Newsletters for small businesses

How to create newsletters that people want to read.

Photo by Hannes Johnson on Unsplash

You’ve set up your business and you’re raring to go, with plenty of fantastic products to sell to your favourite clients. You might be wondering what a newsletter has to do with this, and it can easily been of the first things that falls by the wayside despite your best intentions. You don’t have time, and no-one reads newsletters anyway, right? RIGHT?!

Wrong.

A newsletter is a great way to communicate with your customers, and a brilliant way to reach out to your customer base directly. Sure, having a great social media presence is something everyone wants, but actually, heading straight into someone’s inbox is a good way to get seen amongst the noise.

So, how can newsletters work for small businesses?

1. It helps your customers feel valued

Keeping people in the loop is a really easy and free way to build customer loyalty and ensure that people are return customers to your business. You’re going to be closed for a week while you’re getting new equipment installed? Let people know in advance. If you’ve got an exciting new product launching soon, let your newsletter subscribers know with 24 hours notice before everyone else, or if you’ve got a surplus amount of stock to shift, how about a discount code? There are lots of easy and free ways to make your customers feel valued, and a customer that feels like you’re taking the time to consider them is going to consider your business when they’re asked for a recommendation.

2. It’s a great way to chat about what’s happening at your business

If you’ve got news, no matter how big or small, a newsletter is a great place to share it. You’re keeping your subscribers updated, letting regular customers know something new is happening and it could be the push that a potential customer needed to come and visit you. People connect with other people, so showing your mailing list some snippets from behind the scenes or some interesting insights is a good way to build affinity. It’s also a great way just to keep your business in people’s minds, so you’re their first port of call if they need to restock a product or are looking for the perfect birthday gift for a friend.

3. A chance to showcase your brand

A newsletter should be part of your wider marketing and communications output, and it should reflect your brand identity. This includes the tone of voice you’re using and demonstrating your values, as well as utilising your logo, brand colours and relevant graphics. You don’t have to have lots of wordy news to share, and it’s worth remembering that something that you take for granted could be of interest to your customers. It could be something as simple as switching to summer opening hours, or the fact that you’ve switched your packaging to a new, more sustainable supplier; all these little nuggets of info are a great way to showcase your values and keep people updated along the way.

4. Direct access to customers

In reality, what it all boils down to is that having a mailing list gives you direct access to your customers; your newsletter lands directly in their inbox and, even if they don’t read it, they’re reminded that your business exists. There is a careful balance to be struck between keeping mailings regular and not spamming people with updates, so factoring a newsletter schedule into your content plan should be part of your marketing campaign.

5. Respect your subscribers time

Lets be real; we all have way to many emails in our inbox, so the ones we choose to read need to be worth it. You can make a name for yourself by tying this back to your brand values - if you’re promising your customers honesty, sustainability and transparency, then make sure you’re showcasing this in your mail shots. Keep it short, get to the point, don’t waste anyone’s time.

Those are just a few reasons to think about creating a regular mailing list; but if you think you need a hand with creating a schedule, coming up with ideas, and making it happen on a consistent basis, get in touch with us today to find out how we can help.