keeps your company name and products/services in front of your subscribers. It reinforces your brand and helps establish you as a trusted authority in your industry.

2. Engage customers

Relevant, exciting content gives subscribers a reason to open and read your newsletter. This strengthens your connection with them and builds loyalty. Engaged customers are more likely to buy from you again.

3. Generate leads

Including calls to action in your newsletters, like free downloads, consultations, or trials, prompts some readers to take action. This can generate new leads and potential sales opportunities.

4. Educate your audience

Share advice, tips, resources, case studies, and other helpful information to establish your expertise and credibility. This makes subscribers more confident in you and your business.

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5. Drive traffic

Newsletters are a chance to promote your website, blog, social media profiles, and other digital assets. By including links back to these channels, you can increase visibility and drive more visitors to important areas of your online presence.

6. Supplement other marketing materials

Repurpose content from your website, blog, ads, press releases, and social media for your newsletter. Extend the reach of your messaging to more people for greater overall impact. A multi-channel approach is most effective.

7. Build community

For some organizations and membership groups, a newsletter helps bring people with a shared interest together. It connects like-minded individuals and strengthens their bond and participation with the community.

8. Generate sales

While education and relationship building are primary goals, business newsletters should also aim to generate direct sales or new customers over the long run. With consistent, engaging content and the right calls to action, increased business will follow.

A business newsletter aims to create and sustain strong, loyal relationships with your customers that ultimately drive action and support your key business objectives. An effective strategy uses a newsletter as one of several marketing communications tools to maximize results. 

What Do I Need to Include in Our Business Newsletter?

A successful business newsletter should have a mix of informative and promotional content that provides value to the reader. Some important elements to include in a business newsletter are:

• A clear and consistent layout. Use your company branding and stick to a simple, easy-to-read format for each issue. This could include columns, sections, headings, and graphical elements.
• A compelling subject line. For email newsletters especially, a strong subject line is critical. It should capture the reader's attention and highlight an interesting topic or important piece of content. Make sure each email has a unique subject line.
• A message from the leadership. Having a short welcome message, column, or letter from your organization's leadership helps to personalize the newsletter and engage readers. Share company news, updates, or opinions.
• Relevant feature articles. Include 2-3 well-written articles on topics and themes that interest your target audience. These include tips, case studies, industry analysis, profiles, white papers, etc. Keep content practical, helpful, and not too promotional.
• Useful resources or tools. Share free useful tools, resources, templates, infographics, videos, book reviews, or other serviceable content that provides value to your readers. This helps to establish your authority and expertise.
• Calls-to-action. Include strategic calls-to-action that prompt the reader to take a specific action, like booking a consultation, attending an event, downloading a resource, or making a purchase. Track conversion rates to see what's most effective.
• Highlight your products or services. Briefly highlight or feature one or more of your products, services, or solutions in each issue. Explain key benefits and value as well as any special offers or promotions currently available. Keep these sections relatively short and interesting.
• Share recent achievements and good news. Update readers on awards won, major clients added, partnerships formed, new products launched, impressive milestones achieved, and other positive company announcements. But don't make it blatantly self-promotional.
• Reader feedback or interaction. If possible, share some genuine feedback, comments, questions, or stories from your readers and customers. Or include a quick survey or poll to interact with newsletter subscribers. People always appreciate a chance to engage with the companies they frequent or buy from. Respond and provide follow-up.
• Contact and subscription information. Clearly state how people can sign up for your newsletter, contact your business, follow you on social media platforms, and otherwise stay in touch or buy from and engage with you. Make all the necessary links and info readily available.

How Often Do I Send Business Newsletters?

The frequency at which you send business newsletters depends on several factors:

• Your industry - Fast-paced, dynamic industries may warrant more frequent newsletters, e.g. weekly or biweekly. Slower moving industries could do fine with monthly or quarterly distribution. You need to keep up with important updates and developments.
• Your audience - Consider the interests and patience level of your readers. More frequent issues may be appreciated if you have an engaged audience hungry for information. For casual subscribers, keep it to a minimum to avoid annoyance. Survey your list to gauge preferences.
• Your content - The amount of relevant content you can generate on a regular basis will also determine the schedule. Ensure you have enough fresh content to fill issues and keep them interesting before committing to a more intensive frequency. Quality over quantity.
• Your resources - Developing, writing, designing, and distributing a newsletter requires time and resources. Ensure you have enough staff and budget to sustain your desired schedule in the long run. Start conservatively and ramp up as needed.
• Your goals - think about what you want to achieve with your newsletter and choose a frequency to match. If sales, traffic, and lead gen are priorities, consider weekly or twice-monthly issues. For brand building or staying in touch, monthly would probably suffice. Track performance to see if your schedule is optimized.

Based on these factors, some good options for business newsletter frequency include:

• Weekly - for an ultra-responsive, highly active audience and fast-changing industry. Lots of resources are needed to make this work long-term.
• Biweekly or twice per month - still responsive but a more sustainable schedule for most. Gives you enough time to generate quality content.
• Monthly - a common and versatile schedule that works for most businesses. Not too frequent to be annoying but regular enough to build solid relationships.
• Quarterly - for casual audiences, slower-moving industries, or limited resources. Manageable but still impactful. An annual or semi-annual schedule risks looking outdated or forgotten.

You must find the sweet spot that maximizes your readers and business value based on your unique situation and objectives. You can always start conservatively and then adjust based on feedback and performance. The most important thing is sustaining a consistent schedule over time. Sporadic or irregular newsletters lose effectiveness.

For most small businesses, a monthly or biweekly newsletter is ideal. But use the factors above to determine what makes sense for your company and audience. Focus on quality over frequency and consistency over time. Make adjustments slowly based on your results and experience.

What is the Importance of a Catchy Subject Line?

A catchy subject line is critical for an effective email newsletter. Here are some key reasons why:

• It determines whether the email is opened. Your subject line is the first thing a reader sees in their inbox. If it's boring, vague, or irrelevant, they'll likely skip over your email and not open it. So spend time crafting a compelling subject that grabs attention.
• It conveys your most important message. The subject line highlights what's most interesting and valuable for your readers in the issue. It should capture the main topic, content piece, or offer to quickly communicate why they should want to open and engage with your newsletter.
• It helps to segment your list. Using different subject lines for the same email makes it possible to A/B test what resonates most with your readers and tailor future issues accordingly. You can send one version to part of your list, and another to the remaining part. Then analyze which got better open and click-through rates.
• It improves your open rates. A catchy, compelling subject line motivates more readers to open your email, increasing the open rate metric, an important measure of email effectiveness and list health. Higher open rates also lead to greater visibility of your content and offers.
• It boosts click-through rates. The right subject line piques interest and leads subscribers to click to read more or claim an offer within your email. More clicks mean more traffic, conversions, and ROI from your newsletter efforts. In most cases, the subject line is the only tool you have to drive that initial click engagement, so it's worth optimizing.
• It encourages sharing. A compelling, exciting subject line also makes readers more inclined to forward your newsletter to colleagues, friends or networks. This expands your reach and can introduce new potential subscribers. People are more likely to share content that intrigues or excites them.
• It reinforces your brand. Your newsletter subject line represents your brand, so it's important to reflect your company personality, voice, and messaging properly. Subject lines that are dull, dishonest, overly salesy, or riddled with errors reflect poorly on your brand, while those that are vibrant, authentic, and polished have the opposite effect.
  

Your subject line is arguably the most important part of your email newsletter. It significantly influences your open rates, click-through rates, sharing, brand perception, and your success.

Put effort into writing compelling subject lines that capture attention and convey relevance to your readers. Testing different options will help you get better and better at this critical skill over time.

10 Business Newsletter Ideas to Try Today

Running out of ideas or don’t know where to start? Here are 10 business newsletter ideas:

Newsletter Ideas #1. The Monthly Roundup - Share a quick summary of your top blog posts, product updates, news items or events from the past month. Include snippets and links to full details.

Newsletter Ideas #2. The Industry Insider - Provide analysis and opinions on trends, innovations, news, and other issues impacting your industry or area of business. Establish your authority and expertise.

Newsletter Ideas #3. Tip of the Month - Highlight one useful tip, strategy, or how-to each issue to educate readers and add value. For example, optimize your social media profiles, improve productivity, gain new customers, etc.

Newsletter Ideas #4. Customer Spotlight - Profile one of your star customers or clients each month. Share their business story, key challenges, and how you helped them solve problems or achieve more success. With their permission, of course.

Newsletter Ideas #5. The Resource Center - Curate a selection of useful resources, tools, books, apps, templates, worksheets or other downloads you want to share with readers. Briefly review and describe what makes each item valuable.

Newsletter Ideas #6. Team Q&A - Have members of your leadership or staff team answer questions submitted by newsletter readers. Set up a form on your website to gather questions each month and highlight select ones in future issues.

Newsletter Ideas #7. Updates and Announcements - Use your newsletter as a platform to share the latest news, accomplishments, new hires, awards, partnerships, or other developments from within your company. But keep these updates concise and balanced.

Newsletter Ideas #8. Events Roundup - Provide a recap and highlights from any recent or upcoming events, conferences, webinars, or other live gatherings you've hosted or participated in. Include key takeaways, links, photos, and ways to follow up or get involved.

Newsletter Ideas #9. Survey Says - Include a quick survey or poll in your newsletter to get direct feedback and opinions from readers. Share the survey results and any take action you're taking in future issues. This helps to engage your audience and keep them invested in your business.

Newsletter Ideas #10. Special Offers - Use some newsletter space to provide subscribers with exclusive discounts, coupons, trials, giveaways or other promotional offers as a benefit of being on your mailing list. Sweeten the deal by making the offers time-limited.

Which of these business newsletter ideas resonate most with your company, products, services, and audience? You may want to start with 2-3 of the suggestions above and then test different types of content over several issues to see what your readers prefer and best helps you achieve your goals. Make adjustments from there.

Strikingly: Your Business Partner for Growth

Strikingly is an all-in-one website builder platform that helps businesses create a professional online presence to reach more customers and boost growth.

What is Strikingly?

Strikingly is a simple yet powerful website builder tool. Without any coding skills, you can create a customized website using Strikingly's designer templates and drag & drop interface. Strikingly websites work great on mobile devices and come with built-in features like blogging, ecommerce, and forms.

With Strikingly, businesses can build:

• Promotional websites to raise brand awareness. Create a stylish website to tell your brand story and connect with new audiences.
• Ecommerce stores to sell products and services online. Strikingly's ecommerce functionality lets you easily add products and checkout options to start selling in no time.
• Blogs to drive more traffic. Launch an engaging blog to attract new visitors, build your audience, and boost SEO rankings. Strikingly blogs have features like newsletter signups, social sharing, and commenting to spur reader engagement.
• Email newsletters to stay in touch with customers. Use Strikingly's simple newsletter builder to create, customize and send newsletters that promote your latest blog content, product updates, events, tips, and resources.
  

What is Strikingly's Newsletter Feature?

Image taken from Strikingly

Strikingly's email newsletter feature allows you to easily build a mailing list, design professional newsletters using ready-made templates, and send newsletters to your subscribers on your preferred schedule. Track open and click rates to see which content and layouts your readers prefer.

Create and Send a Business Newsletter with Strikingly

Here are the basic steps to get started with Strikingly's newsletters:

1. Enable the Newsletter feature from your Strikingly editor.

Image taken from Strikingly

2. Design your signup form and add it to your website to start building your mailing list. Offer an incentive like a content upgrade or coupon to encourage signups.

3. Customize your newsletter so it to matches your brand. You can add text, images, social icons, divider lines, buttons, and set color themes.

4. Populate your newsletter with a range of content including blog post highlights, product updates, news announcements, special offers, tips, graphics, and more. Include strategic calls to action.

5. Review and test your newsletter to ensure there are no issues before sending it. Check that links and images work correctly and the content is optimized for mobile devices.

6. Schedule your newsletter to send at your preferred time and date automatically. You can send it immediately or pick a day to distribute it.

Image taken from Strikingly

7. Monitor your key metrics like open rates, click-through rates, and subscriptions over time to optimize future newsletters for better performance. Make regular updates based on reader feedback and requests as well.

Strikingly newsletters provide an effective means to stay in regular contact with your audience, build loyalty, and promote your latest offerings and content. With some time and testing, they can become a powerful tool for growing your business relationships and customer base.

If you’re not sure about how to start, you can always find business newsletter examples or newsletter ideas online.

For now, let Strikingly power your newsletter strategy and success!