Want to know how many email newsletters or bulletins I have opened in 2016? Close to Zero. Nonna. Zilch. They probably have lots of useful content and at some point in the past few years I may have subscribed to them. However, 2016 is quite different from 2010 when content is now immediately accessible at the click of a button. Another huge difference is that content must be relevant and targeted. Otherwise, it doesn’t get opened. Bottom line, it goes directly to my recycle bin. In fact, anything that has “newsletter” in it will most likely get an immediate departure to the trash can.
Why should you consider ditching email newsletters? The short answer is it’s very time consuming. I personally think that the traditional newsletter is no longer an effective marketing tool when compared to other options that takes half the time to create and has exponentially more return on my investment. Equally, if you want to build your business through email and drive profits to your business, then your emails must be laser-targeted on providing your audience a very specific calls-to-action, and not so many options that you confuse your readers.
If you should ditch email newsletters, what are other options that are more effective?
In 1996, Bill Gates wrote an essay entitled Content is King. Twenty years later, his prediction is pretty much spot on. I would add though that “Targeted Content that You Own is King”. Today’s tech giants and media darlings are almost exclusively content-focused, from Google to Facebook, to LinkedIn to Quora. Content marketing is the buzzword inside the walls of marketing giants as well as boutique creative agencies.
Email newsletters were originally designed to provide you an overview of a company’s status. Similar to a pulse at a given time with links to photos, articles and bulletins. This approach completely violates what attracts the growing number of readers today and going forward.