How to create a newsletter?

The newsletter is a cornerstone in the digital marketing arsenal of any modern business, regardless of size or sector. It is a powerful communication tool that helps in transmitting information directly and strengthens the relationship between your brand and your customers, enabling you to maintain regular contact with them. In this article, we’ll look at the many benefits of setting up a newsletter, explore the five key steps to creating an effective and captivating newsletter, and look at ways to maximize the impact of your email campaigns.

What is a newsletter?

A newsletter is a type of information bulletin sent regularly by email to a list of subscribers who have opted in to receive updates from you. Companies, non-profit organizations, individual content creators and educational institutions frequently use newsletters to communicate with their subscribers, keeping them informed of their respective news.

The content and frequency may vary, but the main objective of this communication format remains to maintain a direct, personal link with your audience. Depending on your needs and those of your subscribers, information in the newsletter can include company news, feature articles, promotional offers or practical advice.

What are the benefits of a newsletter?

Setting up a newsletter is the foundation of a dynamic, adaptive communications strategy, capable of responding to the changing needs of your audience and your company’s objectives. Its advantages are numerous, the 3 main ones being:

  • Generating traffic to your digital platforms: One of the newsletter’s greatest strengths is its ability to direct readers to your website, blog, or online store. By delivering interesting and relevant content directly to your subscribers’ inboxes, you create a gateway to other platforms in your digital ecosystem, increasing traffic and potentially improving your business results.
  • Maintaining contact over the long term: unlike the ephemeral interactions seen on social networks, a newsletter enables ongoing communication. Instead of the customer coming to you, it’s the other way around. A lasting relationship of trust with your subscribers is therefore built by regularly providing them with content that is useful and interesting to them.
  • Improved search engine positioning: Although newsletters themselves are not directly indexed by search engines, they can positively influence your SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in an indirect way. By encouraging subscribers to visit your website to read an article or take advantage of an offer, you increase organic traffic to your site, which is a favorable factor in the eyes of search engines. What’s more, quality content shared via newsletters can encourage social shares and inbound links, both of which are beneficial for SEO.
Example of a successful newsletter Example of a well-designed newsletter. Most email platforms, which I’ll talk about below, offer customizable templates similar to this one.

What are the steps to creating a newsletter?

Creating a newsletter isn’t a complicated exercise, but it does require a methodical approach to ensure the success of your email campaigns. So let’s take a look at the essential steps involved in designing an effective newsletter that not only reaches your target audience, but also stimulates engagement and builds loyalty among your subscribers.

1Define your newsletter’s objective

The first essential step in creating your newsletter is to clearly define its objectives. Ask yourself what the main purpose of your newsletter is: do you want to inform your subscribers of the latest company news, promote products or services, or perhaps build customer loyalty by offering exclusive, personalized content?

Clarity of purpose is important, as it will directly influence the content, design and frequency of your newsletter. For example, a newsletter designed to inform might contain articles and regular updates, while one geared towards sales might feature special offers and calls to action. The point here is to define precise, measurable objectives so as to better target your messages and, later, evaluate the effectiveness of each newsletter.

To refine these objectives, it’s also necessary to take into account the expectations and preferences of your target audience. By understanding what your subscribers expect to receive, you can adjust the tone, style and even complexity of the information shared to better meet their needs.

Tailoring your objectives with your subscribers’ makes your newsletter relevant and engaging and also increases the chances that each mailing will be received with interest. In short, it means that the overall effectiveness of your email communications strategy will be all the stronger for it.

2Choosing the right platform

There are several ways to set up and manage your email campaigns. Some options can be highly technical, requiring in-depth knowledge of coding and server management. Fortunately, there are all-in-one platforms that simplify this process and make newsletter management accessible to beginners and professionals alike.

Choosing a platform that caters to your needs is a key decision as it can have a significant influence on the effectiveness of your mailing campaigns. The right platform will not only make it easier for you to manage and send your newsletters, but also optimize your ability to achieve your communication objectives.

Ease of use is one of the key criteria. An intuitive interface allows you to create attractive newsletters without the need for special technical skills. This includes features such as text editors and personalization options that help you design visually engaging emails with ease.

Email deliverability is also a key factor. The platform you choose needs to have a good reputation to ensure that your emails reach your subscribers’ inboxes and not the spam folder. This often involves technical aspects such as SPF, DKIM, and DMARC management, email security standards that help verify the authenticity of messages sent and combat phishing and spam. This is essential for maintaining your domain’s reputation.

The analysis and tracking tools offered by the platform are indispensable because they enable you to measure the effectiveness of your campaigns. These tools should provide you with detailed data on open rates, clicks, conversions and more, but I’ll come back to this point later.

Segmentation and automation capability is another important criterion. A good platform will enable you to group your subscriber list according to various criteria (such as purchasing behavior, geographic location, or previous interactions), and automate the sending of personalized content to these specific segments.

Finally, consider the scalability and customer support offered by the platform. It’s crucial that your provider can grow with you as your subscriber list expands and your marketing needs evolve. Responsive, competent customer support is also essential to help you quickly resolve any technical difficulties or questions you may have.

Which are the best email marketing platforms?

It’s obvious that there’s a multitude of platforms to choose from, and it may be difficult for you, as a newbie, to know which one is better than the other. But if you know me, you’ll know that I’ve got my heart in the right place and that I usually come up with a list of the best platforms on the market. So here it is.

Example of a template customization interface on Brevo An example of the newsletter template creation and customization interface on the emailing platform Brevo.
  • GetResponse: This platform is particularly appreciated for its sophisticated automation tools, which enable users to create personalized communication paths based on subscriber behaviors. GetResponse also offers solutions for webinars, making it ideal for companies looking to combine their email marketing efforts with other online content strategies.
  • Brevo (ex SendInBlue): Brevo is famous for its flexibility and competitive pricing, making it a favorite choice for small businesses and startups. The platform offers a full suite of marketing tools, including email marketing, SMS marketing, and advanced segmentation to optimize subscriber engagement.
  • Beehiiv: Beehiiv is an innovative emailing platform designed specifically for content creators, offering powerful tools for creating, monetizing and managing newsletters with an intuitive user interface and advanced segmentation features.
  • Mailjet: Mailjet is a robust emailing platform that enables you to create, send and analyze email marketing campaigns efficiently. It offers real-time collaboration tools and advanced automation features, making it ideal for marketing teams of all sizes.
  • HubSpot Email Marketing: Integrated into the broader HubSpot suite, this platform facilitates marketing automation and synchronizes seamlessly with other CRM tools. It is particularly powerful for companies looking to centralize their marketing operations.
  • Mailchimp: Renowned for its user-friendliness and intuitive user interface, Mailchimp is one of the most popular platforms for beginners. It offers a wide range of customizable templates, automation options to precisely target subscribers, and detailed analysis tools to track the performance of your campaigns.
  • Zoho Campaigns: Ideal for Zoho users, this platform enables seamless integration with other Zoho products, optimizing marketing campaigns. It also offers automation tools to effectively target subscribers.
  • ActiveCampaign: This platform is renowned for its advanced automation features and integrated CRM, helping to personalize interactions with subscribers. ActiveCampaign is perfect for companies looking to refine their communications based on customer behavior.

Respect the legal rules

There are legal rules surrounding the principles of consent and transparency when collecting email addresses, which is crucial to respect. This is particularly the case in Europe with the “General Data Protection Regulation” (the famous GDPR).

Ensure that users are well aware of what they’re signing up for, and that they have the option of explicitly choosing to receive your newsletter through a clear action, such as ticking a box. This reinforces the trust your subscribers give you and ensures that your list is compliant with regulations.

How to create and integrate a sign-up form?

Creating a newsletter subscription form and integrating it into your website or blog isn’t very complicated. However, the procedure differs from one platform to another, so I won’t be able to explain it here. I can already see a drop of sweat beading on your forehead, but rest assured that most blog creation and emailing platforms offer tools to facilitate both tasks. What’s more, depending on which ones you choose, you’ll find tutorials explaining the steps you need to take to accomplish each of them. All you have to do is follow the instructions carefully, and everything should go smoothly.

Try to ask for as little information as possible on the registration form you post on your blog or elsewhere. The more you ask, the more likely it is to turn potential subscribers away. The email address is the most important element, of course. You may also ask for the subscriber’s first name, in order to personalize your newsletters, but asking for more would be to run the risk of it becoming suspicious and deterring users from subscribing.

This is an example of a newsletter subscription form. The incentive here is to offer new subscribers the chance to take part in a contest (or raffle). This can be very effective if the prizes on offer are sufficiently attractive. However, you need to make sure that the content you offer them in your newsletters really interests them. Otherwise you run the risk of a massive unsubscription wave once the contest is over.

An example of a newsletter subscription form

3Build your mailing list

The success of your newsletter requires the building of a strong, committed mailing list (or subscriber list). This list determines who receives your communications, and the number and quality of these subscribers will directly influence the impact of your marketing strategy. Growing this subscriber list can take time, but with the right techniques, you can speed up the process. Here are a few tips to help you do just that.

How to collect email addresses?

  • Subscription forms: This is the most direct and effective way of collecting email addresses. Place sign-up forms prominently on your website, in your blog posts, on your home page and in any other strategic place where visitors are likely to engage with your content.
  • A quiz: Quizzes are a great way to interact with your visitors and collect email addresses in a fun way. Be sure to clearly inform participants that their email address will be used for newsletter mailings, and give them the option of checking a box to accept.
  • A survey: Surveys can also be a valuable tool for collecting emails while gaining useful information about your potential subscribers. As with quizzes, it’s important not to automatically add addresses to your list without explicit consent.
  • Online events or webinars: When registering for an online event or webinar you’re organizing, you can include an option to subscribe to your newsletter. This can be a checkbox on the registration form that clearly indicates that the user agrees to receive emails from you.
  • Social networks: Use your social media platforms to encourage your followers to sign up for your newsletter. You can include links to your sign-up forms in your bios, publish incentive posts, or even use targeted ads to reach a wider audience.
  • Special offers and free downloads: Offering something of value, such as a free ebook, how-to guide, or discount coupon, in exchange for the email address can significantly increase the conversion rate of your sign-up form.

Why purchasing an email list online is never a good idea?

Creating an effective newsletter relies on a solid base of engaged subscribers interested in what you have to offer. One of the pitfalls you absolutely must avoid in the process of creating this list is the purchase of already established email lists. This practice may seem like a huge time-saver, but it’s terribly counterproductive and can damage your email marketing strategy. And there are several reasons for this.

The recipients of purchased lists don’t recognize your company, and rightly so, since they’ve never subscribed to it. Your emails might end up being marked as spam. Consequently, there’s a risk of compromising your reputation as a sender and that of your brand.

Second, since the users of these lists have not given their explicit consent to receive your communications, buying email lists can lead to violations of data protection laws, for example the GDPR mentioned above.

What’s more, the results of campaigns sent to lists purchased on the web are generally mediocre, with low open and extremely low conversion rates. Which makes sense, after all, as messages are neither targeted nor personalized for an engaged audience.

So it’s essential to build your own subscriber list by respecting opt-in practices and offering real value that encourages users to sign up voluntarily and stay subscribed over the long term.

How to be convincing enough to entice people to sign up?

Making a sign-up form irresistible isn’t always easy, because people tend to be wary of spam and other forms of unwanted email. So, you need to convince them that your newsletter will bring them real added value once they’ve signed up. Here are some effective strategies for doing just that:

  • Highlight exclusive benefits: Make sure potential subscribers understand what they gain by signing up to your newsletter. Highlight unique benefits, such as exclusive content, special offers, discount coupons, or early access to your products or services. Clarify what they’ll receive and why it’s advantageous for them.
  • Create a sense of exclusivity: People like to feel special. Let them know that by subscribing to your newsletter, they become part of a privileged group. Use terms like “exclusive access” or “members only” to make your newsletter seem more attractive and exclusive.
  • Use testimonials and reviews: Testimonials from satisfied subscribers can be very persuasive. They show new visitors that others have found value in what you offer. Displaying these testimonials near your sign-up forms can increase your credibility and encourage sign-ups.
  • Offer a guarantee: Reduce perceived risks by offering a satisfaction guarantee, such as the ability to unsubscribe easily. By reassuring people that they can leave the list at any time if they find that the content doesn’t meet their expectations, they’ll be more inclined to give your newsletter a chance.
  • Visual triggers and clear CTAs: Your form design should be attractive, and your calls to action (CTAs) should be clear and convincing. Use eye-catching colors and shapes, and words that prompt action, such as “Join us now” or “Get your free guide”.

How to choose the best channel?

Your niche and the content you offer will determine to a great extent where you collect new subscribers. However, generally speaking, you need to go and find your audience where they are. On social networks, for example, topics such as cooking recipes or fitness are generally more successful on Instagram, while gaming-related content is better suited to Twitch and YouTube. On the other hand, topics revolving around the professional world are most popular on LinkedIn and Twitter/X.

4Create attractive content

Now that you’ve chosen the right platform, created your registration form and collected your first email addresses, it’s time to figure out what to put in your newsletters. I’ve talked about this briefly in the previous chapter, but let’s take a closer look.

Attractive and well-thought-out content is crucial if you want to maintain your subscribers’ interest and encourage them to interact with your messages. So, here are a few key elements to integrate into your newsletters:

  • Interesting content for subscribers: This is the basis, so make sure that every edition of your newsletter brings something useful or informative to your subscribers. This could be practical tips, important updates, case studies or inspiring stories that resonate with their needs and interests.
  • A note of humor: Don’t underestimate the power of humor to make your newsletter more enjoyable and memorable. A funny text, image or even video can make all the difference in making your content more digestible and engaging.
  • Call to action: Every newsletter should include a clear call to action that encourages readers to interact with your content, whether by visiting your site, buying a product, registering for an event or sharing your content. Make sure these calls to action are visible and directly linked to pages that can help your business grow.
  • Personalized, targeted content: Use the data you have on your subscribers to personalize messages. Segmenting your mailing list by interests, buying behavior, or other demographics can help you target more precisely and make content even more relevant to each group of subscribers.
  • Regular updates and news: Keep your subscribers informed of the latest news and updates from your company or industry. This can include new product announcements, service improvements, or important changes in your business that could affect your customers.
  • Educational resources: Providing tutorials, guides, webinars, or free ebooks can enrich your content and add educational value that builds subscriber loyalty.

In short, there are very many elements to choose from, and it’s up to you to decide what can or can’t be applied to your newsletter. Think carefully, because by integrating these elements, you’ll create content that not only holds your subscribers’ attention, but also encourages them to interact more with your brand.

examples of metrics collected by an emailing platform Here’s an example of the metrics collected by an emailing platform, some of which are very complete, like here on Beehiiv, and can be consulted in your admin panel.

What tone should you use in your newsletter?

The tone of your newsletter is dependent on a number of factors, including your market niche and audience profile. The style and language you use can therefore vary greatly depending on who you’re addressing. For example, a newsletter aimed at business leaders will generally adopt a more formal, professional tone, while a communication aimed at techno music fans might be more relaxed.

Newsletter design and layout

You’ll soon discover that writing a good newsletter is not an easy task. A fluid and convincing manner of writing is paramount in case you don’t want your readers to yawn at the end of each paragraph. So you need certain skills, but you also need to be able to devote the time you need. If, for example, you manage an online store, shipping, returns, etc., and you’re also in charge of creating video and other content for your social networks, it won’t be easy.

Your brand identity should also be reflected by the layout of your newsletter. This includes the use of your corporate colors, logo and any other graphic elements that can reinforce your brand recognition. Your newsletter should also be “responsive”, meaning it can adapt and be read easily on all devices, from desktops to smartphones.

Finally, a good practice is to limit the use of different font types and keep a clear hierarchy in text sizes to maintain an orderly visual structure. A well-designed newsletter is not only more pleasing to the eye, it also makes it easier to communicate your message and encourages readers to take the desired action.

Use a freelancer?

You’ll soon discover that writing a good newsletter is not an easy task. A fluid and convincing manner of writing is paramount in case you don’t want your readers to yawn at the end of each paragraph. So you need certain skills, but you also need to be able to devote the time you need. If, for example, you manage an online store, shipping, returns, etc., and you’re also in charge of creating video and other content for your social networks, it won’t be easy.

In this case, hiring a freelancer can be an excellent option. This allows you to outsource the creation and management of your newsletter, particularly if you lack the time or skills required. Freelancers specializing in email marketing can design engaging content, optimize campaigns and analyze performance, helping to improve the effectiveness of your communication efforts.

They’ll do the job for you, often for a very reasonable price and probably better than if you had done it yourself. Freelancers who are ready to assist you can be found on platforms such as Fiverr, UpWork, Toptal or PeoplePerHour.

5Analyze and optimize performance

It is important that you analyze and optimize the performance of your newsletter in order to maximize its effectiveness and impact. This will provide you with feedback on what’s working well and what could be improved, helping you to continually refine your strategies to better meet the needs and interests of your subscribers. Here’s how to analyze and optimize performance.

  • Track key indicators: Every emailing platform collects performance data. Start by tracking metrics such as open rate, click-through rate, unsubscribe rate and conversion rate. This data will give you an overview of the effectiveness of each mailing and show you where improvements are needed.
  • Audience segmentation: Segmenting your subscriber list can help you further personalize your messages and make them more relevant to different groups. By analyzing performance by segment, you can adapt your strategies to better target each specific group.
  • A/B testing: Using A/B testing on different elements of your newsletter, such as subject lines, design, or calls to action, can reveal which variants engage subscribers the most. This allows you to optimize future campaigns based on the results obtained.
  • Subscriber feedback: Sometimes, the best way to understand how to improve your newsletter is to ask your subscribers directly. Surveys and polls can be invaluable tools for gathering feedback to guide your optimization decisions. Some emailing platforms offer to integrate this in just a few clicks.
  • Track conversions: If the aim of your newsletter is to generate sales or leads, you’ll have to track conversions resulting directly from each mailing. This helps you to understand the real effectiveness of your newsletter in terms of its contribution to business objectives.

How often should you send your newsletter?

It is important strike a balance being on the mind of your subscribers and avoiding saturating them with too many communications. Therefore, you’ll need to determine the most optimal sending frequency. While it’s tempting to send a daily newsletter to maximize engagement, you’ll need to consider a number of factors to find the most appropriate rhythm.

The ideal frequency depends on a number of factors, including your sector of activity, the type of content you offer, and the expectations of your audience. For example, a news or media-related newsletter might justify a daily mailing, while for a B2B (business-to-business) company with denser, more informative content, a weekly frequency, or even monthly, might be more appropriate.

You’ll need to analyze your subscribers’ interactions and preferences in order to adjust the frequency of mailings without compromising the quality or relevance of the content you offer.

Is there an optimal day and time to send a newsletter?

Some studies and statistical analyses suggest that there are optimal times to send newsletters, often based on engagement averages across different industries. But relying too strictly on these generalizations can sometimes be counterproductive, because every audience is unique.

Indeed, email interaction habits can vary considerably according to industry, demographic area, and even the individual behavior of each subscriber. So, it’s best to experiment and analyze the specific performance of your subscriber list to determine the most opportune time.

Tips for boosting subscriber numbers

Before concluding this article, I’d like to offer a few tips that should help you optimize your strategy, boost the number of subscribers to your newsletter and contribute to the success of your email campaigns.

  • Promotion via advertising campaigns: You can use platforms like Google Ads, Facebook Ads or LinkedIn Ads to target specific audiences that are likely to be interested in what you have to offer. Creating attractive ads that demonstrate the exclusive benefits of your newsletter can entice people to sign up. Read my article on digital marketing to find out more.
  • Optimize sign-up forms: Make sure your forms are simple, accessible and that the sign-up process is as easy as possible. Test different layouts and locations on your site to see which configurations attract the most clicks.
  • Use content marketing: Create content that naturally draws visitors to your site, such as blog posts, videos or podcasts. Include clear calls-to-action encouraging visitors to subscribe to your newsletter for more information.
  • Collaborations and partnerships: Work with other companies or influencers who can help promote your newsletter to their own audience. This can extend your reach and bring in new subscribers from trusted sources.
  • Engaging confirmation emails: Optimize your confirmation emails with engaging content and a warm thank you for signing up. This can reinforce the subscriber’s decision to stay engaged with your brand.
  • Incorporate into transactions: If you run an online store, add a newsletter sign-up option on order confirmation pages or in purchase follow-up emails. Customers who have just made a purchase are often more engaged and therefore more likely to be interested in what you offer in your newsletter.
  • Integration with customer relationship management tools: Make sure your newsletter platform is well integrated with your CRM, if you use one, to automate the segmentation and personalization process. This will enable you to create targeted campaigns based on precise data such as purchase history, preferences and previous interactions.
  • Optimize for mobile reading: Given that the majority of emails are now read on mobile devices, optimize your newsletters for smartphones and tablets. Make sure the design is “responsive”, images are lightweight and CTA buttons are large enough to be easily clicked on touch screens.
  • Deliverability tests: Before sending your newsletter to your entire list, carry out deliverability tests to ensure that your emails don’t end up in spam folders. There are specific tools for this, but you can also just ask your friends and family to sign up for a few tests.

Glossary

Voici quelques explications concernant certains termes utilisés dans cet article:

  • CRM: (Customer Relationship Management) is a system used to manage a company’s interactions with current and potential customers, centralizing data to improve business relationships, customer retention and sales growth. HubSpot, Monday and Salesforce are just a few examples of popular CRM platforms.
  • CTA: (Call To Action) is an instruction or button designed to immediately prompt the reader to perform a specific action, such as registering, purchasing a product, or accessing further information.
  • Conversion rate: This is a metric that measures the percentage of subscribers who complete a specific desired action, such as making a purchase or registering for an event, from an email.
  • A/B testing: This is a method of comparing two versions of the same newsletter to determine which performs better in terms of engagement and conversion, by changing one element at a time (such as the email subject, an image or other layout elements).

Conclusion

Today, a newsletter is an indispensable element of any modern corporate marketing strategy. It is an essential tool because it has the ability to maintain a continuous link with subscribers and therefore plays a significant role in achieving wider marketing objectives, such as improving online visibility and strengthening interactions with their audience.

The keys to a newsletter’s success lie in its power to attract subscriptions thanks to a clearly defined interest, and in its ability to provide content that meets, but also exceeds, subscribers’ expectations. This content must be targeted and relevant, and should not spread itself too thinly over a wide range of subjects that could dilute readers’ interest. Focusing on specific, relevant themes for which people have subscribed is essential to keeping them engaged.

The choice of distribution platform should be made with care, taking into account your technical skills, your specific objectives, and the platform’s ability to adapt to your constantly evolving needs. A good platform facilitates the management of your newsletter and optimizes interaction with your subscriber list.

Finally, the advantage of a newsletter is its flexibility, enabling you to adapt it to your subscribers’ changing expectations. Therefore, it’s vital to regularly monitor the performance of each mailing, analyzing what’s working and what can be improved. This analysis helps you refine your strategies and maximize the impact of your newsletter.

Voilà, I think you now have all the information you need to get started with your newsletter. Will you be doing it soon? Why are you still hesitant? Feel free to share your experiences or ask questions in the comments section.

This article could be completed or improved with your help. Feel free to leave a comment below if you have any question, a relevant remark, a feedback, additional information or spotted any error.Go to comments

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