If you have all the business you will ever need, then don’t email. Or do any other type of digital marketing.
Eh, sorry for the hook…because this is all about why you should email.
But for most businesses, it’s easy to wonder where business owners and organization leaders should focus their marketing efforts.
If you’re like me, I want to know the latest tips and tricks to keep up with the market, the algorithms, the changing seasons, and if someone is sharing it, I do want to hear it. All YouTubers are competing for attention, so they try to hand out the latest hot advice to get it. So much stuff is out there in infinite space, and it overwhelms us all.
What on earth do we do? Like, where do we start? Should we master short-form video? Master long-form video? Pay for targeted social ads? Post constantly on Facebook and IG?
Well, yes (and sometimes no).
Don’t throw your marketing efforts about willy-nilly. You need a strategy in place. And an email is a great place to start.
Far from an outdated marketing tactic, email newsletters are one of the most effective tools for building authentic audience relationships, driving consistent revenue, and insulating your business from platform changes you can’t control.
Here is why an email newsletter should be a core pillar of your business growth strategy, and how to make it work for you.
1. You’re the Owner of Your Audience
The problem with building a following strictly on social media platforms is that we are constantly told we are building on rented land. We all know this, but we still do it anyway as our only strategy. But an algorithm shift can instantly reduce your organic reach from thousands of views down to a handful. Interestingly enough, my Facebook page shows me that algorithm shifts are real.
Your email list is different: it is an asset you own.
The good part of sending email newsletters is that they go directly to an inbox chosen by your subscriber. No algorithms decide whether your message is worth seeing. It’s a direct line of communication that gives your business security, predictability, and complete control over your message. Your subscriber has given you permission to email them. They want your emails.
2. Inboxes Build Intimacy and Trust
Social media feeds are noisy, fast-paced, and public. In contrast, an inbox is more personal. Especially when done right.
When someone invites your business into their inbox, they give you permission to start a one-on-one conversation. A thoughtfully written e-newsletter allows you to share:
- Behind-the-scenes stories about your brand or mission.
- Expert insights and educational tips that solve your readers’ real problems.
- Curated resources that showcase your industry authority.
Over time, this consistent touchpoint transforms casual readers into familiar friends and familiar friends into clients, donors, or customers.
As a writer, I like to read stories. Behind-the-scenes stories are personal, inviting, and trust-building. They don’t need to be perfect. They don’t need to be engrossing. Just a simple story with heart. Not fake. Emotion-driven stories are especially important, and since we are emotional beings, we gravitate toward good stories with feelings, which helps us relate more deeply.
Not every business owner gives expert insights and educational tips. But if you have expert insights, it’s good to include what you know. I’m not necessarily interested in how my local coffee shop mixes my coffee to make it perfect, or how my local live theatre sells me a ticket. But I do like watching mechanics talk expertly about the engines they work on.
Curated resources in a newsletter add an extra punch of believability. Graphs or diagrams provide a clear visual of information that may be necessary to show stakeholders. A picture is worth a thousand words. And a link to an interesting article you, as the business owner, found valuable is nice to share.
Every business has its own personality, reach, and assets. A dentist’s office doesn’t speak the same way as an electrician, but both can use an email list to keep customers remembering them. And the good news about an email newsletter is they are very flexible – uniquely designed for one’s own email list and very useful as a marketing tool to build trust and loyalty.
Your thoughts?