Whether you want to keep subscribers informed, drive traffic to your website, or boost sales, a well-executed email newsletter can be a powerful tool. In this post, we'll walk you through the step-by-step process of creating an email newsletter campaign.
We’ll delve into the essential elements to help you create a campaign that will not only grab your readers' attention but also convert them into loyal customers. Ready to create a campaign that delivers results? Let’s get into it!
Questions to answer when creating email newsletter campaigns
When starting a newsletter campaign, it’s crucial to get the following aspects sorted first.
What will the newsletter discuss?
This question forms the foundation of your entire email campaign strategy. To answer it, identify your target audience. Remember, when you write for many, you appeal to none, but to resonate with many, you must write for one. So, just identify one ideal reader to write for.
Now, list all their interests, needs, and pain points. What information or content is relevant and valuable to them? Align your newsletter's content with their expectations and preferences. Let your audience’s preferences dictate whether your newsletter discusses industry news, educational articles, product updates, or exclusive offers.
Also, consider your overarching goals. Are you looking to inform, entertain, inspire, or persuade your subscribers? Your content must clearly reflect your objectives, or it might fall flat.
The crosssection between your audience’s needs and your objectives becomes your positioning strategy. At this point, you should clearly understand what your newsletter will be like. Will it focus on sensational product updates and offers, objective and unbiased industry news, or valuable learning resources for beginners?
What will the newsletter design look like?
First, consider your brand identity. Ensure that the design elements, such as colors, fonts, and logos, align with your brand's style guide to maintain consistency and reinforce brand recognition. Next, focus on mobile responsiveness. With most email opens occurring on mobile devices, your design must adapt seamlessly to various screen sizes.
Don’t feel compelled to choose a complicated and image-heavy design. Simple newsletter designs offer numerous advantages. They enhance readability by eliminating distractions, making engaging readers with your content easier. Additionally, they improve loading times, ensuring your emails open swiftly on various devices.
Moreover, if you choose a simple design, you can also create it on your own on Gmail. Learn more about how you can make an email newsletter in Gmail.
When and how often will the newsletter be sent?
The question requires careful consideration. Start by understanding your audience's behavior and preferences. Things could vary a lot depending on your industry and target demographic.
Too many emails can lead to subscriber fatigue and unsubscribes, while too few might cause your brand to fade from memory. Most newsletters opt for a regular schedule, such as weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, to maintain engagement without overwhelming subscribers.
It’s also important to be transparent with your subscribers about the frequency they can expect. Mention this information during the sign-up process clearly to set expectations and avoid surprises. Lastly, analyze data to verify when your subscribers are most active and receptive to emails.
When you’re ready to start, it’s time to decide the platform you will use for sending your newsletter campaign. If you’re new to email marketing campaigns, there’s no better place to start than Gmail. This way, you don’t have to worry about learning the intricacies of a new platform. You can just get right into it!
How to send your email newsletter in Gmail in 3 easy steps
Here are the steps to sending your email newsletter through Gmail:
Step 1: Prepare your email list
If you’re using Gmail to send out your newsletter campaign, you can create an email group comprising the people to whom you want to send your newsletter. However, keeping up with an email group might get challenging once your list grows.
It’s usually better to get your contacts onto something like Google Sheets. Ensure that the email addresses on the list are up-to-date and well-segmented. Remove any invalid or unsubscribed addresses to maintain a healthy sender reputation.
Step 2: Download a mail merge tool
This is the most critical part of your campaign, as partnering with the right tool will mean ease and efficiency in the long run. This is why we suggest you download YAMM, an easy-to-use mail merge tool that lets you send your emails right from Gmail.
YAMM also lets you track your email campaigns from the familiarity and comfort of Google Sheets. Once you’ve downloaded YAMM, install it in your Gmail. With that done, follow these steps to send out your newsletter:
- Save your newsletter as a draft in your Gmail. You’ll need this when you start your mail merge.
- Go to your Google Sheets and open your contact sheet.
- Click on the ‘Extensions’ button on the menu. Find and click ‘Start a mail merge.’
Now, you can follow the steps in the add-on to carry out your mail merge. Read more about how to do a mail merge.
Step 3: Schedule when you’ll send the newsletter
When you start the mail merge, you’ll get the option to ‘schedule’ your mail. Click on the “Schedule” button to set when your newsletter reaches your audience. Read more about scheduling emails in Gmail and YAMM.
When you're done, click ‘Send,’ and your email newsletter has been scheduled for sending at your preferred time!
Easily send email newsletter campaigns over Gmail with YAMM!
Now you know how to create an email newsletter campaign from scratch and get it going with YAMM. Once you’ve sent out your email newsletter, don’t forget to track the key metrics that YAMM offers in the convenient dashboard in your Google Sheets. So, if you’re ready to streamline your email newsletter campaigns through Gmail, try YAMM today. Send personalized, engaging newsletters easily and take your Gmail email campaigns to the next level now!