3 Tips For Keeping Your Email Newsletter Subscribers Happy

With GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) coming into effect in just a few weeks, you’ve probably received one or two emails from companies asking you opt into their email newsletter again, even if you had previously already signed up. Within your own business, you might also be sending out emails requesting that your newsletter recipients re-subscribe.

GDPR states that businesses need to have a record of people opting into communications so that the business can prove via an auditable trail they have permission to send marketing to these recipients. This is why companies are now asking people to confirm that they are happy to receive emails or even letters in the post, so that they can prove they are only sending information to people who have consented to receive it. If you are doing this for your business, you may be finding that your newsletter list is going to be considerably smaller by the time GDPR rolls around. However, even if this is the case, you may also find that in the long run your list is more valuable. After all, if you’re sending emails to people who aren’t interested you’re unlikely to ever get a conversion from them, so having a long list isn’t necessarily beneficial.

The people you do have on your list who have actively opted in may be more likely to make an enquiry or purchase from you. They like what you have to say, so they have re-subscribed and now you don’t want to lose them. Here are a few tips for making your email newsletters the best they can be so they work hard for you even with a small mailing list.

1. Deliver on Your Promises

What are your recipients expecting from your newsletter? What you offered to them when they first signed up should be what they get. So if your newsletter page or signup form says you’ll send monthly newsletters about upcoming rock concerts in your area, that’s what people should get. Think twice before sending emails about a different topic or increasing your frequency to every week, for example – that’s not what people signed up for and it might lead to them unsubscribing.

2. Provide Valuable Content

Your newsletter might be a marketing tool for you to promote your business and increase sales, but your subscribers didn’t sign up because they wanted to boost your sales figures. What is in it for them? You can encourage people to subscribe by showing them how your newsletter will benefit them – not by only thinking of yourself. Put yourself in a customer’s shoes and think about what they want to know from you. And for everything that goes into your newsletter, consider why you are adding it in and how it will benefit your subscribers.

For example, you might tell people about the latest industry news because it is going to affect them, so it is information they will find useful. Or you might let them know about the latest news within your company – again, how does it affect your subscribers? What does it tell them about your business? For example, news that you have invested in new equipment for your restaurant’s kitchen may mean that your customers will be able to enjoy tastier food or be able to choose from a more varied menu, or they will get their food quicker due to improved efficiency. If your business is constantly trying to improve and do the best for its customers, it shouldn’t be too hard to identify the upside from their point of view for any news you have.

Even if your newsletter is mainly a sales pitch showing off new stock, you can show customers the advantages of receiving this information by telling them how these new products would benefit them.

3. Get Personal

Personalised emails go beyond addressing the recipient by name – though this is certainly advisable. If you know your recipients’ interests or previous purchases, you could segment your mailing lists and send people offers or information that are tailored to them. For example, if you are the owner of a clothes shop, you could send details of your new products to people based on gender or age. This could be information you have gathered from their previous purchases, or you might give them the option of subscribing to different lists when they first opt in. The more relevant your email content is to the recipient, the more likely they are to make a purchase – or at least read the email, click through to your website, and stay on your list so you can continue to communicate with them.

If you would like any help with email marketing for your business, get in touch with SilverDisc.