The vast majority of newsletters get struck by the email-marketer’s-kiss-of-death: “Mark As Read.”
Every company with internet access has attempted the newsletter and failed miserably, boasting open rates that are lucky to hit 17%.
What are these newsletters doing that’s making them work??
Here is why the email newsletters don’t suck and how you can make sure yours don’t either:
💌 They’re super niche.
If you work in a traditional company, odds are the email newsletter is your way of satisfying the CMO’s frantic need to “get the word out” whenever he randomly decides he needs to because he didn’t do the hard work of planning a proper launch or promotion strategy.
That is the wrong way to do this.
The right way is to focus exclusively on the kind of people who make up your specific audience and deliver content that only they will appreciate.
Deliver content that only a specific audience will appreciate
You don’t want everyone: just the right people. (Kinda like having product/market fit) This is why they don’t have to segment and can send ONE email to everyone. Their lists are niche and specific.
💌 The content is actually good.
I told you this would be obvious. You can’t skimp on this one and yet everyone tries to. That’s how “roundup” became such a dirty word. Paper.li, Refind, and other tools started automating curation and sending you pure crap (or simply too much). Newsletters started white labeling those automation services and claiming they were “curating,” but that is not curating.
Curating is hand picking. If you’re the curator of an art gallery you’re not going, “Eh f*ck it,” and just slapping something random on the wall to meet your weekly quota.
To curate is to be discerning. Careful. Methodical. Thoughtful.
You need a deep understanding of your audience and what they care about.
If you’re asking, “How am I supposed to know what people care about?” Do yourself a favor and get a degree in accounting and call it a day. I’m not sure you can be saved.
💌 Context. Context. Context. And personality. But mostly context.
Again, duh. But let me explain before you shut the screen cursing my name for telling you what you already know.
The reason these “roundups” and “blasts” work is because they’re housed within useful context. They’re not actually a long list of boring headlines you skim.
You can learn more about how your newsletter can achieve better results by reading Margo Aaron’s article.
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- Written by: Vasil_P
- Posted on: 21/09/2021
- Tags: Email marketing