What Is an Email Newsletter Service? (Plus Tips & Tricks)

Email marketing has many faces and functions.

A modern email marketing platform can handle every type of customer behavior. It can generate leads as easily as it rewards loyalty. It tackles engagement and awareness with equal zeal. It’s the all-in-one digital marketing package, and one of its many facets is the quintessential email newsletter service.

Unlike automated flows, email newsletters are primarily drip campaigns. They provide your subscriber list with a constant “drip” of information and updates, much like a leaky faucet. In doing so, newsletters keep readers engaged and interested. They promote better brand awareness and encourage consistent success.

So, by extension, an email newsletter service handles those campaigns for you.

What Is an Email Newsletter?

But I’m getting ahead of myself!

I’ll back it up some.

What is an email newsletter?

I’ve already offered a simplistic explanation, but there’s more than meets the eye. Email newsletters are invaluable parts of any email marketing strategy. They’re the quintessential email marketing tool — so much so that most platforms come with built-in newsletter software. Klaviyo, for example, includes easy-to-use tools for creating gorgeous, informative email campaigns.

However, the service you use is irrelevant. Email newsletters serve the same function regardless of their origins. They’re marketing professionals’ go-to method for subscriber growth and consistent brand awareness.

4 Reasons Why Your Business Needs an Email Newsletter

Of course, newsletters are more than vague performance promises. They have tangible, proven results. They’ve supported businesses of all sizes — from tiny mom-and-pop shops and medium-sized businesses to massive enterprises.

You don’t need to shell out for your platform’s more advanced features, either. Even simple email campaigns work well. At a minimum, you need little more than a valid email address, simple automation capabilities, a reliable campaign monitor, and a custom domain. Any other tools are bonuses!

1. Increase Brand Awareness

First and foremost, even basic features afford remarkable brand awareness. It’s all part of the modern drip campaign’s underlying ethos.

After filling out those sign-up forms, users gain access to a world of free e-commerce-boosting content. They learn more about your brand and gain a sense of connection. More importantly, thanks to the consistency of email automation, your subscriber list gets regular exposure to your email campaigns.

2. Offer Something of Value (And Reap the Rewards)

Ideally, the content should be more than regurgitated sales pages. It must have something of value; otherwise, it won’t offer much retention power. That value must be doubled for paid newsletters!

Again, this exchange is not free. Customers may feel as if they’re getting something for nothing, but they’re still acquiring brand awareness. Ideally, they should also be clicking through those links and finding your landing pages. Even disengaged audiences are contributing valuable audience insights to your email marketing efforts.

This tit-for-tat exchange may be slightly skewed in the customer’s favor (especially if your newsletters are primarily non-transactional emails), but they still earn precious “brownie points” with your fans. Whether you have five or 1,000 subscribers, you’re generating brand loyalty and goodwill.

3. Increase Traffic and Insights

Speaking of loyalty and insights — your email newsletter is the perfect source for detailed reporting. Yes, it contributes to your daily sending limit, but that’s a small price to pay for more advanced segmentation and marketing automation.

Allow me to explain.

An email newsletter is part of the larger picture. It’s one of the many pieces of your e-commerce web push. The ideal newsletter will be linked to your website’s landing pages. (Most email marketing platforms have built-in integrations and an easy-to-use interface to simplify the process.) Now, your campaign monitor kicks in, tracking your conversions and click-through rates. If you have a paid plan for your subscriber list, you’ll also have advanced reporting for that revenue stream.

Again, even the least interested audiences provide valuable data. They’ll tell you what doesn’t work. It sounds bonkers, but I can explain! Consider these examples to understand better how disengaged subscribers can help your brand’s email marketing strategy:

• “I’m getting a high open rate, but I don’t have any engagement!” You’ve shirked your design duties! Take advantage of customizable templates to test the best layouts. Don’t forget to double-check your mobile optimization, too!
• “I have a high click-through rate and low conversions!” Your landing pages aren’t up to snuff. Use your landing page editor to reconfigure your content and find a better way to present that information.
• “I have a low open rate!” Low open rates are often tied to poorly optimized subject lines. Think of how your content looks in push notifications. It may even be helpful to frame subject lines as miniature SMS marketing campaigns. Find ways to immediately capture and maintain attention.
• “I keep landing in spam folders!” Double-check to ensure your email marketing platform hasn’t blacklisted your brand. Then, check your content for errors and “spammy” content. Most email marketing software comes with tools to pinpoint meddlesome typos.
• “My subscriber list is shrinking!” This problem is difficult to diagnose, but it’s often tied to low value. Your newsletter service must offer enough information to keep audiences engaged. Otherwise, new subscribers will find somewhere else to get their fix.

4. Earn More Revenue

Finally — and most importantly — email newsletters are potential revenue-boosters.

Paid newsletters are obvious income sources. A paid subscription may not cost much, but every penny counts. However, even a free plan can generate more income.

Think of it this way: How many subscribers do you have? One? A hundred? 1,000 subscribers? Now, think of what happens if every subscriber generates even five dollars of revenue. You’re probably looking at a sizable nest egg.

Even small business owners can get aboard this gravy train; many marketing platforms offer free trial offers and low-cost e-commerce benefits!

And, as if the detailed reports and perennial content aren’t enough, I must also mention that email newsletters are (fairly) simple campaigns. You can use basic templates to streamline production. Just fill in the blanks and set up your marketing automation tools. When you’re ready, send your campaign to unlimited subscribers.

Comparatively, other email marketing campaigns require integration with your website builder and other additional features. They may be locked behind premium versions of your email marketing platform. You’ll also want audience segmentation and insights before dispatching advanced emails. And don’t forget the additional email templates! (Yikes!)

4 Tips to Get the Most From Your Email Newsletter Service

Unfortunately, even the simplest email newsletter requires work. You’ll need content to feed the beast.

Fortunately, there are ways to keep your workload to a minimum. Email templates dramatically increase production speed, while the drag-and-drop editor used by most email marketing services increases content efficiency.

Ideally, you should test your potential marketing platforms before beginning formal campaigns. Ensure your marketing professionals understand your software of choice and can easily read its campaign monitor. Once you’ve chosen the software, you’ll also need to craft custom templates to fit your branding.

Then, consider these tips to amplify the impact of your email newsletter.

1. Know Your Audience

The most important part of any email marketing strategy is the vision, and that guideline must align with your audience’s needs. You probably wouldn’t talk to your grandma like you talk to your friends at a bar. So, why do the same to your customers?

Align your content — including your newsletter — with your customer behavior. Keep professionals engaged with a serious, formal tone; likewise, entertain general audiences with a light, casual demeanor. Remember, too, that most newsletters aren’t primarily transactional emails, so don’t make them into sales pages.

If you’re starting your email marketing journey, consider hiring researchers or an in-house group to evaluate your target audience. Use A/B testing and other email marketing tools to ascertain your audience’s goals.

(Advanced metrics and tracking features may not be part of a free plan, though. Be ready to pay for high-end newsletter software! Otherwise, find savvy marketing professionals to fully utilize your platform’s limited features. If you have any existing email campaigns, scrape them for additional data.)

2. Know What “The People” Want

By extension, you must also know what your audience wants to see.

A real estate firm’s subscriber list wants real estate listings. So, why would you send them updates on the video game industry? Similarly, you won’t send grilling recipes to a legal firm’s subscriber.

No amount of fancy visuals or flashy email templates can free you from the wrath of poorly optimized content. You can have a pool of unlimited subscribers, but your audience won’t care if you send them irrelevant content. All the features in the world can’t and won’t tell you what to send. However, I can give you some ideas!

If you’re just starting out with your newsletter software, you’ll need content such as…

• Case studies. Marketing professionals and lawyers can take advantage of perennial attention by distributing in-depth case studies. These tidbits can be standalone blurbs or links to expanded blog posts. (In the latter case, the relevant blog post will be the landing page.) You can also tie these newsletters into any lead magnets you might have.
• Event updates. E-commerce isn’t the only industry using email marketing tools. Even travel and hospitality brands can reap the benefits of this marketing channel. Craft email templates to fit your audience, then fill in those blanks with exciting local events and news. Some email newsletter software also allows for paid subscription models.
• Fitness tips. Small businesses need loyal fans, and any health-oriented brand can benefit from a position of authority. Establish yourself as a trustworthy informant by using your email marketing service as an educational tool. Send regular health insights and news to drive traffic to your sign-up forms. Then, amplify your impact by making those emails sharable.
• Project updates. Any business can send regular business and product updates as email campaigns. Break that content into bite-sized chunks to repackage an otherwise bland product launch flow into an adrenaline-pumping newsletter service. With this approach, you’re giving the audience what they want and building excitement for upcoming content. Again, you can use email templates to cut down on unnecessary development efforts.
• Real estate listings. Entertain audiences with localized real estate listings and news. You can send generalized emails or use dynamic content blocks to avoid unnecessary (and potentially messy) subscriber segmentation. If you need help, most newsletter software has built-in tutorials.

3. Design for Success

Of course, none of that matters if your audience can’t read the email.

Don’t neglect the tutorials and resources your email marketing platform offers. Learn the ropes and design campaigns that function and look great!

If you’re a newcomer, consider using pre-made email templates. Most will be simplistic one-column layouts with minimal add-ons. It may seem boring, but that bare-bones setup guarantees mobile compatibility. Moreover, most email marketing services offer that no-nonsense email template to everyone, even free plan users.

Only build out when you’re confident in your abilities. Incorporate other tools slowly, and always check your content for compatibility and compliance. Otherwise, you’ll send subpar, broken campaigns that are likely candidates for spam folders.

4. Hire a Professional

Alternatively, you can take the easy route.

Forget the hassle of learning an email marketing platform. Stop wasting time tinkering with finicky automation workflows and that not-so-intuitive “user-friendly” interface. Let the professionals handle your email marketing campaigns and spend more time doing the behind-the-scenes work that keeps your business running.

Invest in a partnership with The Email Marketers.

You’ll get more than a team of faceless marketing professionals. You’ll get a dedicated group of experts ready to meet your business demands. You’ll unlock advanced automation features you never dreamed of and the capability to handle unlimited subscribers. Moreover, you’ll find a helpful pro to help you build any email campaign.

Schedule a free strategy session to see how The Email Marketers can make a difference. I’ll answer your questions about everything — including email newsletter software — and show you a personalized plan to amplify your brand.