How To Expand Your Newsletter’s Impact
I noticed my husband sitting at the kitchen table with a look of excitement, captivated by his phone.
“What are you reading?” I asked.
“The newsletter by the fitness organization I told you about. I noticed it while scanning my email and I couldn’t wait to open it!” He responded.
“Why do you look forward to reading it?” I asked.
He shared: “I’ve enjoyed incorporating the fitness tips into my fitness routine. I always learn something. I trust the information. It’s easy to follow.” And, he has since purchased a product.
How about you: picture a newsletter—personal or professional—that you look forward to reading. Why do you want to read it? What keeps your interest?
How could you create a newsletter your audience looks forward to reading and keeps their interest?
The simple answer: shift the focus to what will benefit your reader. Your audience will read emails they find valuable.
Focus the content on:
What your audience cares about
What will help them
What could inspire them related to your expertise
This does shift the main focus off of business promotion. The Content Marketing Institute recommends centering 90% of the content on valuable information and 10% business promotion.
Back to the example of the fitness newsletter my husband loves: If all the newsletter did was promote their products: “Buy this!” “Coupon code for that!”, he would have quickly unsubscribed and never become a customer.
Why? He wouldn’t have benefited from the information and would have felt like he was being sold to. We have all received emails like this from companies (often retail) trying to sell us something.
For professional services companies, this is comparable to only sending emails with: sign up for this program or workshop, buy this product or service, or sign up for this subscription. And do it quickly, space is filling up!!!
This does have a place within a written content strategy and within each newsletter but not as THE strategy.
If you took this approach for a meeting with a prospective client, the flow would be: recite your offerings, provide information on how to sign up and then leave the meeting. Without first learning about their needs. Without addressing the problems they want to solve. Without discussion. I don’t know anyone who has a prospective client meeting like that. Then, why have a newsletter like that?
Shifting to a reader focused newsletter matters to: build trust, influence your audience, help you stay top of mind for future business and referrals and get great results for your business.
The top three content tactics that will benefit your reader:
1. Relevant and useful information:
This is the core of what to share to increase your impact. Provide valuable information to your target audience that addresses their needs and solves their problems. Share ways your audience can incorporate your message into their life and work.
This involves:
Your insights based on your expertise
Your perspective and knowledge on a topic
Actionable tips and takeaways your reader can try out in their own lives
2. Examples and Stories:
Include stories or examples from your own experience or that you’ve learned to drive your point.
It’s practical and relatable, moving beyond theoretical. When you share your own experiences, it shows your humanness. It shows that you have navigated or guided similar situations. It gives more context to your message. It’s authentic and memorable.
This involves:
Your personal or professional stories and examples based on your current or past experiences
Stories or examples from podcasts, articles or books that relate to your message
Workplace scenarios and examples that incorporates information you’ve heard from clients or colleagues
3. Trends:
Include trends to show the relevance and importance of the topic and in response to what’s happening around you. Sharing themes from clients or broader trends makes your information timely. If a few people are struggling with a topic, many likely are.
This involves:
Relevant industry or business trends, research, studies or statistics
Individualized trends you’ve noticed within your business and clients
Larger societal trends that impact your business
How could you use the trend as a way to inform or influence your audience?
Consider your audience and message when you determine the content tactic(s) that works best for each newsletter.
Ultimately, for HR and L&D Coaching and Consulting Businesses, your newsletter has the power to strongly influence your reader and help guide them to be a better leader, employer and person. And, have a positive outcome for your business.
For instance, through this blog, I’m imparting my newsletter knowledge and perspective to help you, my audience, learn more about creating an outstanding newsletter that your reader anticipates and appreciates. I genuinely want you to have the best newsletter possible to serve your audience and be the most impactful.
In summary, to expand your newsletters impact, create a reader focused newsletter filled with helpful information that meets your audiences’ needs.
What about your newsletter?
What content tactic could you include in your next newsletter to increase its impact?
What topics do you have expertise in that your audience wants to learn more about?
Need help expanding your newsletter’s impact? Contact me [RG1] to discuss how I could help.
