E-mail newsletters are making a huge comeback. They’ve come a long way from the old days of plain text, now incorporating video, images, and compelling CTAs. Almost every major publisher and brand now puts one to use in their marketing strategy, and it appears to be paying off.
The Washington Post, for example, has added more than a million subscribers to their various newsletters over the past year, and traffic to their from newsletters increased by a staggering 129 percent in the same period. Many major publishers – like Vox, Quartz, and others – have positions or teams dedicated specifically to crafting newsletters.
The surging interest in newsletters among audiences is only one element of what makes them so valuable to brands. Let’s take a look at what makes e-mail newsletters so impactful and how video can significantly enhance their power.
Newsletters are their own platform
In response to the nebulous algorithms of social networks, publishers are turning their direct communications into a platform of its own. No longer focused exclusively on driving readers back to publisher’s sites (though that is still a big part of it), newsletters are being designed as singular, in e-mail experiences. A unique, quality experience makes a newsletter something subscribers look forward to receiving, and positions your company as a thought leader.
Subscribers are brand loyalists
Newsletters are opt-in, and only the most dedicated and interested people are going to sign-up. These loyalists are deeply familiar with and trusting of the entity behind the newsletter. They want more of the content a particular publisher offers, they’re asking for it, and they expect it to be good. This deeply involved audience is also ready and willing for any engagement-oriented content you might include, like surveys, polls, CTAs to share on social, etc.
Video belongs in newsletters
We’re living in the golden age of online video, but it’s not limited to social networks. Newsletter creators have learned that including video (whether embedded or linked) is something every audience desires. In fact, simply using “video” in the subject line increases open rates by as much as 19%.
Video also helps achieve all the primary goals of a newsletter. It provides the opportunity for unique, captivating content in a format audiences desire. It prompts engagement and social action much more effectively than plain text and still images. Video is also perfect for CTAs, whether they’re utilized to drive subscribers through to a site, encourage them to share on social, or something else entirely.
Gone are the days of e-mail newsletters being something lost in the inbox, often sent but rarely opened. Audiences are turning to the newsletters’ of the brands and publishers they trust for new content and intelligent curation, opening the door for direct engagement with loyal followers and new avenues to success.
