How to construct a Email template that delivers results and makes your life a whole lot easier. A must do for all emailers
Table of contents
- Why do a template, does it really matter anyway?
- Do newsletters really work and sell product?
- Segmenting your list for greater results
- Best times to send a Newsletter
- Testing your Data base
- Including links into your newsletter is necessary
- You receive the stats on which to make decisions
- Compiling a Newsletter template to cover a future period
- Using your lists to best advantage
- How many words in a Newsletter
- Maintaining the look and feel of your site
- What is spam in newsletter marketing?
- Sorting data and termination addresses
- Linking to Social media
- My Newsletter conclusion
Why do a template, does it really matter anyway?
Having done many emails over a long period of time you learn to make shortcuts. This is particularly so when you are delegating your responsibility to others.
The writers block starts as soon as you think about writing so you need ways to get around this problem.
Having a plan in place provides a road map for the year ahead and helps stop all the procrastination.
Consistency is a vital factor in email delivery
The most important decision in brand recognition is consistent delivery of your profile across a range of customers. It is not about flogging product it is reinforcing the Know, Like and Trust situation that delivers followers and hence long term results.
“If they are not reading your newsletter they are reading someone else's.”
When the buying time is right who will they choose? Someone they see every two weeks or that company they dealt with years ago. The choice is yours.
Competition for your business is everywhere and you must be the first cab off the rank when decision time is here. You only get that with brand recognition.
How do I know this is true, because I follow the big spenders. All the largest Grocery chains, Retail stores, Alcohol supplies are in your face regularly. Newsletters, email and SMS are a constant and consistent delivery method, Why? Because it works for the, believe me they have huge competition so they need to stay In Your face all the time.
Your business is no different!
Do newsletters really work and sell product?
First of all it is not a selling tool, you are there to entertain to advise and answer questions.
This is when the questions pop up. How do you change brake pads on your car?
When is the best time to check brake pads? Can you check your own brake pads or do you need to go to a service center? Why are good brake pads so important?
How long do the brake pads in a formula one car last? Why do brake pads squeal?
You are answering common questions that your readers need to know. Of course you will have a call to action on the page just in case they are ready. However that is a by product.
Segmenting your list for greater results
It is no good sending Grandma a newsletter on Brake pads, She just wont be interested. Same with most teenagers and mid life mummies. However the blokes are a great target, particularly between say 18 to 60 years old that drive cars.
The same could be said for Baby carriages, however there is a difference here in that the grandma's are often the buyers so the demographic can expand.
Think about your buyers and their needs when sending material out. It will make a world of difference to your results.
One company can have many demographics in their data base.
How to construct an Newsletter template and the best times to send
Best times to send a Newsletter
This will vary somewhat depending on your audience and product. HubSpot recently posted a time basis arrived at following a review of thousands of emails.
In general, the highest click-to-open rates are 10 AM at 21%, 1 PM at 22%, and spike near 6 PM. The data reflects when most audiences begin or conclude their day and have the most time to check their emails.
HubSpot marketing
However weekends also come high on the list as does Friday as the best day of the week.
I Like the late morning time slot after their initial burst of energy has been expended and they are looking for a distraction.
Testing your Data base
One idea is to send a sample block of mail to gauge a reaction, if the results are bad it is time to make some changes before selecting the rest of your base to get the message.
However be careful with this because you may just pick a bad selection of clients. When I mass market I split my base into four. Each one reacts differently depending on the contacts included so I can never get a perfect result however consistently send a trial and watch the feedback.
Including links into your newsletter is necessary
We sometimes forget how powerful this can be, just yesterday this was reinforced to me.
I had recently purchased a new hearing device that have been working well. The current newsletter included a heading that interested me so I clicked and read the material. About three hours later I received a phone call from the company asking if I needed more information. Ok I was not a buyer but well could have been. I was placed in the bought base and scheduled for a different product in the future. I had bought once so why not a second time.
You receive the stats on which to make decisions
- How many newsletter were sent
- The number of spam reports ( if any)
- Open newsletter numbers
- Clicks to links by name and details
- Those that have chosen to opt out
- All the no open subscribers
- Links to Social media
- Importantly those that ask for you to contact them
What you do with this analysis is up to you. However it is a powerful marketing tool at a low price and high results
How to construct an Newsletter template for the future
Compiling a Newsletter template to cover a future period
This is the important task of any marketer. It ensures it gets done when it should without looking for excuses.
Using a simple Excel spread sheet:
First of all write out 24 different subjects on which to write about. Think of the How, when, why approach to your product that will answer a common question or explain the how and why of the product.
Next to this is writing a compelling heading that will draw readers in. You can use numbers in this with 7 ways to achieve something, If you do these three things life will be great. The four mistakes most people make, faster than three minute noodles.
You must grab their attention quickly because they move on within seconds.
Including links on your page
This is important because it shows interactions on the page.
I always include a contact button that connects to a email. I have this housed in my webpage.
Being a blogger I connect to a blog page that will contain a lot more information.
Further reading:
This gives them an opportunity to learn a long version of a simple one page Newsletter, You can also use affiliate links that go straight to a product supplier. This is the money generators that can make it all worth while
Learn to build a web page for free
A simple link to a page on your website where the product is explained in full. Keeping them entertained is useful and provides a longer time on site.
I also advertise my Newsletter carrier because that is of interest to many.
Where to get the best Newsletter deal
How to construct a Newsletter template to best advantage
Using your lists to best advantage
This is your next entry on the page. It is important because you must segment your list into interested groups. Like I said it is no good sending brake pads to grandma's however you may sell brake pads and baby seat car brackets. The new grandma wants to be able to install a seat in her car so an ideal target.
Just as important is the suppressed list, those that you should not send them to.
Lastly but at the start of your page is date and time to be sent. You can do one at a time or even a whole year ahead.
Now you have your template complete for the year ahead, just add some words, some Images and the world is yours
How many words in a Newsletter
This is an interesting question because it depends. We all Like it short and sweet however if the information is relevant to our current needs more is better.
Therefore let's not stress about quantity and concentrate on the quality of your presentation. If the subject can be done in 300 words that is fine however 3000 is just as appropriate in some cases. I generally run at 500/700 words per post.
How to construct an Newsletter template for your image building
Maintaining the look and feel of your site
I use a standard template saved in Constant Contact. It has my logo at the top and contact details in the footer. Therefore I insert my header and a few heading, a picture or two then fill in the words. Brand recognition is important. It helps with your opens and clicks and the consistency develops that Trust factor.
How to construct a Newsletter template without complaints
What is spam in newsletter marketing?
This is an important question because not understanding what you are doing can have major consequences. First of all you can only contact people with whom you have a business relationship with in some way. If they don't recognise your brand and hit the spam button your carrier is alerted and you may be banned. You will always get the odd spam click for all sorts of reasons, Bad mood, error in clicking, change of receiver at a business address etc.
Always seek the applicable rules in your country.
I recently tried a new carrier, I cut a few names from an old list and loaded them on the carrier to try them out. A customer that had been receiving my mails for many years hit the spam button, probably because of the new branding image with a monkey all over the page.
The new carrier banned me for sending unsolicited mail, that is why I am loyal to Constant Contact where I have emailed for many years.
Sorting data and termination addresses
What! Get rid of your customers. If they don't bother to unsubscribe however they never open a mail they are not potential customers. Keep your list clean by cutting out the waste. furthermore you pay by the number of subscribers so you may well pay less.
I know businesses where the front desk clerk just deletes every mail that is not customer related. They simply are not interested even if it offers massive value.
On the other hand are the constant clickers. They click every link for reasons unknown.
I have them that click my social media links, contact button and every other chance they have. If it is just to annoy me they probably achieve the goal. The answer is to not mail them any more.
How to construct an Newsletter template to reach Social Media
Linking to Social media
This opens up new opportunities for readers to join your group and expands your data base.
Constant contact have permanent buttons on the page so it is a set and forget.
Your aim is to have as many followers as you can get and this is just one of the extra ways.
My Newsletter conclusion
By far and away the easiest and cheapest marketing tool in your box of tricks. The numbers matter not, every subscriber is a potential customer and that means long term income.
I had one guy that came to me after about 18 months of newsletter, something clicked with him and he leaped in. This one customer pays my annual subscriber fee. He is a recurring billing client so he should be around for many years to come.
You just never know.
Write with interest with the reader in mind and give them intelligent information that they may well share with others.
include a contact button for those that are ready to communicate and a link to a page so that you can follow the interested viewers.
Clean your base regularly and remember that consistency is KING. You must market on a regular basis with a recognisable brand to achieve results.
How to construct a Newsletter template to deliver results by Peter Hanley
