5 signs your newsletter isn’t working, and how to fix it
If you’re not regularly sending newsletters, the deliverability is a bit rubbish, or you’re not making money or getting enquiries from your newsletters, it's probably because of one or more of these areas.
The good news is, all of these are easy to sort.
Your platform is difficult to use.
If your email newsletter set up isn’t easy to use, you won't reach for it. As a marketer who specialises in email newsletters, this might be a surprising suggestion, but if there is an email marketing platform built into your existing website, get started with that. Getting started is always the best thing to do, you can always change platforms if you want to uplevel your newsletters in future.
If you’re using a specalised email platform get the basics set up. Bring in your branding, optimised an organise the images you reach for regularly and create templates to cut out that blank page syndrome.
Your emails aren’t being opened/delivered.
When you spend time creating brilliant emails and they don’t get opened, it’s super frustrating.
When it comes to deliverabiluity - I’ve written a really great blog which you can find here. Follow the steps to ensure your beautiful content gets to the inbox.
When it comes to encouraging your reader to actually open your newsletter there’ are two really important things to look at. The from field and the subject and the preview line. For the ‘From’ field, is it really clear who the newsletter is coming from? Is there a consistancy across your markerting channels so the reader knows in an instant, that it’s you thats sending the email? If your business name and your actual name are different its worth trying your name | Business name, to cover both bases.
When it comes to subject lines remember, the only job of your subject line is to get the recipient to open it. Send a test and look at it amongst the other emails in your inbox. Be honest, is it boring? Would you open an email with that subject line? Please stay away from ‘Spring News’ or ‘March update’. Show your personality in all of your comms. Your newsletters don’t have to look like a LinkedIn article; they should sit amongst all of your other platforms with your brand tone of voice.
You're not getting enquiries/ making sales.
If you’re not making sales from your newsletter its a good idea to take a wee step back. Are you using your newsletters to make sales? Are newsletters part of your conversion process? Or are you using it as a back up your social community? It can do both, but that means you have to send regular email newsletters (and defo more than you think). A monthly send probably won’t cut it.
Then when you’re looking at the content of your newsletter are you being clear on the action you want the reader to take? Are you sprinkling call to actions throughout the newsletter (not just at the bottom). Make it really easy for the reader to buy from the email - link to specific products, not your website homepage.
You're not sending regular emails because you don’t know what to say.
Newsletters work brilliantly as part of your marketing mix, but you have to send them for them to be effective.
If you set out a template for your newsletters and use this every time, you’ll bring consistency to your comms, with the added benefit of having a ready-made structure to work with. Looking at a blank page is the worst!
Think about things you are currently promoting and have in your marketing plan looking forward.
What content are you creating on other marketing platforms, we know that repitition in cruitial in marketing, so reuse and repurpose the content you’re creating on other platforms and send your email faves there. Also think about the benefit to your community. They should get first dibs on new offerings, free resources before anywhere else.
Like I mentioned earlier, newsletters don’t have to be super formal or overly designed. Lean into your brand, your voice and do what works for you.
You're not using automations.
Bringing in automations, is such a powerful tool in your email newsletter kit. Use them to share free resouces (lead magnets), and to nurture your new subscribers. There are stacks of other ways to use automations, which can be triggered by user behaviour - such as abandoned cart emails, or by a date - for example a birthday reward.
Automations can really help your subscribers to get to know you, without any real time effort.
To acompany this blog, I have crafted a handout - simple prompts to help you move your newsletter forward. Grab it here.
And if you’d like a burst of support for your newsletter, I’d love to help you with a Newsletter Refresh session.
“The session I had with Barbara was so useful as I’m not naturally a very tech savvy person.
Barbara talked me through creating a sign-up page and a newsletter template that is easy to use and shared tips that will make the most of the emails I’m sending.”