As a marketer or blogger, you are probably constantly looking for ways to extend your email list and get closer to your audience. Probably the most effective way to do this is strategic blogging. If you are able to publish quality, valuable blog posts, then you can get new readers, convert them into subscribers, and keep them in your brand. In this article, we’ll see how to create blog posts that will drive your email newsletter and give you a following.
1. Understand Your Audience
The key to creating compelling and interesting content is to know your target audience. Who are they? What do they want to achieve? What issues are they experiencing that your content will solve? Dig deep into your website data and gain useful information about your audience’s demographics, habits and interests. Analytics such as Google Analytics can tell you how your visitors find your site and what content they’re most interested in.
By optimizing your blog to reflect your audience’s desires and issues, you make it easier for them to opt-in to your newsletter for further personalized updates and insights. Finally, when readers are genuinely noticed and appreciated, they are more likely to jump onboard.
2. Incorporate Clear Calls-to-Action (CTAs)
Every single good blog post should include strong and compelling calls-to-action to entice the reader to sign up for your email newsletter. Depending on how your content is designed and organized, this might include pop-up boxes, inline subscription boxes inside the text or separate sections at the end of every post.
Highlight what you can get by signing up for it, such as exclusive content, special deals or knowledge. A call to action not only encourages immediate action but explains what readers can expect to get by joining your email community. Let them subscribe easily by reducing the amount of steps they need to take so they can subscribe naturally and increase conversion rates.
3. Provide Exclusive Content
Make your blog a good place to tease the exclusive content of your email newsletter. Use it to give out sneak peeks of detailed articles, exclusive views or insider info you cannot find elsewhere. By providing something that only your newsletter provides, you establish a high level of engagement.
The perks may include industry reports, infographic digests, webinars and eBooks that only subscribers can view. Let them know that your newsletter is not a side project from your blog but something unique, a storehouse of knowledge that you don’t just get from your blog.
4. Write Engaging and Valuable Content
The foundation of every successful blog is content. Millennials are saturated with options and your posts must offer real value if you want to be seen. Whether it’s a helpful trick that helps them overcome a specific issue, practical tips readers can immediately apply, or stories that engage them, your content should be designed to make their lives better.
Engaging content draws traffic to your website. If your readers find what you’re writing useful or entertaining, they’ll sign up to your newsletter for more of the same. Additionally, if you have really great content on your blog, not only will your followers come back, they’ll share your blog with their social media following. This organic sharing will not only make you much more visible and attract more visitors to your site, but also make new subscribers to your list come forward to join your list.
5. Offer Freebies and Incentives
One of the most effective ways to woo prospective subscribers is with the use of incentives. When you have a bunch of useful freebies about your blog (e-books, checklists, templates) then people can share their email address for it. Free, quality content is one of the most effective ways to encourage someone to subscribe to your newsletter.
This not only increases your subscriber base but also increases the reader experience. If you are giving something of value to your followers on a one-time basis, then they will consider you an information resource. Such a positive impression can encourage brand loyalty and drive readers to return to your site and look forward to future newsletters.
6. Keep It Consistent
Consistency is one of the most important factors in determining readers and newsletter subscribers. Having a slow blog publishing pattern can also discourage your readers and affect your subscriber count. If you want to keep your audience interested and captivated by your content, it is important to create a content calendar where you can define when and what you are going to post.
By sticking to a schedule, you are creating trust and anticipation for your audience. Because they know when to look for content, they’re more inclined to return to your blog and then sign up for your newsletter. Consistency creates familiarity, and familiarity creates trust — two key elements in building a loyal subscriber base.
7. Leverage Social Media
Use social media tools to expand your blog posts’ visibility. Post excerpts or quotes that connect to your entire article while also reminding readers about your newsletter. Engaging with your followers on social media will allow you to build relationships that will generate traffic to your blog and sign-up page for your newsletter.
8. Analyze and Optimize
And finally, you should constantly measure how your blog posts are performing and whether they are driving newsletter signups. Use resources such as Google Analytics to keep track of which subjects your audience is most interested in, which calls to action are getting conversions, and how well your email campaigns are working. Use this information to tweak your content strategy to suit the changing demands of your audience.
Conclusion:
Writing blogs to add to your email newsletter is a labor of love, but it’s definitely worth it. When you know who your audience is, create a headline, add value, use pictures, CTAs, SEO and promote your newsletter, you can bring in readers, turn them into subscribers, and retain them in your brand’s orbit. Happy blogging!
