Running a small business requires some very different marketing techniques compared to what we might see from a larger enterprise. You need to think about how you are going to appeal to a wide range of people all at once, and in a fun and informative way. One of the best ways to do so is often with the help of a newsletter. Is a newsletter right for your business? We took a closer look here.
What is a newsletter?
A newsletter is a short publication that will detail some information about your business. Most people to choose recount a little bit about what their business has been up to since the previous newsletter, while others might use it to push new deals and offers that customers can take advantage of at their store. There are so many little things you can use this newsletter for, that it can prove to be an incredibly important piece of communication between you and your customers.
Once upon a time, these would have been sent out through the mail system. Many are still circulated in this way, but the preferred delivery method nowadays is through email. With the right email marketing services on your side, you should be able to reach out to everyone on their mailing list to deliver some valuable insights about the business.
What should you put in your newsletter?
You need to think about the content that is going to best suit your business. Newsletters can have a variety of different uses, and not all of them are necessarily going to work with your current strategies.
Think about what would be of most valuable to your customers. Try to come up with content that is always going to engage them and get them interested in what you as a brand have to offer them. One of the most common usages we often see is sneak peeks of upcoming product launches. If you have something that you have been working on for some time, choosing to hint about it through your newsletters can be a great way to start some buzz.
Whatever you do choose to use, make sure that it is always short and snappy. No matter what, a newsletter needs to be quick and easy to read. Together with the use of amazing images, graphics, and potentially even video, you should be able to create a newsletter that is always going to be interesting to read.
Who handles newsletters?
Of course, when you decide to create an extra task such as this in your office, you need to make sure that someone is going to be able to take care of it for you. Luckily, creating newsletters is very easy once you have a template to use. While this first initial template might be tricky to put together – especially if you are not that familiar with HTML – once it is made it will just be a case of switching out the copy, links, and images each time.
Have you got someone in your team who already handles your social media for you? If so, they are going to be your go-to person when it comes to creating these newsletters. Add it into their mix of responsibilities and tasks for the day.
Do we still need newsletters?
There is a small case that we might not need newsletters any longer thanks to the rise of social media. Platforms like Facebook and Instagram are perfect for reaching massive groups of people. You can post ads and other information about the deals going down on your brand, just as you would with a newsletter.
The rollout of short content, be it Fleets on Twitter or Instagram stories, also offers you the perfect environment for running short ad campaigns. Since they are only there for 24 hours, they can be great for running a flash sale. You can even link your site directly to these stories if you have a large enough following, so it can make it even easier to guide a potential customer to a new purchase.
However, there are those customers who are not on social media. The big-name brands are still sending out newsletters for a reason, and that is because they are still great for getting in touch with a large group of people all at once.
Whether you are a small local business or one that ships products all over the world, you need to consider using newsletters as part of your business strategy. They still have tremendous reach, and they can help you to appeal to a wide range of people who might be interested in what you have to offer. No matter what industry your business operates in, consider putting together a newsletter to reach out to your clients and customers.
