How to better engage consumers through newsletters

It seems that more dire news about the failing email marketing infrastructure comes up every week. Consumers are deleting without reading, consumers are reporting legitimate email as spam and on and on. A recent study from Marketing Sherpa has some tried and true ways to increase engagement through newsletters, one of the oldest - and still viable - email communications.

by Kristina Knight

First a bit of background on newsletters. Nearly 70% of technology decision makers report reading email newsletters each month; that percentage is greater than the number who read traditional newspapers, print publications and general business magazines.

The key to engaging consumers with newsletters is content. Researchers found that targeted, focused content was a good way to engage consumers and to keep them reading. For this study, it was found that consumers reacted better to newsletters whose content was focused on desirable prospects and emphasized direct response advertising.

The second area publishers can do better at is coordination. Email newsletters should be linked to - and include information about - broader online campaigns. Link newsletters to broader websites or events. This way consumers know there is more than a quick article or product review available.

Finally, let's hit the content meter again. The content provided in newsletters must be high quality; a simple product description and listing is not going to work. If needed, hire a freelance writer to write high-quality reviews or include interviews with company founders or leaders so that consumers are given more than typical, cookie-cutter type information.