We have discussed newsletters several times on the site ranging from guidelines to subscription and the basics of email marketing for small business. However, I wanted to narrow it down a little further for the service based companies who need strategies to convert their newsletter subscribers into actual paying customers.
Consistent Delivery
If this is the only one on the list you remember then I will be perfectly fine with that. Consistency is key! Your newsletter needs to come out weekly or bi-weekly. Preferably Tuesday morning or you can even test it (as mentioned in the last point) to go out at different times to see the open rate. People support things, companies, and services that are constantly in their face. Think about it. Nasty Gal is in a majority of their demographics inboxes twice a week. Neiman Marcus seems to email me three times a day. These top brands know to stay in their audiences face. Yes, people may unsubscribe but that’s okay. You need to be consistently driving your message!
Design Implementation
We discussed how using D’Brand In The Box is a genius move for the small business owner. The newsletter is virtually created for you. All you need to do is have a graphic designer change everything around for you a little. So many people want to be Marie Forleo and think sending a “letter style” newsletter is going to work for them. Marie has been around for years! She does not work one on one with clients. Your small business on the other hand has not been on the block that long. You need to have a header, body, two footer images, and social media links. Everything needs to be clickable. Having links in text will help also.
Coupon Codes For Subscribers
This is one of my favorite tips to share with my customers. As a business owner you must reward the customers or clients that are loyal and supporting your business. Subscribing to a newsletter is easy but at the same time so many people unsubscribe daily. Our newsletter list for Imperfect Concepts and ICB Consults sees additional 50-100 people signing up a month. Which is very good for both companies since its not something we push. At the footer of ICB Consults newsletter there is a 10% off code for newsletter subscribers only. I actually advise clients to do between 10%-20% off but that’s totally up to them. I also recommend changing the code monthly. You can segment the users who engage, in addition to those who use a code into different groups in your email marketing.
Opt In For Newsletter Location
Is your newsletter opt in sign up at the footer or top of your company website? Last year at a social media conference it was stated you have a 66% higher sign up rate when the customer can see your subscribe opt in at the top of your website. This is before the fold. So many people don’t go after the fold of your website. Now, if you are using sites like Squarespace you can place the box at the top of the site. Click and drag. For WordPress users there are Madmimi and Mail Chimp plugins you can install. Make sure your developer puts them at the top.
Another option for WordPress site users is a pop up box. I will say they can be annoying especially if you have not been on the site longer than 30 seconds. I would personally recommend a 1-2 minute option.
A/B Testing Audience
As mentioned in the third point, creating different folders– for users who interact, use promo codes, or engage in other ways –is a great way to A/B test your newsletter. Testing like this helps you know how you are converting your readers. Group A can get the same newsletter as group B but you use a different subject line. In addition to adding more graphics and higher promo codes. The results will vary in both testing, but will give you insight to your CTR {click-through rate} as well as other information.
Which one of these tips peaks your interest for your service based company? How can you use this tip to increase your email marketing conversion rate today?
