In an ever-evolving digital landscape, savvy small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) need to leverage the power of e-newsletters to help fuel their growth.
#PaperHasBeenCancelled
Firstly, in today’s digital world, traditional paper communications like flyers and printed advertisements are quickly fading into obscurity. With Gen Z being increasingly environmentally conscious, going paperless is not only cost-effective and efficient, but also aligns with the values of today’s consumers.
Did you know 64% of Gen Z consumers will pay more for environmentally friendly products or services? – Deloitte.
Embracing digital and leaving paper behind, SMBs can connect with the younger, more environmentally conscious demographic and position themselves as socially responsible.
The ‘Why?’
It’s vital that brands grow a database of their customers somewhere other than on social media platforms.
Utilising services such as Mailchimp, Campaign Monitor, Mr Yum, or Klaviyo offer affordable and scalable pricing plans to fit the budget for any size of business.
These platforms will also give you insights into your customer’s behaviours and interests by tracking metrics such as open rates, click-through rates, and conversion rates. From this, you’ll also be able to segment your customers based on past interactions, for example reward your most loyal high-value customers with a promotion just for them, or entice low-value customers with a deal tailored to their spending habits.
It’s a great way for SMBs to give an interactive snapshot of what’s happening with your business. For example, a restaurant might want to list all their upcoming events and promotions, with links to book a table.
Brand consistency has contributed to revenue growth of 10% or more.
The ‘How?’
It all starts with the subject line, and arguably a make it or break it moment, it’s the first thing your customer will see in their inbox. It needs to be compelling, concise, and use relatable language to draw them in. HubSpot has many great resources on writing eye-catching subject lines, check out their tips here.
In addition, to drawing them in and having them read your email, you also want to consider how you want them to end that experience, by writing a call to action (CTA). Do you want them to book? Do you want them to check out a particular product on your e-commerce store? You can control that customer journey. Don’t forget to include links or icons to your social media accounts in the footer, to help grow your social following too.
Let’s talk about the e-newsletter’s branding. Consistency is key, and can be tricky dealing with various platform’s email text editors, and limited fonts. Marq claims 68% of businesses believe brand consistency has contributed to revenue growth of 10% or more.
Another big design consideration to keep in mind, is accessibility. Is there enough contrast between your colours? Are your fonts legible and big enough? Do you have alt text in your images? In our previous article, ‘2023 Website Trends’, we talk about tips to help with ensuring maximum accessibility.
One last thing to consider, is your frequency and timing of sending emails, maximising your engagement. According to Campaign Monitor, sending emails early in the week between Monday and Tuesday have a better open and click-through rate. CoSchedule’s data shows 10am and 3.30pm as the best times to send your n-news to maximise your open rate.
Here at The Wonder Co, we work on marketing automations and e-newsletters on a daily basis for a variety of clients. Get in touch with us today if you’d like to gain some of the benefits listed in this article.