I Hate Most Newsletters. Here’s Why I Still Send One.

There was a time when getting email was exciting. AOL mailed out free trial discs promising 10 hours online. You installed the software, listened to the modem hiss, chirp, squeal, and negotiate its way online, then waited.

Once connected, a new world opened up: an email address, chat rooms, newsgroups, news, and a few precious hours to wander this new thing called the World Wide Web. Then a mysterious voice would chime, “You’ve got mail.” Instant stimulation. Somebody had written. Something was waiting. Today, that same announcement might make me close the laptop.

I admit I find about 99% of the newsletters I receive annoying, which is ironic because Woodruff Media produces one too. The difference is that I actively try not to become another sender people automatically ignore.

Across six recent Woodruff Media newsletters, 786 emails produced a reported 53% open rate, 33 website sessions, and 10 unsubscribes. A subscriber recently told me they enjoy our monthly newsletter. That means more than another percentage on a dashboard.

Start With a Purpose

Our newsletter is one part of the Woodruff Media sales funnel and CRM, or customer relationship management system. It helps us maintain client relationships while showing people what we are doing.

Each issue includes two blogs and an infographic. One blog stays close to marketing while the other may move into pop culture, psychology, history, media, or another subject that I feel will help our SEO, search engine optimization, and AEO, answer engine optimization.

That gives readers different ways into the content and lets us compare what attracts attention. We recently added a fun section too. Sometimes a short distraction at work is welcome.

Deliver What You Promised

Few things irritate me faster than giving someone my email because they promised a guide, coupon, download, or resource, only to discover another form waiting on the other side.

You already have my email.

*“Give me the &^%#! thing you %$#@! promised!” is something I have actually said when this happens.

If the promise still is not fulfilled, I unsubscribe and mark the message as spam. At that point, any conversation that business and I might have had is probably over.

Don’t Train People to Ignore You

Some organizations, especially Chambers of Commerce, send me several emails a week. Most simply do not apply to me. Eventually, I stopped opening everything.

Now I use keyword rules. If certain words are not in the message, I probably never see it. The sender reached my inbox so often that I built a system specifically designed to avoid them.

That shaped our approach. Woodruff Media sends one newsletter a month. The limit forces us to practice a little curation instead of emailing every time something happens. If someone has not engaged for four months, we remove the address from the active list. That saves money and keeps the audience focused on people who may actually read it.

Our subject line is simple: “This Month’s Newsletter.” No fake urgency. No mystery.

Toot Your Own Horn, Then Put the Trumpet Down

A newsletter gives a business a small opportunity to talk about itself. We can show a project, recognize a client, or share good work.

Previous clients may be reminded of work we did together. Potential clients get to see what we can produce before they ever contact us.

Show the video. Show the work. Then move on.

We limit our calls to action too. Too many commands turn something meant to be read into an assignment.

Listen to the Clicks

Not everyone on our email list follows Woodruff Media on social media, so the newsletter reaches people our posts may miss. We also post it on social media, giving followers another way to subscribe.

Repeated clicks on video, branding, websites, or another subject tell us what has someone’s attention. It does not mean they are ready to buy.

Clicks are clues, not confessions.

We also vary the time of day we send the newsletter. Over time, that helps us look for patterns instead of assuming every recorded open means the same thing.

Earn the Next Open

That may be the simplest measure of success: did this month’s newsletter give someone a reason to open the next one?

Share something worthwhile. Show your work. Give readers something visual. Let them have a little fun. Talk about yourself when it makes sense, then put the trumpet away.

The World Wide Web... er, the internet, is no longer mysterious. Email certainly is not magical anymore.

But somebody still gave you permission to show up in their inbox. Do not waste it.

If you struggle with producing a newsletter, Woodruff Media would be happy to help.