E-newsletters remain one of the best ways to communicate with your database. They are inexpensive, can be sent out quickly and allow users to dictate the news that they receive. Here’s why e-newsletters should form part of your digital marketing suite.
In an age of social media domination, it is easy to overlook the value of an electronic newsletter. However, research shows that e-newsletters are actually better suited to brand communication than social media. Research conducted by the global e-mail marketing group iContact found that 93% of internet users would rather receive brand information in their inbox than in their social media feed. Here are just a few of the benefits of sending regular e-newsletters:
- They provide valuable user data
Sending e-newsletters allows you to track who opened the e-mail concerned (open rate), as well as how many people clicked on links in the e-mail (click-through rate). “ICSC collects all this data and then provides our clients with regular reports relating to open and click-through rates. We can also identify viewing hot spots in e-newsletters – these are the articles or features that received the most clicks,” says digital media specialist Jana van Rensburg.
According to the UK-based Data and Marketing Association’s E-mail Benchmarking Report for 2018, the average e-mail open rate stands at 18,1%. The most opened e-mails are in the finance, non-profit and retail sectors.
- They are cost effective
Electronic newsletters are far less expensive than printed newsletters. There is no printing cost involved, design is less time-consuming and distribution costs are negligible compared to mailing physical newsletters.
- They keep your database up to date
E-newsletters put a measure of control in the hands of the recipient. They can update their newsletter preferences, forward the newsletter to others and also unsubscribe. It may seem like a disadvantage that they can unsubscribe, but this actually allows you to target a group of users who are actively interested in your products or services.
- They boost your SEO
E-newsletters give you the opportunity to provide new pathways to your website. “Including links to your website in an e-newsletter is beneficial for your search engine optimisation (SEO) as it directs more feet or clicks to your website. The more links point to your website, the more ‘authority’ your website will have in terms of SEO rankings,” explains Jana. “You can boost the SEO potential of e-newsletters even further by including social sharing buttons to platforms like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. This increases the reach of your newsletter, and thereby boosts your SEO potential.”
- They can be sent out quickly
E-newsletters are the ideal way to get a message across to your database quickly and efficiently in a time of crisis or change. They can go out virtually immediately and have more authority than a post on social media would when important information needs to be communicated.
- They offer great ROI
Return on investment (ROI) rates for e-newsletters outstrip both social media and online advertising. According to US-based e-mail marketing group Campaign Monitor, every $1 spent on e-mail marketing generates $38 in revenue. In comparison, businesses make an average of $2 in revenue for every $1 they spend on Google Ads.
ICSC has considerable expertise in the production and distribution of electronic newsletters. Get in touch with us at jana@icsc.co.za or (021) 976 1918 to discuss your e-newsletter requirements. We can’t wait to help you communicate on a whole new level.
