Basic Types of Newsletters Every Digital Marketing Plan Needs

Ready to start a company newsletter or email marketing campaign?

Great idea!

Email is one of the most trusted marketing channels, and the value of email marketing just keeps on growing even in the post-COVID world.

In addition, 31 percent of B2B marketers say that email newsletters are the best way to nurture leads, and 80 percent of B2C business professionals believe that email marketing increases customer retention — and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

But before you start to see the fruits of your emails, you’re going to need to understand the basic types of newsletters you can employ to help you achieve your goals, whether they’re to get new customers, retain positive relations with your current ones, generate leads, or close sales.

Before we move on, if you’re still a little unsure about what the power of email marketing can really do for you and your business, head to our blog: The Top 9 Things You Should Know When Starting an Email Marketing Campaign or Company Newsletter.

 

Type No. 1: Promotional Style

When you think about the types of emails sent by a business, this is likely the first that comes to mind. 

Just check your inbox — you likely have a couple waiting in there for you right now!

A promotional newsletter will inform your readers about a new product, service, event, or sale, and they’re basically just another vehicle to coax your readers into making a purchase. And your readers actually want to see these kinds of emails, too — in fact, 49 percent of consumers want to see promotional emails from their favorite brands on a weekly basis.

But that doesn’t mean this is the only type of email you should send. According to HubSpot, your emails should aim to be 90 percent educational and only 10 percent promotional, or else you run the risk of losing subscribers because you’re constantly shoving sales down everybody’s throat.

For best results, to make sure you don’t get drowned out in all the newsletter noise, here’s what you can do to help your promotional emails stand out amongst the crowd:

  • Use a brand-related emoji in the subject line to help distinguish yourself from others.
  • Always personalize your emails when you can.
  • Invoke the use of humor to keep subscribers engaged.
  • Use intriguing assets like videos, infographics, product demonstrations, and more.
  • Provide even more value by offering a discount, like “Thanks for being a subscriber! Here’s 5 percent off your next purchase!” or a free gift when they spend $50 or something of the like. Forty-two percent of Americans subscribe to email lists to receive savings and discounts, so you’ll definitely want to try out this last option if you’re looking to grow your subscriber base!

If you’re still unsure about what needs to go into this type of email, here are some free promotional email templates from Moosend.

 

Type No. 2: Link-based or Curated Content Style

Link-based or curated-content-style emails are perfect for when you want to provide tons of quick value to your readers. These take the form of an aggregation and organization of the best content related to a specific topic that’s relevant to both your business and your audience.

Whether you decide to compile trends, research, case studies, informational articles, reports, videos, or something else entirely, employing the use of this type of newsletter is great if you’re looking to save time. 

Instead of spending hours curating an email that does a deep dive into a specific topic, you can save yourself time by writing quick, digestible bites that guide your viewers into learning more by heading to the related links. The biggest thing here is that you’ll want to give your readers context as to why this content matters to them, whether you link to your own content or that of others.

You can also incorporate relevant imagery — but keep in mind that it’s better to keep this type of email short and sweet. 

Remember: Just because an email isn’t long doesn’t mean it’s not a great email!

 

Type No. 3: Blog Style

This type of newsletter is perfect for when you’re looking to drive more traffic to your content. Essentially, it’s just an email letting your subscribers know that you’ve got something fresh and hot off the press that they absolutely need to get a taste of.

In addition, email is an incredibly popular way to share your creations. In fact, 87 percent of marketers use email marketing to promote their content, which makes it the third most popular distribution channel right behind social media and company websites.

While it might be called “blog style,” you don’t have to share blogs only — you can guide people towards interacting with your latest video, podcast, webinar, or anything else you want to share. The big idea here is that you want to write concise and coaxing copy to make people click through to the larger piece, convincing them why they should care about what you have to offer and outlining the benefits of the information they’ll receive once they click through.

 

Type No. 4: Featured Article/Letter-from-the-editor Style

This type of email should be saved for when you have something important to say or want to make a point about something happening in your industry, whether you’re offering your opinion, advice, or just sharing things you think will be of particular interest to your audience. It’s very writing heavy, so it’ll definitely take a bit more of your time to create than other types of newsletters.

Whatever it is you decide to share, you’ll want to make sure that you stay focused on one topic while also incorporating some sort of human element to your story. You don’t want to be salesy — you want to set yourself up as an expert and a thought leader within your field to build trust and authenticity for your brand.

It can take the form of a letter from the editor that does a deep dive into how one of their products helped change somebody’s life, it can be an analysis of ongoing trends and what they might mean for your customers going forward, and so much more. If you’re still a little lost, that’s okay — here’s some examples of letters to the editor to help guide you along.

 

Type No. 5: Testimonial/Customer Story Style

Everyone loves a good story — and that’s why incorporating customer stories into your email marketing endeavors is a great way to get people interested in your company.

Viewers don’t like it when brands come off as too pushy or “salesy,” but testimonials take that out of the equation by providing real life, social proof. In fact, testimonial videos are ranked as the most effective form of video content, closely followed by tutorial and demonstration videos! 

Instead of having the owner or CEO talk about what makes your company so great, it’s much more powerful to have a customer share their unscripted, honest, and genuine experience. When a viewer watches someone who’s just like them sharing their positive thoughts about your business, it resonates with them on a much deeper level than if they heard it directly from one of your employees because you’ve added a human element to your brand.

Still not convinced? Head to this link to watch a testimonial video we created!

 

Type No. 6: Client/Community Spotlight Style

Audiences love getting to see the inner workings of your company and the human side of your brand. By showing your unscripted, natural side, you provide value to them by becoming more relatable, open, and “real.” 

Eighty percent of consumers are more likely to follow brands that share that authenticity with the  world, after all, so showing some insider ongoings will allow you to not only create meaningful engagements with your current audiences but also create new ones!

This type of newsletter can take the form of a client or customer spotlight, where you share stories about your clients or customers and how your products or services made a change in their life. The key distinction here is that you’ll want to share their stories while also providing information about your involvement with the project.

You can also highlight your community involvements, like sharing behind-the-scenes footage of company events, discussing any charitable ongoings, and so much more. The biggest thing here is that you want to connect your brand to the community, so do what you can to avoid coming off as salesy while maintaining a strong human element.

 

Thanks for Reading!

Thanks for taking the time to read our blog! We hope it helped you get started on understanding some basic types of newsletters you can use to help you achieve your goals.

But if you still think you could use a little guidance in building a solid email marketing strategy, our team at OpticTour would love to help you out!

Whenever you’re ready, schedule your free marketing consultation with us.

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