Why You Still Need an E-newsletter

E-newsletters can seem kind of dated today. Are people still reading email or are they just using social media? Most websites include a link to subscribe to their newsletter as an afterthought. It is certainly not as important as the main call to action but it still has a purpose and deserves attention. Think of your e-newsletter as a link to your customers. It’s a way to get their attention or refresh their memory when they aren’t even thinking about your business and what you can do for them. In fact, today more people are looking at their email on their smartphones than anywhere else and e-news looks great on mobile!

Use your e-newsletter to drive traffic to your website. It can call attention to your latest offer. Most consumers need to be contacted at least three times before they make a decision to purchase or use your service. The ‘Rule of Seven,’ developed by marketing expert Dr. Jeffrey Lant states that to penetrate the buyer’s consciousness and make significant penetration in a given market, you have to contact the prospect a minimum of seven times within an 18-month period. A newsletter is a cost-effective way to help achieve this goal. PPC advertising is hit or miss. Retargeting campaigns often annoy your visitors more than they convert. A user chooses to subscribe to your newsletter so they have already said that they’re interested in your product or service.

Getting People to Subscribe

Growing your email list of subscribers is an ongoing process. You can use sign-up forms on your website in more than one place to capture as many signups as possible. Examples of where to place the form includes:

• At the bottom of a blog post or page, you can include a subscribe button next to your social sharing buttons.
• As a popup to visitors, a well-designed message can appear randomly or only on certain pages. It could also only slide in once a visitor has scrolled to read a page.
• An exit intent popup subscription box will appear as a visitor is moving to leave your website. This can be effective for getting a subscriber who is not yet interested in purchasing but may be in the future.

What to Do Once Someone Subscribes

Remember to follow up with a welcome email. This is a chance to introduce your company. Be sure to use personalization.

Schedule Your E-newsletter

Don’t flood your subscriber’s inbox with too many messages. Plan your calendar with scheduled issues and add special messages occasionally. Keep your messages focused and brief with your most important content at the top.

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