7 Reasons to Start an E-Mail Newsletter Right Now

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An e-mail newsletter is a simple and effective way for radio stations to stay connected with their audience, build community, and promote their events and promotions. If you’re not collecting e-mail addresses and reaching out to these subscribers regularly, lean in.  An e-mail newsletter should be crucial to every radio station’s marketing strategy. Not only does it allow you to keep your listeners informed about upcoming events and promotions, but it also helps to build a sense of community and engagement with your audience.

81% of small businesses rely on e-mail as their primary customer acquisition channel, and 80% rely on e-mail for retaining customers.  Why?  According to the Content Marketing Institute, every dollar spent on e-mail marketing typically returns an average of forty-two dollars.  So, don’t think e-mail is dead or all spammy.  Here are seven reasons why your radio station should start an e-mail newsletter:

1. A newsletters is direct communication.

With all the social media and streaming services out there, it can be easy for your station to get lost in the noise.  On the other hand, a newsletter gives you a direct line of communication with your audience, allowing you to share important information and updates in a way that is easily accessible and convenient for them.

2. Newsletters build relationships.

Newsletters can help radio stations build listener relationships by providing valuable content, creating a sense of community, and encouraging engagement.  They do not have to come to you whenever they want to know what’s happening.  You’re giving them valuable information right in their inbox.

3. Newsletters increase listeners and brand loyalty.

By consistently providing valuable content and updates, newsletters can help to increase your station brand loyalty and encourage your audience to tune in more often.  We’ve mentioned the marketing circle of having a website that provides excellent information and promotes more listening and the on-air side promoting the station website on online engagement.  E-mail newsletters can do both at once.

4. Newsletter services are cost-effective.

Newsletters are a cost-effective way to reach a large audience, as they do not require large advertising budgets like traditional forms of marketing.

There are many options to choose but research the right one for your needs.  Newsletter services are all built in differently.  Most have a free plan for you to try the service out.  Some cost as little as nine dollars per month.  Don’t let price be the determining factor though.  There are two major functionalities to look for when picking a service:

– Do they offer an easy way for subscribers to sign up?
It should be easy for you to post customized entry forms on your station website.  An e-mail service may provide a plugin for your website, or you may have to embed code for the signup forms.

– Do the service have the ability to process an RSS feed from your website?
You must be able to integrate content from your website.  Otherwise, you’ll be manually writing every newsletter you send.  RSS feeds allow newsletter services to pull content from your website and send it out on schedules you set – all on automatic.

5. A newsletter provides measurable results.

Newsletters can be easily tracked and measured, allowing stations to see the results of their efforts and adjust as necessary.  If you find that nobody opens your e-mails, ensure that you’re not using a generic or cryptic title that might make them appear spammy.  A killer subject line can make the difference.

If subscribers are not clicking the links within your newsletter, you may need to adjust the kind of content you’re providing or ensure you have good calls to action.

Either way, newsletters provide valuable insight into your subscribers’ actions every time.

6. Newsletters can be targeted.

Newsletters can be segmented and personalized to target specific demographics and listener groups, making them more effective than generic marketing methods.

You can start with just one e-mail list but plan to segment and grow into more lists over time. You may have a local news list, an entertainment news list, a sports news list, or an events-only list.  Some subscribers may only want to hear from you once a month, but others might want to receive your local news every morning.

7. Newsletters can increase your revenue.

Newsletters can include sponsor messages and banner ads.  This gives you more online real estate to sell at a premium.  E-mails generate traffic back to your station website, which increases page views that you can show to existing and potential website sponsors.

Wrapping Up

Starting a newsletter is a cost-effective and efficient way for radio stations to reach their listeners, build relationships, increase listenership, and stand out in a crowded market. It’s also a way to create new revenue opportunities.

We love helping our radio station clients move the needle with their online presence.  Let us help you.  Reach out to us at skyrocketradio.com.

We want to help your radio station grow and succeed online.  That journey starts with an amazing website that keeps visitors coming back often.  Reach out to us to start your path to online success, or book an appointment to see our tools in action.