7 Key Features of an Effective Small Business Newsletter

When you’re developing the strategy for your small business’s newsletter, it can be overwhelming to try to check off every single box. This is especially true if you’ve never written a newsletter before. Find out how to maximize your results with the following seven key features every newsletter should have, courtesy of the Aransas Pass Chamber of Commerce.

1. Clear Goals

Clear goals are the foundation of any successful newsletter. In order to see your customer base grow, for example, you need to articulate exactly how your newsletter will facilitate this growth — and then you need to create content that is relevant to prospective clients’ needs.

2. The Right Tools

Once you’ve established the goals of your newsletter, you need to find the right tools to bring your vision to fruition. This includes tools to create, revise, and share the newsletter, or you can convert it to a PDF. You can use an online tool to drag and drop files, convert them to PDFs, and make them look like a magazine.

3. Shareable Content

When you’re writing the text that comprises the newsletter, it’s important to consider its shareability. According to Invesp, word-of-mouth marketing is responsible for a stunning $6 trillion in consumer spending each year. Incentivizing sharing is one of the best ways to boost word of mouth and increase your reach to new customers.

4. Readership Strategy

Establishing a consistent readership might seem like an uphill battle for your small business newsletter. To ensure you’re reaching as many people as possible, you should devise a strategy to increase your audience. When prospective customers log onto your site or social media, you can offer a discount code in exchange for a newsletter subscription.

5. Help From Professionals

Small business owners have many skills — you’re probably a pro at entrepreneurship, management, and marketing. If you’re not as confident in your content writing or graphic design skills, though, you may benefit from a professional’s skills. You can find freelance services in these fields and ensure that your newsletter’s content is top-tier.

6. Data Visualization

When you need to illustrate information in an accessible way, data visualization is one of the best tools at your disposal. You can use infographics, pie charts, and other data visualization methods to engage readers of your newsletter. These graphics are essential when you are communicating information that may not be particularly compelling when phrased in a verbal format.

7. Lack of Mistakes

There are plenty of newbie mistakes that you must avoid when you’re working on your small business newsletter. If you’re tempted to buy an email list, for example, don’t do it — your newsletter will likely be flagged as spam. Similarly, you should never send a newsletter from an email address that’s not branded, and you should never overlook a call to action, whether that’s a Facebook follow button, a discount code, or an invitation to call. Track the results of your newsletter with a tool that lets you measure readership, see how many people open the email, and ensure the newsletter is working.

Follow the Formula for a Great Newsletter

Crafting a great newsletter isn’t easy, but it isn’t rocket science, either. You can master the task by following this formula and incorporating these seven factors into your content. Attract more customers than ever with an effective newsletter, a great call to action, and a PDF conversion tool.