Content quality plays a direct role in how customers perceive your brand.
Engaging, well-written content establishes authority and trustworthiness, showing customers that a brand values their time and business. On the other hand, poorly executed content loaded with errors, irrelevant details, or copied material sends a message of carelessness.
Many companies believe they can save money by outsourcing to cheaper, less skilled writers. But what seems like a savvy business move can quickly turn into a revenue-draining mistake.
A recent conversation with a potential client revealed a growing frustration: they fired their previous agency because they outsourced writing to low-cost, foreign writers. Their content ended up being plagiarized, poorly written, and riddled with basic language mistakes. Not only would this hurt a brand’s reputation to publish, but it would also cost time and money to rewrite it.
Let’s explore the key reasons low-quality content is more expensive in the long run.
The High Cost of Low-Quality Content: 6 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Cut Corners
In today’s competitive online world, high-quality content isn’t just nice to have. It’s a necessity.
Content is often the first touchpoint potential customers have with a brand, making first impressions everything. Unfortunately, many businesses learn the hard way that skimping on content quality to save a few bucks often backfires. Here’s how low-quality content can hurt your brand.
1. Brand Damage: Losing Customer Trust and Loyalty
When customers encounter sloppy content filled with typos, factual inaccuracies, or overly simplistic language, they’re less likely to trust that brand. It feels unprofessional and inconsistent, leading them to doubt the quality of the products or services offered. And once trust is broken, it’s difficult to restore.
Quality can also decrease when brands focus more on pumping out tons of content to meet deadlines or self-imposed posting schedules. About 83% of marketers said they feel it’s better to focus on quality over quantity, even if it means posting less often.
Example: Imagine visiting a website for a consulting firm and finding blog posts that read like they were written by a grade-school student. Instead of imparting expertise, this type of content can make a brand look amateurish. Low-quality writing can easily lead prospective customers to look elsewhere, costing the company potential sales and long-term loyalty.
Solution: Professional writers and editors uphold a brand’s voice and credibility by producing accurate, engaging, and expertly written content. This creates a consistent brand image that customers can rely on.
2. Plagiarism Risks: Legal Issues and SEO Penalties
Hiring cheap writers often means running the risk of plagiarized content. Not only is this a legal liability, but it also puts your business at risk of being penalized by search engines. Google is increasingly cracking down on websites that engage in content duplication, which can result in a lower ranking or even complete removal from search results.
Example: A business unknowingly publishes plagiarized content supplied by a low-cost writer. The result? Not only does the website get penalized in search rankings, but it also faces potential lawsuits. The cost of cleaning up this mess far outweighs the savings from cheap content.
Solution: Partnering with agencies prioritizing original, well-researched content eliminates these risks. Professional agencies use thorough editorial processes to ensure content is plagiarism-free, protecting a business’s reputation.
3. AI Overuse: Robotic Writing That Fails to Engage
With AI technology advancing, many agencies are tempted to rely on AI-generated content, hoping it will save time and money. While AI can help with brainstorming or data analysis, it falls short in creating content with a human touch. Audiences today crave authenticity and unique perspectives that resonate on a personal level, which is something AI simply can’t provide.
Example: A potential client receives AI-generated articles that come off as generic and robotic, missing the nuanced tone their brand requires. Instead of engaging readers, this content feels lifeless, leading to lower engagement rates and higher bounce rates.
Solution: By working with an experienced content agency, you get real writers, editors, and strategists. Human insight and creativity are irreplaceable in crafting compelling, relatable content.
4. Time-Consuming Rewrites: Fixing Low-Quality Content Is Costly
When a brand hires low-cost writers, the expectation is that the content will require minimal edits. However, this is rarely the case. Subpar content requires extensive editing or complete rewrites, consuming valuable time and resources. In the worst cases, businesses end up hiring new writers to redo everything from scratch, effectively paying for content twice.
Example: A company saves money upfront by using cheap writers, but quickly discovers that most of the content is unusable. They spend additional time revising it in-house, only to realize they’re still falling short of their quality standards.
Solution: Investing in quality content from the start prevents this costly back-and-forth. Partnering with a trusted content agency that provides high-quality writing from the beginning ensures your resources are used efficiently.
5. Client Retention: Low-Quality Content Costs Agencies Their Clients
For marketing agencies, poor content has a far-reaching impact. It doesn’t just harm one client’s brand. It also damages the agency’s reputation and causes clients to look for other providers. If clients repeatedly receive lackluster results, they’ll quickly lose confidence in their agency and move their business elsewhere.
Example: A marketing agency loses a major client due to constant complaints about poorly written content. The agency’s decision to cut costs by hiring low-quality writers has now resulted in lost revenue and a tarnished reputation.
Solution: By collaborating with a professional content agency, marketing firms can offer their clients reliable, premium content. Consistent quality helps agencies retain clients and build stronger, long-lasting partnerships.
6. SEO Decline: Low-Quality Content Means Lower Rankings
Search engines prioritize content that is original, insightful, and useful to readers. When a business fills its site with low-quality, keyword-stuffed content, it risks a drop in rankings. Search engines are quick to recognize mediocre material, and over time, this can significantly impact a brand’s online visibility.
Considering 85.19% of all blog traffic comes from organic search, don’t you want to take advantage? You must be able to stand out from competitors with top-notch, optimized content.
Example: A website’s search rankings plummet due to poorly optimized content. While it may save money initially, the long-term impact on search rankings can be devastating for the brand’s online presence.
Solution: Experienced content agencies understand how to create content that strikes a balance between SEO optimization and reader engagement. They focus on delivering content that ranks well and satisfies readers, improving both visibility and brand reputation.
Protect Your Brand with Quality Content
The saying “you get what you pay for” rings especially true when it comes to content creation. Poorly written, plagiarized, or AI-generated content may save you a few dollars initially, but the long-term costs of brand damage, lost customers, and SEO penalties are too great to ignore. Instead, invest in quality content that builds trust, boosts engagement, and drives revenue.
Hiring real experts is the first step in protecting your brand. Don’t risk your reputation. Choose a content agency that values quality just as much as you do. When your brand is in capable hands, your clients will keep coming back for more.
Ready to Invest in Quality Content?
When considering the costs associated with poorly written content, the benefits of investing in quality content become obvious. Working with a reputable agency like ours means partnering with real people — skilled writers, editors, and strategists — who are committed to your success.
Here at Express Writers, we don’t cut corners. Our content is crafted to meet the highest standards, preserving your brand’s reputation and retaining your clients’ trust.
Email newsletters are one of the most powerful tools in any marketer’s toolkit.
They allow businesses to connect directly with their audience, share valuable content, and build lasting relationships. However, creating the perfect newsletter can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re unsure of what type of newsletter to send or how to structure it.
We will walk you through everything you need to know about newsletter templates. From the different types of newsletters to their key components, you’ll learn how to create engaging and effective emails. By the end of this post, you’ll be ready to download one of our newsletter templates to get started.
The Different Types of Newsletters You Can Send
Not all newsletters are created equal. Depending on your goals and audience, you may need to craft different types of newsletters. Let’s explore some of the most common newsletter formats:
Blog Newsletter
If you’re running a blog, one of the best ways to keep your audience engaged is by sending a regular blog newsletter. This type of newsletter serves as a roundup of your latest blog posts. You can send it weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, depending on how often you post new content.
Two out of every three marketers use email marketing to distribute content organically. This strategy is effective because it drives traffic to your website by encouraging subscribers to check out your newest articles. At the same time, it’s great for building thought leadership, SEO growth, and keeping your audience engaged.
To create a blog newsletter, follow this structure:
Introduction: A brief note introducing what’s new on your blog.
Featured Posts: Summarize each new blog post with a link to read more.
Call to Action (CTA): Invite readers to visit your blog or share their thoughts.
News and Updates Newsletter
Newsletters focused on sharing important company updates, announcements, or industry news is essential for keeping your audience informed. Whether you’re announcing a new product, promoting an upcoming event, or providing insight into industry trends, this type of newsletter helps keep your audience informed about what’s happening in your business.
Ultimately, it builds transparency and trust with your audience by keeping them in the loop about important developments. It’s a must if you’re frequently hosting events, offering webinars, or simply want to share industry news.
To create newsletter templates for this type of email, follow this outline:
Headline: Highlight the big news.
Introduction: Give an overview of the news or update.
Main Body: Provide detailed information about the announcement.
Visuals: Add images or infographics to enhance understanding.
Call to Action: Encourage readers to act, whether it’s attending an event, learning more about your product, or exploring further details on your website.
Promotional Newsletter
Promotional newsletters are designed to generate sales or leads. These newsletters focus on driving conversions by offering exclusive deals, discounts, product launches, or services. They’re more sales-focused than content-driven.
This is a great way to increase revenue because you can provide exclusive, time-sensitive deals to your audience. Plus, it encourages repeat purchases or service inquiries.
To create a promotional newsletter, follow this structure:
Headline: Clearly promote the offer (e.g., 50% off this weekend only!”)
Subheadline: Provide additional context about the offer.
Main Body: Detail the promotion, the benefits of the product or service, and how customers can redeem the offer.
Call to Action: Include a bold, clear call to action encouraging customers to take advantage of the promotion.
General Interest or Curated Content Newsletter
Sometimes the goal of a newsletter isn’t to promote something or update your audience on business matters. Rather, it’s simply to entertain, educate, or inspire. Curated content newsletters collect relevant articles, videos, or social media posts from around the web so they can be shared with your audience. You might include thought-provoking articles, interesting industry trends, or inspiring stories.
By sharing valuable and engaging content, you position yourself as a trusted source of information. These newsletters build rapport with your audience and keep your brand top-of-mind without overtly selling anything. Plus, they can be a great way to kickstart a conversation. Even better? Curated newsletters allow you to provide value without the heavy lifting of creating all new content.
To create newsletter templates for this type of email, follow this outline:
Introduction: Set the tone and let readers know what kind of content to expect.
Content: Summarize each piece of curated content with links to the original source.
Closing Note: Wrap up with your thoughts or a CTA encouraging readers to explore more or engage with your brand on social media.
Newsletter Templates: What to Include for Maximum Impact
No matter what type of newsletter you send, the structure is key to its success. Let’s break down the main parts of a high-performing newsletter.
1. Subject Line
The subject line needs to grab your audience’s attention because it is the first thing they see. Whether it’s catchy, intriguing, or simply informative, make sure it conveys the value of opening the email. Keep it concise and compelling. It’s recommended to keep your subject line within 30-50 characters or 4-7 words.
According to OptinMonster, 47% of email recipients decide to open your email based on the subject line and about 69% of email recipients will report email as spam based solely on the subject line. So, choose wisely.
2. Preheader Text
The preheader text, or the preview snippet that appears alongside the subject line, is your second chance to entice readers to open the email. It should complement the subject line and provide additional context to what’s inside.
3. Header
The header is the visual and textual element at the top of your newsletter. It typically includes your logo and a headline that sets the tone for the content that follows. Keep it simple and on-brand so people can immediately identify the email as coming from your business.
4. Introduction
This is where you briefly explain the purpose of the newsletter. It could be an update on your latest blog posts, an exciting announcement, or a special offer. Keep the introduction short and engaging to encourage readers to scroll down.
5. Body Content
The body content is the heart of the newsletter. Depending on the type of newsletter, this section might include blog summaries, event details, product highlights, or curated content. Break up the text with visuals like images or graphics to make it visually appealing and easy to read.
6. Call to Action
Every newsletter should have a clear call to action that guides readers on what to do next. Whether it’s reading a blog post, checking out a product, signing up for an event, or taking advantage of a promotion, make sure your call to action is prominent and easy to click.
While you can certainly include multiple calls to action in your emails, your best bet is to focus on one. Data shows that 43% of marketing respondents opt for just one call to action. This way, you don’t risk confusing your audience or leaving them with too many options. Focus on the one action you want to take and make that your focal point as you wrap up the email.
7. Footer
Your footer is the final section of your newsletter. It often includes your contact information, social media links, and an unsubscribe button. It’s also a great place to include a secondary call to action, like inviting readers to engage with you on social media.
Download Your Free Newsletter Template
Ready to get started on your next newsletter? Try using customizable newsletter templates to make the job easier! We’ve created a template that you can download for free. It includes all the essential components we’ve discussed and is perfect for creating a professional, high-converting email.
Don’t settle for a cookie-cutter approach to your email marketing. A personalized, well-crafted newsletter will help you stand out in your audience’s inbox, increase engagement, and drive better results.
Let our team at Express Writers create a custom newsletter for your business that delivers real value. Whether you’re looking for ongoing email content or a one-time newsletter campaign, we can help.
The demand for consistent, high-quality content has never been greater.
As businesses seek to grow their online presence and engage with customers through blogs, newsletters, and social media, many turn to outsourcing to meet these demands. Outsourcing offers flexibility and scalability, but it also brings challenges. This is especially so when managing large teams of writers, editors, and designers. That’s where a dedicated content manager becomes essential.
A content manager can be the key to getting the most out of your outsourced content team by ensuring quality and efficiency. Let’s explore the top 10 benefits of hiring a content manager.
10 Benefits of Hiring a Content Manager to Support Your Outsourced Content Team
In business, you don’t have to do it all alone. Your best bet is to build a skilled team that can lend their support as you build your brand. So, if you’re outsourcing content creation, you need a content manager to lead the way. Here are 10 reasons why you could benefit from hiring a content manager.
1. Ensure Consistency and Brand Alignment
A major challenge when working with multiple freelancers or agencies is maintaining a consistent brand voice. Without someone managing the process, you may end up with content that feels disjointed or off-brand, which can confuse or alienate your audience.
A content manager is responsible for ensuring that every piece of content aligns with your brand’s tone, style, and values. They create and enforce brand guidelines, ensuring consistency across all platforms, no matter how many different people contribute to the final product.
By maintaining this cohesion, your audience experiences a unified brand presence that builds trust and reinforces your company’s identity.
2. Streamline Communication Between Teams
When working with an outsourced team, communication can easily become a bottleneck. Freelancers and agencies often work remotely, in different time zones, and on varying schedules. Without proper coordination, this can lead to delays, misunderstandings, or overlooked instructions.
A content manager acts as the central hub for communication, ensuring that writers, editors, and designers all receive clear direction and feedback. This streamlined communication helps prevent mistakes, keeps the team aligned with your goals, and ensures deadlines are met without confusion.
3. Improve Workflow Efficiency and Organization
Content creation involves many moving parts, from initial brainstorming to writing, editing, revisions, and final approvals. Without proper oversight, this process can quickly become chaotic, especially when managing multiple freelancers or agencies.
Alternatively, some teams don’t have enough people to lend a hand with many roles left unfilled. About 58% of B2B content creation teams struggle with a lack of resources. Not having the right people, the right tools, and an ample budget can create a lot of frustration.
A content manager designs and implements an organized workflow that suits your business’s unique needs. By developing a customized content creation process, they ensure every task is completed on time, in the correct order, and with minimal issues. This efficiency leads to faster turnarounds and higher-quality content.
4. Provide Personalized Content Strategy
One of the biggest advantages of having a content manager is the ability to develop a long-term, personalized content strategy. Rather than focusing solely on individual content pieces, content managers look at the big picture. They assess your target audience, business goals, and current market trends to create a content strategy that drives long-term results.
This strategic approach ensures that your content isn’t just filler. Instead, it’s actively working to achieve your business goals.
At Express Writers, we take this personalized approach seriously. Our dedicated content managers work closely with clients to build custom content strategies that address their specific needs and help them stand out in their industry.
5. Review Content and Quality Control
Quality is non-negotiable when it comes to content marketing. Whether it’s blog posts, social media updates, or email newsletters, every piece of content reflects your brand. With an outsourced team, you need someone who is dedicated to maintaining high-quality standards across the board.
Content managers ensure every piece of content meets your standards for accuracy, grammar, tone, and style. They’ll also make sure your content is optimized for SEO so you can trust it’ll perform well in search results and reach the right audience.
6. Facilitate Scalability
As your business grows, so does your content production. However, scaling content efforts can quickly become overwhelming without proper management. A content manager ensures that your team can grow without sacrificing quality or efficiency. They manage the influx of new content requests, ensuring that your team scales smoothly and continues to deliver top-notch content on time.
7. Save Time and Reduce Stress
Managing content creation can be a full-time job. Business owners, marketing managers, and executives must often juggle content production alongside their core responsibilities, leading to burnout and reduced productivity in other areas.
By hiring a content manager, you offload the day-to-day coordination of your content efforts. They handle everything from communicating with writers to managing deadlines, allowing you to focus on high-level strategy and business growth.
8. Facilitate Long-Term Content Success
Content marketing is a long game and success doesn’t come overnight. A content manager looks beyond short-term goals, focusing on long-term success. They continuously monitor and analyze the performance of your content, adjusting as needed to improve results over time.
This forward-thinking approach helps you stay ahead of trends, adjust to changes in your industry, and continually refine your content strategy to ensure long-term success.
At Express Writers, our content managers are committed to building long-term partnerships with our clients. We adapt strategies over time to keep your content fresh, relevant, and effective.
9. Provide a Single Point of Contact
When you work with an outsourced content team, you often have multiple freelancers or agencies involved in different aspects of the project. This includes writers, editors, designers, SEO experts, and more. Coordinating between all these individuals can be overwhelming.
A content manager serves as your point of contact, streamlining communication and ensuring all team members stay aligned with your goals. This single point of accountability makes the content creation process smoother and more manageable for you.
10. Boost Return on Investment (ROI)
High-quality content that is well-managed can significantly boost your return on investment. And it’s safe to say most people would agree. Around 82% of marketers are actively investing in content marketing because they know it’s essential to long-term growth and success in the business world.
A content manager ensures that all content aligns with your business goals, engages your target audience, and drives conversions. By overseeing every step of the content creation process, from strategy to execution, they help you maximize the impact of your content and achieve a higher ROI.
Express Writers: More Than Just a Writing Service
When you work with Express Writers, you get more than just a writing service. You get a complete content management solution. Our dedicated content managers are the backbone of our team, overseeing everything from strategy to execution. They work closely with you to create a custom process that fits your unique needs and schedule.
Tailored Content Strategy: We build a personalized content plan based on your business goals.
Complete Oversight: Our team handles every aspect of the process from coordinating writers and designers to managing deadlines and ensuring quality control.
Long-Term Success: We’re committed to helping your business succeed with long-term content strategies that drive real results.
Take the Next Step in Maximizing Your Content Efforts
Hiring a content manager is one of the smartest investments you can make for your business. Whether you’re struggling with managing an outsourced team, need help scaling your content efforts, or simply want to save time and reduce stress, a content manager can transform your content marketing success.
At Express Writers, we offer more than just writing. We offer complete content management services to help you achieve your goals. Ready to elevate your content strategy?
As we step into 2024, the landscape of content marketing continues to evolve, presenting both challenges and opportunities for businesses looking to make their mark in the online space.
In a world where attention spans are fleeting and consumer preferences are ever-changing, mastering the art of content creation and delivering quality is essential.
In this article, we’ll explore the top trends for content marketing in 2024, highlighting the importance of short and long-form video content, the staying power of long-form blog content, and more.
Staying Ahead: Why You Should Be Aware of the Trends
In the fast-paced world of digital marketing, staying on top of trends is a must for crafting a successful strategy. Trends provide insights into evolving consumer behaviors, emerging technologies, etc. By embracing this information, businesses can then align their strategies with the needs of their audience to ensure relevance and resonance in their field.
However, it’s not just about adapting to market changes. It’s also about seizing opportunities for growth so you can have a bigger impact within the online landscape. By staying ahead of the curve, you’re also decreasing your risk of getting lost in the crowd. You must be able to keep up with what’s happening in the world and adapt accordingly if you want your brand to stand the test of time.
Content Marketing in 2024: The Top Trends You Should Know
Here are the trends you’ll want to consider as you map out your content marketing strategy for the year ahead:
1. Quality Long-Form Blog Content: The Evergreen Anchor
As a team of skilled, professional writers, it should come as no surprise that we are always going to encourage businesses to embracelong-form blog content. While the digital landscape shifts toward dynamic and immersive content formats, the importance of quality blog posts remains strong.
In-depth articles not only establish expertise and credibility in your field but also significantly contribute to search engine optimization (SEO). If you want your business to be seen online, you must be consistently putting out quality content that has been optimized to rank high in search results.
If you want to master content marketing in 2024, you need to make sure you invest in creating comprehensive, well-researched blog content that will not only attract organic traffic but also provide lasting value to your audience.
Need help creating top-notch content for your company blog? Let us help! We offer different levels of content writing to suit your needs and budget. Visit ourContent Shop to learn more.
2. The Dynamic Duo: Short and Long-Form Video Content
Are you tired of seeing video content on every list of content marketing trends? Well, let that be proof that video isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. So, if you have yet to jump on board, now is the time!
Video content has been a cornerstone of digital marketing for years, but as we head into 2024, it’s becoming even more diverse. Short-form videos on platforms such as TikTok and Instagram Reels are embracing brevity and creativity to captivate their viewers. These easily digestible videos are perfect for capturing attention in a world where time is a precious commodity.
Simultaneously, long-form video content is enjoying a comeback. Platforms like YouTube are still seeing a demand for in-depth, informative videos. As a result, brands need to find a balance between short and sweet videos and longer formats. This will help cater to diverse audience preferences and ensure you’re reaching as many people as possible.
3. Podcasts: The Steady Growth in Popularity
If you’re feeling a bit camera shy, you can always add a podcast to your content marketing in 2024. Podcasts have transcended the niche status they had once upon a time and have emerged as a mainstream content medium in the last few years.
Alt Text: Graph showing the growth of podcast listeners in the United States from 2013 to 2023.
As shown by the graph above, the amount ofpodcast listeners in the United States continues to grow year after year. And since podcasting shows no signs of slowing down, there’s never been a better time to get started if you and your audience are interested in audio content.
Whether commuting or multitasking, podcasts offer a unique opportunity for brands to engage with their audience on a more personal level. This is your place to share industry insights, tell stories, and cultivate a more intimate connection with your listeners, fostering a true sense of community. It’s safe to say we can expect to see even more businesses leveraging podcasts as a tool tobuild brand loyalty and thought leadership.
4. Social-First Content: Meeting Your Audience Where They Are
There’s no denying that we’re in an era that’s dominated by social media. That means having a social-first strategy is kind of a non-negotiable for businesses these days. But wait! What exactly does that mean? To put it simply, having a social-first strategy is all about creating content with social media in mind. You need to be strategic when considering and crafting your marketing companies to see success.
Tailoring content specifically for each platform and understanding the nuances of Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok is crucial for maintaining a strong online presence. Otherwise, you risk getting lost in the crowd. And if you’re putting the time and effort into creating amazing content, you don’t want that to happen. You want to be recognized and you deserve it, too!
Graphic from Oberlo sharing increased brand exposure is the top benefit of social media marketing.
This is why you want to figure out where your target audience is spending the most time online so you can meet them where they are. Put yourself on the platforms they’re using the most. Then, you can use that platform’s features to publish quality content that’s going to grab their attention. Before you know it, you’ll notice one of the key benefits of social media:increased brand exposure.
Did you know we have social media experts who can create captivating, highly engaging content for your brand? It’s true! Our team can create social media posts for Facebook, Instagram, and more. Get all the details inside ourContent Shop.
5. Topic Clusters: Elevating Your SEO Strategy
Are you familiar with topic clusters? If not, they can be a transformative strategy for your content marketing in 2024. Breaking away from the traditional keyword-centric approach, topic clusters are focused on a pillar content piece linked to a cluster of related subtopics. Now, this doesn’t mean keywords aren’t important. But topic clusters provide a benefit for search engines and your readers.
By adopting topic clusters, you’re able to boost your SEO authority and deliver even more relevant content to your audience. This strategic linking of related content within a cluster signals to search engines that your website is a trustworthy, authoritative resource on a specific topic. And topic clusters are aligned with the need for search engines to prioritize user intent.
Now, how do you get started with topic clusters? You’ll first want to identify a comprehensive pillar which your brand can center its content around. You will optimize this pillar for a primary keyword and then link it to cluster content, which explores specific aspects of the main topic. You’ll want to make sure you’re linking content internally, which is helpful for both readers and search engines.
Master Your Content Marketing in 2024
As we navigate the complex and ever-changing world of content marketing in 2024, it’s clear that having a diversified approach is key. Luckily, Express Writers is here to help with all of your content needs. Whether you’re looking for blog content, social media posts, or anything in between, our team of skilled writers can craft quality content your audience is sure to love.
Visit ourContent Shop to learn more about our available offerings.
When building a brand, nurturing your relationships with those in your target audience is crucial to your success. You need to be able to position yourself as an expert in your field, as well as become a trustworthy resource of information. And you need to ensure you’re doing this consistently by staying in touch with your audience regularly.
But how can you do this effectively? Through email marketing!
Email is a powerful way to connect with your audience and build relationships over time. Instead of fighting with tricky social media algorithms, you can reach people where it matters the most: their inbox.
However, you might find it’s a bit tricky to truly master email marketing when you consider you need to build your list, create a welcome sequence, and develop a newsletter. Luckily, we’re here to help! That’s exactly what we talked about in this #ContentWritingChat.
#ContentWritingChat Recap: Mastering Your Email Marketing
Today, we're chatting all about email marketing so you can craft newsletters your audience will love. 💌
— Express Writers | Your Content Writing Partner (@ExpWriters) November 1, 2022
This month’s #ContentWritingChat was packed with valuable tips that will help you become a true email marketing master. Whether you’re just getting started or email has been part of your strategy for a while, you’re sure to find some great advice here.
Q1: Why is email marketing important to a brand’s overall marketing strategy? What benefits does it provide?
A1. Email marketing is generally recognized as one of the most effective forms of digital marketing. It allows brands to communicate on a more individualized and tailored basis to existing and prospective customers. #contentwritingchat
As Andrew said, email is one of the most effective forms of digital marketing today. It provides an easy way for brands to communicate with their audience while delivering content that’s tailored to their needs and interests.
a1 📩 email marketing allows brands to build a closer connection with the community of subscribers. ✅people give us their email, which means they are interested in what we have to say. #contentwritingchat
Joana feels email is fantastic for creating a strong connection between you and your community of subscribers. And that will go a long way when it comes to your brand’s success!
A1: Email marketing is a great way to connect and build relationships with your audience. It's also an opportunity to stay in touch with them and keep your brand top of mind. #ContentWritingChat
Another great element about email marketing is that it can keep your brand top of mind with your audience if you’re consistent when it comes to sending emails.
Email subscribers are often warmer leads than those who merely follow you on social media. That’s because your subscribers have taken that extra step to provide their name and email in order to receive a freebie and access your newsletter.
Q2: The first step to email marketing is building your list. What’s your advice for getting more subscribers?
A2: Make sure you offer some sort of freebie in exchange for their name and email when they opt in. It could be anything you think your audience would enjoy, whether that's a short ebook, free training, etc. #ContentWritingChat
A freebie is going to be essential to getting people on your email list. Everyone wants to know what’s in it for them, so give them a reason to sign up. This could be a short ebook, free training, or anything else they might enjoy.
A2. Optimize channels to build your audience. Create offers/discounts/specific content that is accessible with a Call-To-Action to sign up for an email list. Prominently feature the option to sign up for your email list on your website. #contentwritingchat
As Carla said, you need to pay attention to what your subscribers are responding to. Give them more of what they’re interested in and they’ll want to stay on your email list.
A3. As a main component of your content marketing strategy, you could share research studies, blog content, promotions, events, helpful tips, industry information and news should be included. Create emails that are providing value and inbound to your brand. #contentwritingchat
Andrew suggests sharing research studies, blog content, promotions, event details, helpful tips and tricks, industry information, and the latest news. Ultimately, it’s about providing value to your audience.
A3: Consider your audience. What information do they want or need to know that is relevant to your brand? Relay statistics, promotional content, updates on industry innovations or advancements. #ContentWritingChat
Nicole recommended sharing interesting statistics, promotional content, and updates on the happenings within your industry.
Q4: Inboxes get crowded! How do you write a subject line that grabs attention and gets people to open your emails?
A4: First, keep subject lines short and sweet. You'll also want to communicate what's inside the email to give them a reason to open and read. #ContentWritingChat
Your subject line will get cut off in an inbox, so you want to keep it short and sweet.
A4. Write titles that are capitulating, interesting and make a statement. Shake it up sometimes by using a call to action, depending on the content. #contentwritingchat
Andrew said to make a statement with your subject line. You can even try incorporating a call to action to entice people to open your emails.
A4: 1- Consult data on what subject lines have performed better (title case, sentence case, etc.) 2- I balance attention grabbing with descriptive. People want to know what they're getting into before clicking. 3- I ask myself, would I want to open this?-Kat #ContentWritingChat
It’s also helpful to pay attention to the latest data on what makes an effective subject line. Then, you can test and see what works best for your audience. And as Kat said, a great test is to ask yourself if you would actually open your own emails.
a4 👀 go for something catchy that leave people curious. I like to use questions and emojis.#contentwritingchat
Joana suggested asking questions or using emojis in your subject lines. Both can be very effective at increasing your open rates.
Q5: Are there optimal times to send your emails? How can you find out what works for you?
A5. There definitely are optimal times to send emails and it depends primarily on the audience that you have on the existing list. You can conduct some initial research and A/B test the times to begin to draw conclusions. #contentwritingchat
As Andrew said, you can do research to find the best times to send emails, but it’s ultimately going to depend on your audience. Run some A/B split tests to determine your ideal da and times to send your newsletter.
Q5: Typically, the best time to send out emails would be in the morning when most people tend to check their inbox. If unsure, you can test a few different times and see what yields the greatest response. #ContentWritingChat
Carla takes her own time zone into consideration when sending emails. She opts for 12 pm and 5 pm and they generate the highest open rates for her.
Q6: How can you keep your subscribers engaged, ensuring they regularly read and interact with your emails?
A6: Use captivating subject lines, be consistent with creating content and use analytics to determine which emails elicit greater responses. In turn, use that information to curate and create content that is most appealing to your audience. #ContentWritingChat
Great subject lines and captivating content are essential if you want to keep your subscribers engaged. Don’t. forget to monitor your analytics to see what performs the best as well.
A6: Bring them quality content that's applicable to their lives. If they can apply what they're reading for a transformation then they'll continue to be subscribed to you. #ContentWritingChathttps://t.co/GwVnxtnIq2
Send content that’s relevant to the lives of your subscribers. This will give them a reason to stick around.
A6: Create a schedule for sending emails and stick to it. You want to make sure you're keeping your list warm by sending content regularly. Subscribers will get accustomed to this and know when to expect your emails. #ContentWritingChat
Make sure you create a schedule and stick to it. This will create consistency for you, as well as your subscribers. They’ll always know when to expect a new email from you.
A6: Nurture email campaigns should be personalized. Use targeted ways to reach unengaged segments of your audience. Make sure you don't send your engaged readers emails with topics that don't apply to them. – Mike #ContentWritingChat
Take it a step further and create a nurture sequence that’s personalized to your subscribers. You can send a welcome sequence to introduce them to your brand and warm them up to potentially make a purchase, for example.
Q7: What’s your favorite email marketing platform? And what are the main features you suggest someone look for when choosing a platform to create and send newsletters?
A7: I've used @ConvertKit for years now. You want a platform that's user-friendly and offers features such as automation so you can trigger emails when people subscribe, make a purchase, etc. #ContentWritingChat
Carla uses ConvertKit as well, but has also used MailChimp in the past.
Want to join the next #ContentWritingChat? Mark your calendar for the first Tuesday of every month at 10 AM Central and follow @ExpWriters on Twitter for all the latest!