Newsletter Writing
Writing newsletters is the most powerful, and cost-effective marketing tool you should be using in your business.
I will help you design, write and publish your company newsletter if you don’t yet have one.
Or I will improve the newsletter you currently publish.
Some readers comments about my newsletters.
What’s the Benefit of Doing a Newsletter . . . the RIGHT way?
A regular newsletter is the best way to create valuable, personal touches at scale, as long as you do it right.
► Build a stronger connection with an existing customer . . . LTV is the most valuable number in your business. Consistently creating carefully crafted email, or directly mailed, newsletters keeps every customer engaged . . . and most likely to stay your customer.
► Become visible to potential customers and clients: a great newsletter gets subscribers sharing and recommending it to friends and colleagues which results in new subscribers and thus NEW prospects.
► Nurture prospective customers as they transition from prospects to paying customers.
$44 return for every $1 you spend on acquiring a customer is a number you’ll see frequently advanced as a reason for doing email marketing.
Whether that’s exactly true doesn’t matter.
If you only got $2 back for every $1 you spent, it would still be a 100% ROI slam dunk.
The return on investment is the HIGHEST of any marketing tool you put to use—that’s beyond question.
I give one example here.
My Newsletter Style Promotes Sharing by Readers
The most powerful endorsement your content can get is when it is shared.
A reader thinks it is so valuable that somebody else should read it.
And the real reason they share it (that no marketers or copywriters will tell you) is to make them appear good.
The value they see in this content reflects back on them.
Every day this particular bi-weekly newsletter that I write gains subscribers from shares only.
That’s because the readers find the content so darned good!
Creating (or Upgrading) Your Newsletter
Creating and publishing a great newsletter involves 4 stages:
1. Mission and Audience
What are you attempting to achieve?
Your company may need multiple newsletters if you cover multiple niches:
- B2C marketing newsletters to prospects
- B2C retention newsletters to current customers
- B2B marketing newsletters to prospects
- B2B retention newsletters to current customers
- Employee newsletters (B2C, B2B all staff, subgroups such as sales team, etc.)
- Nonprofit organization newsletters (donors, recipients, local chapter teams, etc.)
- Local small-business newsletters (accountants, chiropractors, hair salons, etc.)
- Local civic newsletters (Chambers of Commerce, utilities, churches, schools, etc.)
- Trade association newsletters to communicate with members and perhaps sponsors
- Solo business/thought-leader newsletters (coaches, authors, consultants, speakers)
And many, many others!
2. Content Approach
There are 5 approaches you can take:
- Original Content
- Curated Content
- Blended Original/Curated
- Digest Style
- Episodic/Personal Essay
Original Content
Content from within your company or organization. Includes news items, activities, production techniques, thoughts on your industry, anything at all you generate yourself.
Curated Content
Other people’s original content.
You research articles and videos that are likely to be of interest to your audience.
Then link to those articles in the newsletter with commentary.
Blended Original/Curated
Most newsletters take this approach.
You provide most value with a blended approach.
I have a method that automatically selects items of interest from which I can choose to include in every edition.
Digest Style
A fully curated newsletter works well too.
Write short teasers to accompany the links you include in each edition.
Episodic/Personal Essay
Draw on your own experience or the experience of employees or others (interviews).
You can create some powerful storylines with this style of newsletter.
Break an experience or event into parts and publish each part across newsletter editions, be that daily, weekly, or bi-monthly (monthly is leaving it a bit too long).
Adding an ‘open loop’ or cliffhanger at the end of each part ensures readers will be stamping with impatience waiting for the next installment.
3. Content Elements
Every newsletter needs a Subject line (critical for newsletter open rates) and a Lead (a simple intro/greeting or the main article for example).
After that, it’s up to you:
- Sidebars and Graphics (bullet points, quotes, stats, and more)
- Additional Articles (original and/or curated)
- Success Stories (“How I Did It”) and Testimonials
- Tips and Tricks
- Q & A (Answer common questions from the audience)
- Staff or Customer Profiles
- Promotions/Offers, Insider “first dibs”
- Customer Testimonials
- Calendar/Schedule of events and/or deadlines
- Something Fun!
- CTAs (Calls to Action) with Reasons to DO Something
On the CTA: you should always include a CTA of some kind.
4. Formula or Format
The overall structure should be consistent.
A predictable format for each edition makes for easy reading.
The following basic elements illustrate the structure of an effective newsletter.
- A subject line
- A lead/intro of some kind
- Additional, valuable content for the reader
- Links to helpful/relevant resources
- Consistency in voice, tone, features, and formats per issue
- Some type of CTA (call to action) to invite readers to DO something
- And usually, graphic elements that put emphasis on certain content sections or bring it to life visually
Writing . . . AND Research
Research
I have an advanced degree in research and have been researching online for decades.
I have a powerful system I use to find super useful and fascinating information for readers in any niche.
That’s one method I use to create newsletters that will have your readers forwarding each edition to their friends and colleagues gushing with praise (it’s a cornerstone of how I acquire new readers of my newsletters).
I put my advanced internet research techniques (that normally cost companies $1000 per month to have done) to work for you to uncover choice morsels of news of such relevance to your readers that they’ll be eagerly awaiting every edition.
Writing
Writing of the highest quality, every word weighed and balanced to achieve the right effect.
Readers of anything including newsletters are looking for an excuse to stop reading.
I make it so they never have an excuse to stop.
I make it so it’s easier to read…than NOT read!
Types of Writing
If you include at least three of the following segments in your newsletter, you’ll create a newsletter that your prospects, customers, or clients will eagerly look forward to each week or each month.
- Success Stories
- Tips and tricks
- Q&A
- Staff/Customer Profiles
- Promotions/Offers
- Customer Testimonials
- Calendar/Schedule
- Something Fun (a meme perhaps)
- Calls to Action
Marketing Strategy & Tactics
Writing newsletters is a tactic within a marketing strategy.
I advise companies on creating and adjusting marketing strategy with reference to the tactics employed.
I can help you get the most out of your newsletter strategy by offering perspectives on ways to use it in your strategy.
Testimonials
Keep up the good writing. Your Emails are outstanding!
Some neat stuff in your newsletters and I like the innovative approach you take there.
Thanks for your great newsletter, like the specialized topics while keeping a broader angle of view on the industry.
I love your newsletter! With all the little anecdotes from daily business and insights from the industry.
Summary of How I Work With You, My Client
When we’re up and running there’s no effort on your part:
- You approve the topics
- You approve the content.
That’s it!
Here's the Method I Use to Create A Newsletter That Will Gain You New Prospects And Help Retain Existing Customers
I will find out:
What’s the purpose or mission of the monthly e-newsletter?
Who’s the audience?
What do they want and need to know?
And, how will this newsletter be the very BEST resource for that audience?
After that, you can confirm the newsletter mission and audience, and in 1 sentence, I will write out what this new e-newsletter will provide to the audience.
I can also map out the content approach for a new e-newsletter.
And then work with you to determine the best topics and resources before getting into the writing :
- Finalize the topics list
- Use the resources you give to me
- Conduct additional research
- Perhaps talk with someone else on your team
To YOUR massive direct response marketing success,
Glenn Reeves
Copywriter