Audience attention spans have been falling for decades as competition for mindshare has skyrocketed. With the average focused attention span dropping from 2.5 minutes around 20 years ago to 47 seconds by 2021, digital publishers need help to make a lasting and personal connection with their audiences.
This struggle has meant that new ways to reach people beyond a simple website have grown in popularity. Email newsletter platforms are one such tool, allowing publishers to connect with audiences on a more personal level and then steer them back to their platform.
Newsletter tools streamline audience data gathering and storage, and allow publishers to craft personalized newsletters that have a better chance of engaging readers. For example, audience segmentation features help identify and sort reader interests and demographics, making it easier to communicate with different groups.
Newsletters allow publishers to stay in constant contact with their readership, providing an incredible opportunity to build audience loyalty and drive growth.
What Is an Email Newsletter Platform?
Email newsletter platforms enable their users to create custom newsletters, send them directly to subscriber inboxes and monitor the performance of newsletter campaigns.
These email marketing services contain easy-to-use tools — such as a drag-and-drop editor — that publishers can use to customize newsletters for their niche. Many even provide customer relationship management (CRM) software to help newsletter subscribers.
While each piece of software allows publishers to interact with audiences offsite, capabilities vary from platform to platform. For example, they may or may not provide campaign data analysis or third-party integrations.
This means publishers need to weigh up their goals carefully before selecting a platform, ensuring that their pick has the features they need to achieve their strategic goals.
How Does an Email Newsletter Platform Work?
An email newsletter platform can offer a range of services, including newsletter creation, distribution and scheduling.
Publishers can use these tools to create branded emails, schedule when the emails are sent to different audiences and track the performance of various campaigns.
Publishers build email lists for these campaigns by prominently placing calls to action (CTAs) on their sites offering compelling value exchanges. For example, in exchange for an email address, a news outlet might promise to keep the audience up to date with the latest world events.
This strategy ultimately helps to boost and prolong engagement lifecycles.
Why Should Publishers Use an Email Newsletter Platform?
Publishers should use an email newsletter platform because of the many benefits they offer, not least of which is the streamlining and tracking of newsletter distribution. Below are the four main benefits these platforms offer:
1. Connecting with Target Audience
Publishers need to consider connecting with their audiences beyond the content creation phase. What do we mean?
Well, one survey found that 55% of respondents were more interested in emails that are personalized for them (PDF download).
Email newsletter platforms can facilitate this in several ways. For example, newsletter sign-ups can be set to trigger an automated “welcome email” that addresses the subscriber by name, offers insights and promotes content similar to the page the subscriber first clicked on. Smart data features, meanwhile, can be used to customize subject lines on user preferences.
2. Longer Life Cycles
Email marketing software also gives publishers more options when it comes to engaging different audience segments over the long term.
These platforms allow for older material to be repurposed for new users, surfacing relevant content that might not be immediately apparent on the website. For example, publishers can set up an automated welcome email (or any subsequent newsletter for that matter) for a new subscriber to promote previous content based on that user’s interests. Publishers can then better squeeze value from their portfolio of evergreen content.
Offering exclusive content through email newsletters also fosters deeper ties with subscribers. Meanwhile, interactive elements — such as quizzes and polls — and email series can also establish longer-term relationships with audiences.
3. Enhanced Analytics
Most platforms offer analytics solutions that help gather and interpret audience detailed reporting. Metrics such as click-through rates (CTRs) and conversion rates are essential in assisting publishers fine-tune their email campaigns.
This data can be used to design strong cross-promotional campaigns. For example, a news outlet looking to convert its free newsletter audience into subscribers can leverage its audience data to shine a spotlight on paywalled content that it knows aligns with a particular segment’s interests.
4. Templates
Newsletter platforms reduce the friction content creators can face when trying to design and distribute their newsletters. Many platforms offer free HTML email templates to help get creators off the ground as quickly as possible.
Less time spent on design means more time for content creation, operations and even developing monetization strategies such as advertising and sponsorships.
And for publishers exploring affiliate marketing opportunities, there’s definitely an appeal in using email templates that are already converting audiences.
What to Look for When Choosing
When deciding between platforms, there are a few elements to consider. Cost might be a deciding factor for some publishers, while others will be more concerned with platforms that prioritize ease of access within their design.
It’s essential to weigh the options before deciding which is the best fit. Let’s look at a few in more detail:
1. Identify Goals
The first thing publishers need is a clear idea of what they want from their email newsletters. Are they seeking to drive traffic to their website, promote products or encourage subscriptions?
Understanding these needs will make it easier to quickly identify which platform’s features are a better fit.
2. Consider Budget
Given the greater financial constraints facing smaller publishers, it’s a good idea to determine whether a platform’s pricing is the right fit for scalability.
Paid plans are typically based on the number of subscribers, scaling from there. What works for one publisher long-term might be an onerous burden for another.
3. Integration Options
For publishers that use various third-party platforms within their marketing strategies, choosing a platform that seamlessly integrates with existing tools is important.
Picking a platform that can synchronize data between systems will allow for unified communication across different channels — an especially important feature for publishers aiming to build their social media presence.
4. Customization Features
As noted above, newsletter personalization significantly improves a publisher’s chances of attracting and retaining an audience. Platforms will offer different levels of customization, with some requiring the publisher to be more technically proficient when designing their newsletters.
For those looking for a relatively simple newsletter creation process, this is when a platform’s template library and customization options will become more critical. There are several platforms with the popular drag-and-drop feature, so publishers without a skilled in-house design team should look for a platform that simplifies the process.