Why You Should Spend More Time and Money on an E-newsletter

E-newsletters aren’t super sexy. A lot of Raleigh business owners and managers come to us asking about social media, PPC, and other marketing strategies. Most don’t mention a newsletter.

We get it. Newsletters feel old school. You’re inundated with email, and you assume everyone else is, too. So. Much. Email. Ugh. Who’s going to open and read that thing?

But here’s the thing: Engagement rates on social media are down — and it’s not just you. Per the Rival IQ 2019 Social Media Industry Benchmarks report, they are down across the board for everyone. That doesn’t mean some companies are not crushing it. One of our clients says he notices a sharp uptick in business when his team posts engaging content on social. Awesome! And if your goals include improving your social media returns, there are plenty of things to help move that needle.  

However, many Online Marketing Raleigh companies are always considering where to put their time and money. If you’re choosing between social media and e-newsletters, we’d almost always recommend the newsletter. Here are just a few reasons why:

• Control – Your newsletter is yours. Your social media content belongs to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Google. They might yet again change the rules, increase the cost of boosting your posts, etc. While creating a newsletter isn’t free, it’s still under your control.
• Target Audience – If people sign up for your newsletter, they are a warm lead. They agree, yes, I want to hear from you. Studies show most people prefer to hear from brands this way.
• ROI – The ROI for newsletters is far higher. Like, so incredibly high. You could spend far more money and team members' time putting together a newsletter and see returns. Check out the “email conversions” section of this list of stats for some stunners.
• Visibility – Even if people don’t always read your newsletter, they are seeing your name in their inbox each month. They may or may not see that Tweet you posted at 12:05 p.m. because they were busy going to lunch. According to Forrester Research, 90% of email gets delivered to the intended recipient’s inbox, whereas only 2% of your Facebook fans see your posts in their News Feed. Uh, yep. That’s right.

The Problem with E-Newsletters

Building your e-mail list WILL take time. And as you build it, you must consider sending different messages to different groups. The newsletter is just one of those; you should also send automated messages related to purchasing, thank you notes, and more. Figuring out all these emails and setting them up will also consume time and money. But it’s likely to pay off — far more likely than the two hours you spent on social media.

Your Next Marketing Steps

Yes, e-newsletters work. The problem many people soon discover is that you’re speaking to a small group. That’s not a bad thing! Remember, it’s better to speak to a smaller group of warmer leads who WANT to hear from you than to hold a loudspeaker on social media to a broader audience who doesn’t give a crud what you have to say.

In an ideal world, you’ll have the time and money to spend on both e-newsletters and social media, as well as some other marketing strategies. But if you don’t, get started today on a newsletter or some e-mail marketing campaign.

Need help? We’re ready to help you figure out what strategies are going to grow your business. Contact us today.