A regularly published B2B email newsletter is a key component of most B2B digital marketing strategies. They are a cost-effective way to nurture prospects and help maintain a relationship over a client’s lifetime.  They are a brilliant way to deliver great content marketing, which in itself is a great marketing technique of creating and distributing relevant and valuable content.  All of this is with the objective of driving profitable customer action.

What you must do in order to achieve that objective is ensure your newsletter delivers reader-centric information; it?s not a platform to wildly promote your business.

Here at Appletree we create and publish effective newsletters for many of our clients.  Here are some tips for writing an effective newsletter.

1. Don’t put everything you know into each newsletter. Be selective in your newsletter content. If you must appeal to multiple audiences – prospects and customers, for example – select a primary article that would appeal to both, such as a case study showing how you saved money or increased business for a client or a trend story with information readers can use in their own businesses.
2. E-newsletters should contain only one subject that is relevant, wanted, needed and interesting. If readers consider it good value, gain knowledge and can see how it would affect them and their business, they are then more inclined to look forward to the next issue.
3. Establish or reinforce the company’s authority as a thought leader.  Articles should be written to give readers useful information and advice that they didn?t previously know.  Any article should have value to it, whilst being accurate, timely and informative.  Use links to well known industry experts to back-up any information given.
4. Direct readers to your website. You don?t have to include all the content for each story in the actual newsletter. Email readers have shorter attention spans and stricter standards for deciding what to open. Use strong titles and opening sentences, with a ?click here for more? link to the full story on your website.  The typical reader spends three to five seconds with your email. People will read it like they do a website, so think short, clear, and compelling.
5. Use link to relevant videos in your newsletter.  Always think ?audience first? when linking to a video – does it add value to them?  Never put the actual video in the email newsletter – it will be too big for most servers so won?t get through, always use a link to your website, or YouTube.  It?s really easy to embed a YouTube video onto your website, so in terms of SEO and website hits this is the most effective option.