What Is an Email Newsletter and Why Do You Need One?

Email marketing is a cost-effective avenue for connecting and engaging with potential clients and customers. And a digital newsletter, often referred to as an e-newsletter, is one of the most popular forms. It’s a way to reach people wherever they are. It doesn’t matter whether you are a major health care system or a neighborhood senior center — e-newsletters provide you with a good opportunity to stay top of mind with your target audience.

Taking advantage of email newsletters has many benefits, and the good news is that it won’t cost you a lot.

Why Should Your Center Use Email Newsletters?

While there are many reasons to put together an email newsletter, here are a few of the leading ones:

• Stay in touch with current members: Most people have busy lives. It’s easy to forget about events and activities that we might like to participate in. Because most people check their email often, sending out newsletters can be a great reminder of what your senior center has to offer.
• Target different groups: One more advantage is how easy it is to segment your list and create different newsletters for different groups. For example, have one newsletter that goes out to your volunteers and another with upcoming activities and events for current members.
• Nurture people who haven’t yet joined: You can also use email newsletters to unobtrusively stay connected with people you are hoping will become members. Testimonials, photos, and open houses are good items to include. And it sure beats repeated (and annoying!) phone calls to encourage a prospect to join.
• Manage your own list: Unlike with followings on social media platforms like Facebook, X, and Instagram, you actually own your list. Having people's email addresses keeps you from being at the mercy of tech companies that control those private networks.

What’s Next?

 If you like the sound of having your own email newsletter, it’s surprisingly easy to get started:

1.) Choose a platform

Deciding which platform to use for your newsletter might be the toughest part of this process. That’s because there are so many different options, including some that are free until you reach certain numbers of subscribers. Constant Contact and MailChimp are two of the most popular. Each gives you an opportunity to set up a free account and offers tips and guides for launching your e-newsletter. We’ll cover this topic in more detail in our next blog post.

2.) Build your subscriber list

This part of your process will require thoughtful planning and repeated reminders. Because of the volume of emails many of us receive, people have gotten more reluctant to share their email address. One way to encourage it could be to create a guide or lead magnet that you promote on your website. They can download it at no cost in exchange for providing their email. Just make sure not to ask for too much information or visitors will likely skip it. And don’t forget to place Subscribe buttons on your website and blog pages, and to talk about it at in-person events.

3.) Save time with WeCreate

You will, undoubtedly, want beautiful imagery in each of your newsletters. We do the work for you with WeCreate, our extensive library of ready-to-use graphics, photographs, and even image templates made especially for you to drop into your publications. You’ll never be lacking in images for all occasions — heading and announcement banners, holiday images, event graphics, administrative designs, and stock photography to name just a few.

4.) Be sure to get permission

Finally, a word of caution. You’ll need permission before adding anyone to your email marketing list. Otherwise, it’s considered spam and can get your email flagged. Read more about CAN-SPAM Act: A Compliance Guide for Business before you get started.

Don’t forget to bookmark this blog and stop back often. In our next article, we’ll share more information on selecting a provider for your e-newsletter campaigns!

Updated on 03-21-2024