Here are ten simple steps to launch your company's newsletter:
1. Set your goals
The first thing you need to decide is what goal you want to achieve with your newsletter. Is it going to be a regular update on your company, perhaps featuring a different employee in each email? Or is it going to be a promotional campaign, with offers and news about new products? Think about what you want to give to your audience.
You'll also need to think about what expectations you have for your newsletter and how it fits into your overall marketing strategy. Whether you want to grow your list through content that encourages email forwarding and sign-ups, grow sales on your website , or simply build brand awareness, make sure you're clear on your end goal before you make your strategy.
2. Define and segment your audience
The other thing you need to know before you create your belgium telegram lead strategy is your audience. Who are they? What do they want? Understanding your audience will help you serve them better, which will reduce the chances of them unsubscribing and increase the likelihood that they'll stick with you in the long run.
Think about what motivated your subscribers to sign up to your list in the first place. If it was an incentive, such as a discount, they may be more interested in promotional emails. On the other hand, if they signed up on their own initiative or to access informative content, they are likely to respond well to educational newsletters.
You can (and should) segment your audience by demographic groups and interests, so you can more easily tailor your content and personalize your users' experience.
3. Document your strategy
If your company already has a well-documented email marketing strategy, use it as the basis for your newsletter strategy. If you're starting from scratch, write up a document that includes your goals and your audience (current and expected), then establish the frequency (weekly, monthly, etc.) and tone.
It can be helpful to read your competitors' newsletters, both to see what's working for them and to find ways to differentiate your brand in the marketplace.
4. Plan how to implement it
Once you know what your newsletter will focus on and how often you will send it, the next step is to create a plan to put this strategy into action . Choose specific team members to be in charge of brainstorming, developing, and crafting content, and make sure everyone has access to the master plan.
Marketing automation tools like Benchmark Email streamline this process, allowing you to segment your list, personalize your content , and schedule emails weeks or even months in advance. Automating these manual tasks frees up your team to focus on the overall strategy and quality of your content, rather than spending time on paperwork.
5. Create and organize your content
Ideally, you'll want to plan your content by topic or theme at least a few months in advance, so that the narrative thread is coherent, and the more comprehensive the content you can put together in advance, the better.
Make sure to include a clear and visible call to action somewhere in each email – the type of action will vary depending on the objective of your newsletter.
6. Select a newsletter template
The email template you choose will ensure that your emails are formatted effectively and beautifully (and, most importantly, optimized for mobile devices). If you don't currently use an email marketing platform that offers templates, or you don't like the templates available, you can commission a designer to create a custom template for you.
Once you have your template, you can enter the content you've created, modifying it to fit the space in the text boxes or the style of the graphics, or adding new sections if necessary. Don't forget to add a section with your contact information and social media details , so customers can easily find and follow your business.
7. The final details
You’ve got most of your content done, so now it’s time for the finishing touches. Decisions like how to word your subject line, which keywords to use in your meta description, and what to put in the sender field may seem insignificant, but they can all impact open rates and deliverability, which are critical to the success of your newsletter.
Once you have your first email ready, test it by sending yourself a preview. Is the subject line getting cut off and needs to be shortened? Where did the email end up – in your inbox or in spam? Make adjustments as needed, and remember that A/B testing is a great way to fine-tune these details when you start sending out your newsletters.
8. Make sure you comply with the GDPR
Finally, before you launch your newsletter, make sure you’re complying with laws and regulations regarding commercial emails . You may have heard of GDPR , which is a European privacy law that states that email marketers must obtain active consent to send messages – everyone on your list who lives in Europe must have manually opted in.
Less discussed (because it's not as recent or as broad), but more generally applicable, is the CAN-SPAM law , which states that email marketers must include a clear and easy unsubscribe link in the footer of their emails.