Are you wondering how you, as a contractor, can get your email newsletter opened and read by more of your subscribers?
With all the “email” noise out there, it can be difficult. In fact according to MailChimp, the open rate for the construction industry is 36.5%. This can be disheartening to those who invest the time, energy and money into creating an email newsletter month after month. You want more return on your investment.
So what’s the key to getting your email newsletter noticed, opened and read by more? It’s simple. You need to give your readers great, high-value content.
You can have the prettiest HTML email newsletter template, the most professional photos and a laser-focused list, but if the content stinks, your newsletter won’t get read.
To get a decent email newsletter open rate, you must first must establish that your newsletter is worth opening and reading. The only way you can do that is with good, valuable content.
Here are a few ways to improve your email newsletter open rates.
#1 Don’t make the content about you. If you are using your email marketing system to push your products and services and try to make sales, STOP RIGHT NOW! Your content shouldn’t be about you; it’s about your customers. Ask yourself these questions:
- What do they want to know?
- What helpful information can I share with them to make their lives easier or make it more enjoyable?
Certainly, the topics should center on areas you are experienced in – such as the home – but make it about the homeowner, not about your limited time special offer. (There are smart ways to integrate this piece into your newsletter, but I’ll save that topic for another day.)
#2 Start with good, relevant and fun content. The topic contractors most often struggle with is “What do I write about?” Start with matching your services and products with what your subscribers want to know about.
For instance, if you are a remodeler who specializes in kitchens, what are some of the questions your customers often ask before they hire you? Start there. Another idea is to use the calendar as fodder for topics. It will soon be spring. What home-related problems come with this time of the year (leaky roofs, grading around the foundation)?
#3 Be consistent. If you send out your email newsletter sporadically, you’ll receive sporadic results. Some contractors send it out monthly while others send it out whenever they are looking for work. Don’t be that guy!
Here’s the thing. Your email newsletter will hit people at different parts of the buying process. Some are just looking for ideas, while others are serious about remodeling soon, and you probably don’t know precisely where each of your subscribers fall in the sales process. Some remodelers have reported that it’s taken 18 months (or more) of sending an email newsletter before a subscriber was ready to start on their project. Stay in touch with your subscribers consistently so you be the guy who wins the business.
Above all else, keep the focus of your email newsletter on good, relevant and fun content that is helpful to your subscribers. When you do, over time you’ll see an improvement on your email newsletter open rate, and that will equate to a higher return on investment.
If you need help with keeping your email newsletter consistent, I invite you to look into my Done-For-You Newsletter Program.