You might thing email newsletters aren’t an effective marketing tool in 2022, but you would be mistaken. A weekly newsletter is still a highly useful email marketing strategy, as well as a cost-effective way to reach and engage target audiences, and more small businesses are employing these efforts every day.
Still, that doesn’t mean that all email newsletters will effectively impact potential customers and boost sales. What sets one apart from the next? What elements create a great email newsletter? Is a good newsletter example available for small business owners who want to establish an email newsletter that helps their companies grow? These and other factors play a big role as you look into the small business guide to email marketing.
Why You Should Send an Email Newsletter
Email is a part of practically everyone’s daily lives. In fact, McKinsey & Company found that email is 40 times more effective at acquiring new customers than both Facebook and Twitter combined. After all, more than 90% of American consumers still check their email daily.
If you dont’ already send your audience emailed communication, there are a variety of reasons why you should send an email newsletter:
- Email newsletters boost brand awareness. When audience members see the email, it increases brand recognition and keeps the company on their minds.
- Email newsletters establish authority. By including informative content that audiences can use, a company shows it holds authority in its niche.
- Email newsletters engage customers. Modern consumers want to be engaged with their preferred brands, and email newsletters serve as an effective engagement tool.
- Email newsletters drive sales. Companies that send audiences information about discounts, coupons and product updates can directly impact revenue and boost sales.
What Makes a Successful Email Newsletter?
Sure, email newsletters continue to serve as effective marketing tools, but that doesn’t mean just any old newsletter will be successful. Plenty of well-intended marketing efforts remain unopened in email inboxes or head directly into recycle bins. So, what makes a successful email newsletter?
Engaging Subject Line
An email’s subject line is a great example of an element that will make or break a campaign. It often determines whether or not audiences will open and read the message. It must capture potential customers’ attention and make them want to learn more.
When writing an engaging subject line for your email newsletter, be sure and provide audience members with a taste of what to expect inside and focus on the most positive aspect of the email.
Easy to Read Format
Your audience won’t spend longer than couple of seconds determining whether the email is a worthwhile read. Without an easy-to-read format, an email newsletter design will fail to capture potential customers’ attention, and they will quickly send the email to the trash.
Relevant Content
What content will you include in your email newsletter? In order to boost your small business’s authority in your market, be sure and include content that is relevant to that niche. Such content might include a blog post related to your business niche, coupons for freebies adn discounts, video tutorials and product information. And don’t forget to use email newsletter best practices when you are communicating with your potential customers.
Call to Action Buttons
What do you want to accomplish with your email newsletter? Don’t leave it to chance, be sure and include calls to action in your messages, both in written statements and call-to-action buttons. Relevent calls to action to include in an email newsletter might urge customers to subscribe, to read more about a subject or even to make a purchase.
eCommerce Email Marketing Newsletter Examples
All types of eCommerce companies use email marketing newsletters to engage their target audiences and boost sales. Online retailers might send a weekly roundup of favorite products in their email newsletters, or they might send regular discounts and other offers only for newsletter subscribers.
Unsure how to design the perfect email marketing newsletter for your small business? The following examples from eCommerce organizations can help you design your own email newsletter template:
1. Cutco
Subject Line: Found here! Exlusive Savings on Table Knife Gift Sets
Cutco uses direct sales to provide its customers with high-quality cutlery and other kitchen tools. Through its email newsletter, the company sends its audience company announcements, product information and special discounts.
The newsletters feature colorful photos of products to capture readers’ attention, as well as helpful recipes featuring the company’s products to keep customers’ engaged with the brand.
2. 123Cards
Subject Line: New Christmas eCards
Online greeting card company 123Cards offers ecards in more than 30 categories. By signing up for its newsletter, 123Cards customers are able to send free ecards from the eCommerce site, or they can upgrade to a premium subscription.
The company’s email newsletter reminds customers of important holidays, and the messages include convenient links to relevant ecards, prompting readers to send a greeting in mere seconds.
Blog Email Newsletter Examples
Email newsletters are used by far more than eCommerce businesses. Bloggers regularly send email newsletters to their readers to keep audiences engaged and up-to-date with the newest blog content. An email newsletter for a blog might feature summaries of and links to recent blog posts or other information that entices readers to learn more on the blog.
3. The Bark
Subject Line: Is Your Dog an Opimimist or a Pessimist?
The Bark describes itself as the “indispensable guide to life with dogs,” and the blog, which started out decades ago as as traditional newsletter before transitioning to an electronic publication, features a variety of information about canines and ways to care for furry friends.
The Bark’s email newsletter features vivid photographs that make the message pop from readers’ screens along with links to informative content that will make recipients want to visit the blog and learn more.
4. The Week
Subject Line: Boring – but true?
The Week is a weekly news magazine that reports an original take on all the news that matters to readers. It’s email newsletters feature content like the day’s best articles, top cartoons and best photojournalism.
The subject lines are short and sweet, but they catch audience members’ attention with clever questions and intriguing statements that make people want to learn more. Inside The Week’s email newsletter, readers are treated to an easy-to-read design that clearly presents the week’s headlines.
Health and Beauty Industry Newsletter Examples
Consumers subscribe to health and beauty industry email newsletters to get all the latest information in their inboxes. Health and beauty newsletters might include news and updates about the healthcare industry, tips for leading a healthier lifestyle, tutorials on makeup application or beauty trends and discounts for a variety of beauty products.
5. Allure
Subject Line: We Got You a Discount on That Hot Air Brush You’ve Been Meaning to Buy
The popular beauty magazine offers two email newsletters for its readers, one that features daily beauty tips, as well as another that introduces new beauty products and offers discounts.
Allure’s email newsletters feature colorful photos that capture readers’ attention, and the subject lines are informative so readers know exactly what to expect inside of the message.
6. Shape
Subject Line: Welcome to Shape!
Shape launched 40 years ago as a monthly print magazine dedicated to health, fitness and beauty information. Today, Shape’s website features a huge collection of stories on these and other popular topics.
The publication offers readers a variety of email newsletters, including those dedicated to fitness, nutrition, recipes and related products. It’s content is eye-catching with engaging photographs, vivid colors and an easy-to-read structure.
Restaurant Newsletter Examples
Restaurants often run a variety of promotions and special events to get more customers through the doors and seated at a table. An email newsletter offers an effective tool for informing target audiences of these efforts.
7. Joe’s Crab Shack
Subject Line: You’re Invited to Breakfast with Santa!
Joe’s Crab Shack is a successful chain of seafood restaurants with locations across America. It’s Joe’s Catch e-club features regular email newsletters with plenty of discounts and announcements for events at the eateries.
The newsletters are sent frequently enough to provide regular deals, and they include colorful images that do a great job of capturing audience attention. Joe’s Crab Shack entices customers to join its e-club by offering a coupon for a free appetizer for every new enrollment.
8. McAlister’s Deli
Subject Line: Welcome to McAlister Rewards
Offering freebies is a common tactic to encourage consumers to subscribe to an email newsletter. McAlister’s Deli, an American chain of sandwich restaurants, offers a coupon for a free serving of its famous sweet tea to customers who subscribe to its email newsletter.
Like many companies, McAlister’s sends a welcome email to new newsletter subscribers and includes its coupon in the greeting. The newsletter features a call-to-action button for easy online ordering.
Travel Industry Newsletter Examples
Companies in the travel and tourism sector can gently nurture their leads while proving authority with useful information through an email newsletter.
Regularly sending potential clients weekly tips, updates and news is a great way to keep their minds focused on that next fabulous vacation without an overemphasis on sales. The email newsletters will work wonders at encouraging readers to book their next trip, and it will educate readers about the places they will go.
9. Airfare Watchdog
Subject Line: 6 Weird Travel Items You’ll Want to Gift
Airefare Watchdog has been monitoring flight prices and alerting customers of deals for more than a decade.
Not only does Airfare Watchdog send travel deals in its email newsletters, but the company provides subscribers with useful information related to travel, including tips, updates and product information. Informative newsletters, however, are still used to drive use of the service, with call-to-action buttons, and a flight search tool at the bottom of the page.
10. Royal Caribbean
Subject Line: Breaking down the two biggest ships sailing Alaska next year – open to learn more
Royal Caribbean is an international cruise line known for its innovative ships and unique sailing experiences. Customers interested in taking a cruise on one of its 60 ships can sign up for Royal Caribbean’s email newsletter for important cruise-related news and special offers.
Royal Caribbean’s email newsletters feature eye-catching photos that make recipients want to read more. Some of the newsletters include promotions and deals on cruise tickets, while others offer informative content useful to travelers. The newsletters showcase plenty of call-to-action buttons, urging readers to book now.
Holiday Newsletter Example
As anyone who subscribes to company announcements can attest, ’tis the season for email newsletters. Many companies engage their audiences with holiday-themed newsletters, offering useful tips and plenty of deals.
11. Yummly
Subject Line: Holiday potluck recipes
Recipes are a popular form of content that engages a wide audience, so email newsletters are perfect for Yummly, an app that provides recipe recommendations personalized to an individual’s tastes. Yummly regularly sends its subscribers links to a variety of recipes in its email newsletter, to drive traffic with colorful photos that link back to the company’s website or app.
For the holiday season, Yummy reaches out to its readers with relevant content, including potluck recipes at the time of year when its customers need them the most. Each element of the newsletter is clearly branded, so readers will never forget where they saw the recipe.
Create Your Own Email Newsletter Template
Still unsure what to include in your own email newsletter content? Take another look at some of the best email newsletter examples, and see what elements you can include in your own email campaigns.
Compile a list of these essential newsletter elements, and create your own email newsletter template to follow when you create your own newsletter design.
Will you offer a weekly round up of relevant news, announcements of upcoming events and product updates? Or will your email newsletters focus on discounts and promotions? Will you write your own content, or will you reach out to customers for user generated content?
How will you boost reader engagement? Always consider your target audience when choosing content. Be sure to include opportunities to gain social media followers with call-to-action buttons, and don’t forget to offer an unsubscribe link for readers who have decided to follow along elsewhere.
Image: Depositphotos
This article, "11 Newsletter Examples to Inspire Your Own" was first published on Small Business Trends
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