Thinking about producing an email newsletter for your company? It’s a popular solution for organizations that want to stay in touch with their existing customers and keep them up-to-date on the latest news about their products and services. Recent research from the Content Marketing Institute ranks e-newsletters as the second best type of content for 87% of B2B and 76% of B2C marketers.

Why the second, you ask? It depends on the goals for their overall email marketing efforts. Weekly newsletters are great for nurturing email subscribers but what about creating value for prospects? Would stand-alone, single-purpose emails (dedicated sends) better address prospects where they are in their customer journey?

Newsletters are just one way to use email to help your company connect with customers and prospects. In this article, we cover eight more email content types to consider for meeting and exceeding your marketing goals, plus lots of topics for email newsletters that will help you get the results you’re looking for.

1. Welcome Emails

Welcome emails introduce new subscribers to your company, outline the kind of services their subscription will provide, and help you start a relationship with them. Even though they signed up to receive your content, 50% of them are likely not yet ready to buy. So give them a good first impression with personalized content that highlights your industry knowledge and experience. Research shows subscribers who read an initial welcome email will read 40% more of your content sent in the next 180 days.

2. Dedicated Emails 

Dedicated sends or stand-alone emails focus on driving results for a singular purpose. The content has one message that covers one topic and offers the recipient one way to access more information relating to that topic, a call-to-action. For instance, use a dedicated email to invite people to a webinar you’re hosting or let them know about a piece of marketing content that could be useful to them. Dedicated emails contain a link that the recipient clicks on to land easily on a web page where they can learn more, register, or access the content.

3. Lead Nurturing Emails

Lead nurturing is an inbound marketing tactic that thrives by understanding and acting upon your prospects’ needs to reach them effectively. Lead nurturing happens through an automated series of sequenced emails that contain useful content that’s relevant to prospects when they need it most. The content can include marketing materials such as blog posts, webinars, and eBooks, or other offers like service discounts as well as news and thought leadership.

4. Transactional Emails

These email messages are triggered by a specific action that a recipient takes. The content enables them to complete the action. For example, after someone fills out an online form to register for a webinar, they receive a transactional email thanking them for signing up and giving them the information needed to join the webinar. They are the email messages consumers receive after buying something on an e-commerce site. Transactional emails have a high open rate and offer an opportunity to include a highly customized call-to-action that keeps an already engaged customer interested in learning more.

5. Re-Engagement Emails

Re-engagement emails help to re-establish contact with inactive subscribers. The content often asks for feedback as a way to bring them back to the business. Experts say converting an inactive subscriber into a customer is five times more cost-effective than attracting brand new customers.

6. Brand Story Emails

Telling the story of your company or explaining your unique selling proposition in a personal way can elicit a strong emotional connection from your email subscribers. Every email contains a consistent message with a purpose  This can help build customer loyalty and better inform their purchasing decisions.

7. Video Emails

Video enables high engagement from audiences no matter where it’s used. So why not let it help with your email campaigns? Most marketers know that people only retain 10% of a message that’s text-only and 95% of a message when it’s a video. One company found a 21.52% increase in clicks from image to video thumbnails when testing their email marketing campaigns.

8. Feedback Request Emails

Asking for feedback from your subscribers like testimonials, recommendations, and reviews can be great for search engine optimization (SEO). It can boost your domain authority, add to your company’s credibility when prospects are educating themselves about businesses they may want to partner with, and can provide keyword-rich content for your company that’s new and unique.

11 Topic Ideas To Consider For Email Newsletters

If you do start producing an email newsletter, what kind of content should you include? Think of your marketing goals first (there’s a theme building here) and make sure you're sending out your e-newsletter regularly.

1. Establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry with a blog post round-up.
2. Give your subscribers a great incentive to share your emails with how-to videos.
3. Become a trusted resource for your subscribers by curating industry news.
4. Solidify your brand’s mission with brand stories.
5. Add immediate value to subscribers’ lives with animated explainer videos
6. Educate customers and prospects about your business by showcasing employee profiles, company passion projects, and industry awards.
7. Keep subscribers reading with links to popular blog posts, new (and exclusive) newsletter offers or discounts, announcements for upcoming events, and specially-designed surveys.

What else to write in your newsletters?

• Focus on topical news as a theme. Give reports on recent trade shows or industry conferences. Highlight new product features or elevated services. Share new ways to use old things. Interview industry influencers. Include infographics or original photography.
• Make all opinions and commentary. Write in first person and elevate your status as an expert.
• Include valuable tips and how-to instructions in every issue.
• Share curated content like articles, books, podcasts, YouTube videos, inspirational quotes, and funny tweets.

11outof11 Knows Email Marketing

If you need help strategizing your email marketing campaigns with creative content, connect with 11outof11. Request a complimentary call with an 11outof11 expert. Contact us to learn more.