8 CONTENT IDEAS FOR YOUR EMAIL NEWSLETTERS
What am I supposed to put in my email?
When I encourage someone to start sending out regular emails to their audience, 9 times out of 10, that is what I hear!
Crafting an email that your audience loves and that serves your business can feel overwhelming, the same way when you look at a blank canvas with your paints and brushes all laid out and then suddenly, your mind goes completely blank. Or maybe you have a ton of ideas and don’t know which one to choose. Or perhaps you’re frozen because you can’t stop thinking about the world judging the art that you haven’t even made yet.
All of that overthinking is exhausting! But, the same way that with a painting you just have to pick up your brush and put paint to canvas, when it comes to writing emails… you just have to start. You don’t need to have every email you’re going to send figured out and you don’t need to know that your audience will love every single thing you write or that every email will convert into sales. All you have to do is start sending those emails. Over time, you’ll learn from the data how your readers interact with your emails so you can create a content plan, streamline your process and have an ROI that would make your mama proud.
So… now that you’re ready to “just start”, I want to give you some jumping off points to spark your creativity. Not all of these ideas will be a good fit for you and your business but chances are that at least a few will be.
Your challenge THIS MONTH: send out an email
USING one of THE FOLLOWING EIGHT prompts:
1. A day in the life photo diary
Your customers want to see the behind the scenes of your business. If writing isn’t your forté but you love taking photos, challenge yourself to snap photos throughout your day of a typical day in life. It may seem boring to you but showing your customers your morning walk with your dog, all your orders in a bag that you’re dropping off at the post office, your desk, etc. helps them feel connected to you and your brand.
2. REPURPOSE A SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEO
Only a small percentage of your audience sees what you post on social media and pretty much no one sees every single thing you post. Repurposing your content is a way to not only help more of your audience see what you share but also saves you time. Share a few of your Instagram Reels in a newsletter. You can even take it a step further and link to one of your Instagram stories where they can vote on which product is their favorite. This is a great way to cross-pollinate your marketing and bring your newsletter to social media and the reverse.
3. Your process or studio behind the scenes
Again, your audience wants to see your process. Film a time-lapse of you creating your work. Showing what goes on in your studio not only creates a rapport with your audience but it also shows them how much talent and effort goes into what you make.
4. Your inspirations
Here’s another great opportunity to bring your audiences together: pull from your Pinterest boards and create a mood board for things that inspired your new collection. You can link to your Pinterest board where they see more. You could also make a playlist that matches your products. For example, if you make knit sweaters, you could make a “Rainy Days in January” Playlist that’s perfect for reading by the fire in one of your sweaters.
5. sneak peek at your new line
When you’re preparing to launch a new product or service, do a special release or deal for your newsletter subscribers. This not only helps you get people onto your email list but also shows your subscribers that you appreciate them and makes them feel special.
6. your origin story
How did you start your business? Maybe you’re a baker who began making treats for her child’s school events that everyone raved about. Perhaps you create one of a kind quilted purses using a technique passed down to you by your aunt. Maybe you began knitting when you broke your foot and found that you loved it. Find your story and share it.
7. tips for how to use your products
If you create jewelry, you can put together outfits that are perfect with your necklaces (bonus if you feature other small businesses). If you’re a ceramicist, showcase some low maintenance plants that are perfect in your pots. This is your chance to answer all of your customer’s oppositions to making a purchase.
8. Highlights of customers using your products
User generated content like photos or videos that your customers share of what you make in action not only saves you time on creating content to post from scratch but is an awesome way to give your customers some love and attention. Create a unique hashtag, encourage your customers to use it, then mine it for content. You can do a customer highlight in each newsletter, one more reason your customers will be excited to open your email… to see if they’ve been featured.
Now that I’ve solved your “what am I supposed to put in my email problem, you have zero excuses. It’s time to start building your email list and sending out emails. You can even start a FREE account on AWeber where you can create your own beautiful email newsletters that make your business stand out.
AWeber makes it so easy to get started with pre-built templates and a drag-and-drop builder to create a newsletter that fits your brand personality. You can even customize your newsletter with Canva. And, if you know me, you know I LOVE Canva! AWeber is the only email provider that has a built-in integration with Canva, allowing you to drag-and-drop your Canva creations directly into your email newsletter.
If you’re looking for guidance on how to make beautiful emails with Canva and Etsy, don’t forget to RSVP for our FREE workshop series with email marketing platform AWeber and join us for our second workshop:
Make Beautiful Emails Quickly with Canva and Etsy Integrations — October 26, 2021 at 5:00pm PT
