Brands looking to drum up attention (and website traffic) often turn to newsletters. When done right, a newsletter can pique the interest of current and prospective customers. Of course, the “right” approach will vary based on a company’s goal in producing the content, which could be anything from gaining exposure for new offerings to increasing conversions, and everything in between.
To successfully leverage a company newsletter, it’s critical to first determine what the brand hopes to accomplish with it, then develop a strategy and determine the right approach from there. Below, 15 members of Forbes Coaches Council discuss key things that brands planning to launch a newsletter need to keep in mind to ensure it helps achieve their primary objective.
Forbes Coaches Council members share tips for writing a newsletter that will help a brand grow.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Choose One Key Goal
A newsletter can be an excellent vehicle for advancing your brand. Having too many goals, though, for the newsletter can risk diluting its impact. I recommend choosing one key goal and ensuring all content aligns with that goal. For example, you might begin with a goal to showcase your thought leadership, then move to generating leads as a secondary goal once your brand is firmly established. - Nikki Moberly, Big Breakthroughs
2. Leverage Creative Content
Transactional newsletters will provide diminishing returns in the current direct-to-consumer brand environment. Rather, leveraging creative content that educates and entertains consumers is likely to be a much more compelling and captivating measure for engaging and accessing customers. - Osman Khan, 10x CEO
3. Be Truthful
The right goal of any good newsletter is to build trust. A brand can grow only when people trust it. A newsletter is an excellent way to showcase the brand’s strengths, achievements and dedication to bringing its mission into reality. Make sure your newsletter reaches the goal every time by being consistent and truthful and adding content that educates or helps your clients. - Priya Kartik, Enspire Academy
4. Show That You Care
One of the most common goals that many brands want to achieve with a newsletter is selling. Most of us are tired and either never open or delete these types of newsletters. As a customer, I want to buy from brands who care—about their employees, clients, suppliers and environment. If a brand communicates that clearly in the newsletter and focuses on that, I am sold. - Dorota Klop-Sowinska, DoSo! Coaching
Forbes Coaches Council is an invitation-only community for leading business and career coaches. Do I qualify?
5. Deliver Valuable Content Regularly
The most valuable thing about a newsletter is that it belongs to you. While many social media platforms—LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok—can generate exposure, interest and sales, you are only “renting” space on them. When trending platforms decline, so does your audience. To have a successful newsletter, you need to deliver content that’s valuable to your subscribers on a consistent basis. - Annette Richmond, Personal Brand You
6. Make It Professional And Visually Appealing
Engaging existing clients is a worthy goal that comes to mind. A newsletter is a great way to stay connected and top of mind by providing thoughtful, relevant content. Make sure your newsletter is professional, visually appealing and appropriate for your readers. It’s also important to maintain a predictable schedule. - Juliette Mayers, Inspiration Zone LLC
7. Keep Your Audience In Mind
To make sure your newsletter doesn’t end up in a spam box, start with a clear goal in mind. Are you trying to grow your audience or increase sales? Next, remember to keep your audience in mind. Answer a burning question they have, or provide a freebie, such as a report or discount code. And finally, grab their attention by giving your newsletter a catchy headline to make subscribers want to click open. - Christopher Mullen, UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group)
8. Make It Short, Crisp, Clear And Purposeful
Newsletter content must engage the readers. A key goal in newsletter development needs to be focusing the content on the readers. That includes using an email subject line to capture the reader’s attention. To be able to compete with the scores of other emails and newsletters people receive each week, newsletter content should be short, crisp and clear, with a purpose. - Diane Hudson, Career Marketing Techniques, LLC
9. Keep It Conversational And Personal
Keep it as conversational and personal as possible. One thing I learned is that the most effective way to write a newsletter, especially if you have a B2C business, is to make it feel as if you’re writing a letter to a friend. That’s how I approach my newsletter writing process. And, it works—I get high open rates, positive feedback and strong conversions. - Leang Chung, Pelora Stack
10. Know What Inspires And Motivates Readers
People get hundreds of emails a day. Why should they read yours? Knowing what inspires and motivates your readers is the only thing you need to keep in mind when sending out a newsletter. Create a unique and valuable reason why someone should read your email, and you will grow loyal readers who look forward to discovering what you will send out next. - Nicole Brant-Zawadzki, BZ Coaching
11. Set Your Publishing Schedule
Newsletters are a fantastic way to build up your “know, like and trust” factor with your audience. One goal to set is your publishing schedule (weekly? biweekly? monthly?) and implement a routine that supports you being consistent with writing. A newsletter only works if it gets consistently sent out! - Ashley Jablow, Wayfinders Collective
12. Make It Story-Rich Content
Brand A’s newsletter mostly shares updates about its programs, and it hasn’t grown in years. Brand B’s newsletter shares success stories and takeaways for the industry, and it grows every month. When your newsletter is story-rich and of service to your audience, you will build a loyal following. Talk only about your business and leave out the stories, and you’ll get nothing but crickets. - Steve Haase, Hypergrowth Coaching, Inc.
13. Address Your Community’s Cares
Newsletters typically generate higher engagement (click-through) rates with your community than social media posts. If your goal is to engage your community, know what they care about and be sure to address those cares. A smaller, engaged community can be worth much more than a larger, disengaged one. - Christine Rose, CEOAccel
14. Stick To A Consistent Cadence
Consistency is the game’s name for email marketing. Newsletters only work if you can stick to a cadence for a long time while maintaining an on-brand tone. Strong storytelling creates a successful newsletter; if you can tell compelling stories weekly, you can turn your audience into loyal readers. A loyal audience will generate more conversions, even if you have a small email list. - Prasha Sarwate, Believe In Your Brilliance LLC
15. Provide Compelling, Relevant Content
A newsletter is an avenue to create a meaningful and sustainable relationship with customers or clients. Using this opportunity to provide compelling and relevant content gives an opportunity to express the business values, goals and mission. Companies should get creative and connect uniquely and authentically with their audience. - Lori Wilson-Hudson, Energy Wellness Coaching
