Newsletters are a powerhouse tool for businesses and creators—they offer a direct line to your audience, delivering content right into their inboxes. However, it’s this very appeal that’s led to saturation. Standing out has become increasingly challenging.
How do you create a newsletter and keep it from getting lost in the shuffle? You need a channel that shares this direct-line advantage: SMS marketing.
This guide shows you how to harness the potential of newsletters and amplify their impact through SMS for unparalleled reach and engagement.
Creating an Effective Newsletter
The foundation of any successful newsletter strategy is, of course, the newsletter itself. The following key elements will make your newsletter a must-read for subscribers.
1. Define Your Newsletter’s Purpose
Before you type a single word, consider why you’re creating a newsletter in the first place. Are you looking to:
- Increase brand awareness?
- Drive traffic to your site?
- Generate leads or sales?
- Establish yourself as a thought leader?
The more specific your purpose, the more focused your newsletter will be.
2. Know Your Audience
Honing in on your specific readership bolsters the resonance of your newsletter. Consider your target audience’s pain points, interests, and demographics like age, location, and profession.
Your newsletter’s impact rests on your ability to connect with readers. Craft it with a laser focus on the potential value you can provide your specific audience.
3. Choose the Right Content
The content of your newsletter needs to be consistently engaging and relevant to keep subscribers opening it time after time. Types of content that work well in newsletters include:
- Industry news and updates
- How-to guides and tips
- Behind-the-scenes looks at your processes
- Customer success stories or case studies
- Exclusive offers or access to services
In every newsletter, include a clear call to action so readers have an opportunity to engage. To get inspired, look at newsletter examples from successful brands in your industry. These can spark ideas to apply to your own newsletter.
4. Create Your Newsletter
A well-designed newsletter not only looks good but is also easy to read. Keep these best practices in mind as you create a newsletter that suits your brand:
- Layout and Design: Use a clean, simple layout with plenty of white space.
- Content: Write in a clear, concise style, using headers and subheadings.
- UX: Keep your layout to a single column for easy scrolling on mobile devices.
Tools and platforms like Mailchimp, Substack, and Canva can help you create a visually appealing newsletter.
5. Craft Compelling Subject Lines
Your subject line is the first thing readers see when it hits their inbox. Make it count by:
- Keeping it short and sweet, around 40 characters or less
- Creating a sense of urgency or curiosity
- Using personalization when possible
- Avoiding spam trigger words like “free” or “buy"
Your subject line is a promise of what’s inside when the user clicks. Make sure you deliver—it’s how you build trust with your audience.
Building Your Email List
Knowing how to create a newsletter is just the first step. The real challenge is ensuring it lands in the right inboxes. Fortunately, the right strategies can help grow your subscriber list and keep it healthy.
- Sign-Up Opportunities: Make it easy (and appealing) for people to subscribe through website opt-in forms, social media promotion, or in-person forms at events.
- Incentives for Subscribers: Offer immediate value for subscribers, like a free mini-course, downloadable resource, or subscriber-only discounts.
- Audience Segmentation: Divide your list by specific interests or demographics and tailor content to different segments for increased relevance.
Once you have a solid list, keep it up-to-date by removing inactive subscribers, using re-engagement campaigns, and making it easy for people to unsubscribe.
Remember, it’s not just about the numbers. While a large subscriber list is ideal, the goal is to maintain a clean, engaged list of subscribers who look forward to your newsletter.
Promoting Your Newsletter via SMS
With its immediacy and personal nature, SMS is a perfect channel for your newsletter promotion strategy. The key is using it effectively for maximum impact.
SMS Marketing 101
First, it’s important to grasp why SMS marketing is so effective:
- SMS boasts an impressive 99% open rate, compared to email’s 21% average.
- The vast majority of texts are read within minutes of receipt.
- SMS feels more personal and direct than an email, forging connections with users.
Using SMS for your newsletter effectively complements your email marketing strategy. Just keep in mind that building your SMS list requires a specific approach—one that balances enthusiasm with respect for privacy.
Read more about SMS vs. email marketing here.
5 Best Practices for Growing Your SMS Subscriber List
These thoughtful practices will keep your SMS strategies on the right track.
1. Ensure You Have Explicit Consent Before Sending Marketing Messages
Familiarize yourself with regulations like the Telephone Consumer Protection Act in the US or the General Data Protection Regulation in the EU, and get subscribers’ consent to receive messages from you.
2. Provide Easy Opt-Outs in Every Message
Not only is this beneficial for the health of your subscriber list and your brand image, but it’s also just good SMS etiquette, and is a legal requirement.
3. Make It Easy to Subscribe
Encourage people to text a simple word to your number, include an SMS option with email sign-ups, or feature QR codes that send people to subscriber forms.
4. Promote Across Multiple Platforms
Mention your SMS list in the newsletter itself, as well as on social media and in your other marketing campaigns.
5. Personalize SMS Communications
Use subscribers’ first names in messages and reference past behavior for a personal touch, minding the timing of your messages to boost engagement.
Integrating SMS with Your Newsletter Strategy
Used strategically, text messages can keep your audience connected and engaged. Leveraging SMS for newsletter promotion is best accomplished with these strategies:
- Timely Reminders and Updates
- Send a brief text when a newsletter is published.
- Alert subscribers of any time-sensitive updates.
- Exclusive SMS Content
- Send SMS-only snippets, teasers, or insights.
- Share quick tips or facts that complement newsletter content.
- Interactive Engagement
- Run flash polls or surveys related to newsletter content.
- Encourage two-way communication by requesting feedback or opinions.
- Key Takeaways
- Reiterate important info mentioned in your newsletter.
- Direct subscribers to particularly important sections of your newsletter.
Tracking Performance and Engagement
Taking a data-driven approach to SMS newsletter marketing efforts allows you to refine your strategies as you go. This way, you can stay on top of performance and deliver more value to your subscribers.
Keep track of these key metrics.
| Metric | What It Measures |
| Open Rates | The percentage of subscribers who open your newsletter |
| Click-through rates | How many readers click on links in your newsletter |
| Conversion rates | The percentage of readers who take a desired action |
| Bounce and delivery rates | Messages successfully or unsuccessfully delivered |
| Unsubscribe rates | The percentage of readers who opt out |
Researching industry averages can give you an idea of how to measure success, but only you can determine what works for you and your brand.
Using Subtext to Promote Your Newsletter
Subtext specializes in unlocking the full potential of SMS marketing for newsletter promotion. Our SMS platform is purposefully designed to capitalize on the immediacy and high engagement rates of text messaging, elevating your newsletter’s reach and impact.
Subtext’s powerful features make it simple to promote your newsletter via SMS.
Seamless Integration
Easily import your email list and grow SMS subscribers at the same time. You can also schedule SMS promotions to align with newsletter releases in a way that works with your schedule.
Audience Engagement
Send quick texts about upcoming newsletter content. Use polling features to gather feedback, which you can use to inform future issues.
Subscriber Growth
Create targeted SMS campaigns encouraging text subscribers to sign up for your email newsletter. Subtext offers varied messaging options, including templates and drip sequences.
Targeting and Analytics
Segment audiences by interactions with both SMS and newsletter content. Track SMS metrics and compare them with newsletter performance to optimize your strategy.
Let Subtext Help Your Newsletters Reach Their Audience
At Subtext, we've redefined how to create a newsletter promotion by integrating the personal touch of SMS. Explore our case studies to see how businesses effectively use Subtext for audience engagement.
Book a demo to see how Subtext can enhance your strategy today!