Your email newsletter is not good enough. TBH, I don’t read it.
I’ve been an active member of your organization for more than a decade, but instead of leveling up, we’re leveling down. You used to woo me with candid social media engagement, digestible content on YouTube, and insightful blog posts. Now, whether it be due to exhaustion, laziness, or complacency, your marketing strategy has fizzled. Now, you only communicate to me through an email newsletter, and that’s just not good enough.
Try this metaphor on for size.
Inboxes, more often than not, can be war zones. Marketers, retailers, nonprofits, etc. are all fighting for your brain’s bandwidth. Bullet points in lieu of bullets, CTAs instead of hand grenades. The incessant battle for people’s attention just leaves them annoyed and fatigued. Even as a marketer myself, I’m no exception. I’m tired of being yelled at.
For example, if you’re in insurance, your e-newsletters have a lower click rate (2.09%) than the average (a whopping 2.43%) of all the industries Mailchimp tracked. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. So how do we do better? Acknowledge that you need more than one medium.
E-newsletters shouldn’t be your default method of communication; they should be supplemental. Start thinking of audience engagement outside of simple e-news. And the keyword here is engagement. Maybe it’s as simple as idiosyncratic blog posts amplified through your Twitter, or organic social posts on Instagram. Or—gasp—a different medium or an event. Start talking to people, not at them.
Further, it sounds obvious, but know your audience. Understand that sub-audiences might need nuanced messages. Generic content won’t do you any favors. Figure out what stirs them, actively engage, and stop relying on a monotonous one-trick pony to get you over the finish line. Reaching consumers through multiple media makes them more aware of who you are and what you do. Keeping your communications fresh, yet tailored, will avoid burning out your audiences.
It’s that easy. But if it’s not—give us a call. We’ll help you out.