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by Danielle Ellerhorst on Tue, Oct 25, 2016 @ 02:27
Many companies send out a monthly newsletter to their entire database, which can consist of current customers, prospects, vendors, blog subscribers, friends and family. An important part of inbound marketing for manufacturers is establishing lead-nurturing email campaigns for prospects specifically, and a monthly email/newsletter is typically included in this initiative. The mistake we see many clients make is sending one overarching newsletter to multiple audiences. If you’re thinking about creating a newsletter to send to prospects, or already send one, the “must-dos” below will help target your emails to the people you’re trying to engage with and ideally turn them into customers.
1. Determine the Goal
Why have you decided to send your monthly email in the first place? Before you even begin creating your email, you need to determine what your goal is. A few examples are:
- Turn 10 marketing qualified leads into sales qualified leads through a bottom-of-the- funnel form submission
- Increase following on Twitter by 10% in three months
- Increase click-through rates by 25% in six months
Establishing your goal will be the foundation that your monthly email is built upon.
2. Don’t Call It a Newsletter
The term “newsletter” can give prospects the idea that what they’re about to open is a newsletter from a company that’s full of information like open positions, promotions, photos of recent events, testimonials, surveys and more. Think of a more creative title for your monthly email. What exactly is the reader getting from it? Is it tips, industry insights or inspiration? Be more specific about your topic and the industry you’re serving.
3. Know Your Audience
Think about who will be reading your email. Is it an engineer who wants to see facts and statistics, or is it a procurement manager who wants to stay up-to-date by reading industry articles? The format and design of your email will all stem from who your audience is. If your personas aren’t going to care about a visually pleasing, graphic email, don’t present them with one. Simpler may be better for the audience you’re trying to reach, and it all comes down to knowing your personas.
4. Tailor the Content
When you think about your prospects and the information that’s going to get them to open your email, ask yourself if that information is within the content you’re currently putting out. It probably isn’t. Think about what the pain points and challenges are in their roles, and give them a reason to open your email. Instead of trying to sell them on your products and services, give them educational and thought-leadership content. When they’re ready to buy, they’re likely going to seek out the source they have come to trust.
5. Analyze the Results
Creating, testing and sending your monthly emails isn’t the only component of your campaign. Analyzing your email results is just as—if not more—important. A few metrics to look at for each email you send are:
- Open Rate
- Click-Through Rate
- Deliverability
- Contacts Lost
Analyzing your email ties back to your goal. What specific measurements can you use to tie directly back to your end goal? After you’ve looked at your data, make changes to your future emails based on what you’ve learned.
Sending a monthly email to your prospects is an ever-evolving process. It takes strategy and thought to create an email campaign that speaks to your personas, gives them the content they want to read, and at the end of the day, engages prospects with the content you’re putting out.
What other “must-dos” have you discovered when sending a monthly email to your prospects?
