If you run a small business, building a mailing list to whom you can send email newsletters is a great way to grow your customer base and increase sales.

The Benefits of Email Newsletters

Email newsletters are the best way to communicate with your target audience. They help small businesses reach potential customers in a personalized way. By showing up regularly in the inboxes of your potential clients, you build a relationship that serves your customers while demonstrating your authority and expertise.

Email marketing campaigns are more effective than social media platforms for building brand awareness because you own your subscriber list. Content marketing strategies built around email will not be derailed by endless algorithm updates. Many email providers offer a visualization of your email newsletter stats, such as what percent of people clicked on each image or link. This data can help you understand your audience better and improve your content. 

Writing an Effective Newsletter

Before you start writing newsletters, you need some new subscribers. The best way to do this is to offer a sign-up incentive on your website, such as a free digital product or discount code.

Once you're ready to write your newsletter content, follow these best practices:

• Send out excerpts from new blog posts, linking to the full article

• Make sure your newsletter is easy to read on mobile devices

• Always write a compelling email subject line

• Use A/B testing to find out what kinds of subjects your audience responds best to

• Set up an automated welcome email to go out to new subscribers

• Provide educational content relevant to your business and your customers

• Keep the tone of your emails casual

If you're short on time and feel stressed at the idea of writing your own newsletters, there are independent content marketing specialists you can hire to help you write the best email newsletter possible.

Tools for Creating, Editing, and Sharing Your Newsletter

Creating a regular email newsletter is a snap with the right tools. Before you start creating email campaigns, get the following tools in place:

• Email service provider. Your ESP will help you build your email list, develop landing pages, and write your email newsletters. Many even provide attractive email templates. Popular options include MailerLite, MailChimp, ConvertKit, and Active Campaign.

• Image editor. If you plan to include images in your newsletter, try out image editing software such as Canva or PicMonkey.

• PDF convertor. When sending emails, you may want to link out to other valuable content. PDFs are an easy way to do so. They are easy to upload and secure, and they let you create "magazine-style" content. Find an online tool that lets you convert to a PDF document by dragging and dropping them into the tool.

Grow Your Business With Email Newsletters

An email newsletter is a powerful tool that helps you build your business by establishing deeper connections with your target audience. Continue to provide relevant and valuable information, and your list will grow steadily.

To connect with other small business owners and discuss email marketing strategies, consider joining your local chamber of commerce.