HOW TO CREATE CONTENT FOR YOUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER (EVEN IF YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT TO SAY)
"What am I supposed to say?"
This is what I hear from so many makers who finally get on board to build an email list when I ask them if they’ve sent their first email yet. I get it! Maybe you feel like people might unsubscribe if they don’t like your content or if you send too many emails. Maybe you don’t think they’d be interested in anything you have to share. Maybe when you sit down to craft your email newsletter your mind is blank.
I’ve been there! Back when I started my email list over a decade ago using Constant Contact I went through all that negative self-talk about email marketing. But, over the years, I learned that these people signed up for my list for a reason, they wanted to hear from me. The same is true for your subscribers. If they unsubscribe, all that means is that your content didn’t fit with their needs at that moment. It doesn’t mean that your email was bad or that you should quit, it’s your sign to keep going and keep building that list because your perfect subscribers will stick with you.
Like most hard things, you just have to start. I want to give you some jumping off points to spark your creativity and make that start a little easier. 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.
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 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
Only a small percentage of your audience sees what you post on social media and 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.
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.
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.
P.S. – If you’re looking for a deeper dive into marketing your business, join us for Marketing for Makers, a free online digital marketing summit for creatives that we’re hosting with Constant Contact July 11 & 12, 2023 And, if you’re looking for an email marketing platform, you can click here to get 30% off your first 3 months with Constant Contact! `
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