Question

Topic: E-Marketing

No One Is Reading My Newsletters

Posted by whimziequiltz on 8/23/2010 at 10:43 AM ET 500 Points
My monthly email newsletter is the only advertising/communication outlet to the majority of my 100 customers (I make custom quilts.)

In the last couple of months, my open rate has dropped from 30% to 18%. I'm extra concerned because my best customer (she's been with me forever) has completely stopped opening her emails. I'd love some advice on how to re-engage my readers/customers.

My newsletter format has not changed in several years: I try for a pun in the subject line (eg. "Now Batting for the Quilters... Customer Name" or "Lights... Camera... Quilt! A Movie-Inspired Quilt Contest".) Occasionally, I add an offer, usually Free Shipping, to the subject line.

Then I have a 2-sentence introductory paragraph relating the topic of the newsletter to quilting and a somewhat longer second paragraph where I describe several ideas for custom quilts or quilted items that a customer could have me make. I finish it with a call to action (eg. "Start Your Batting (Not So Average) Quilt Today" or "Start Your Hooray for Hollywood Quilt Today" linked to my website.) I rarely include photos and when I do they aren't very big.

There's usually a final section where I have the free shipping offer, a contest or a update on my charity giving program.

I still get orders from the newsletter, so in a sense it's doing what it's supposed to do. But it's very disappointing to see my open rates drop so precipitously and I don't want to spend all the time/energy it takes to write this stuff if no one reads it.

Do I completely revamp this format - and if so, to what? Or do I just fine tune it? And how do I let my lapsed customers know I'm making changes if I do?
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Inbox_Interactive on 8/23/2010 at 10:49 AM Accepted
    People generally disengage over summer. They are thinking about other things, and probably least of all quilts! :)

    Also, if your newsletter is mostly copy and few images, it could be that people are reading the email without downloading the images, and that is what's necessary to trigger the open.

    So, people could be reading it without actually triggering your open.

    You might want to put an irresistible image in there that the copy "begs" people to download and view, then your open will be triggered.

    I bet things pick up once cooler weather arrives along with the holidays.
  • Posted by Ryan Rutan on 8/23/2010 at 11:07 AM Accepted
    Hi Whimzie!

    Given the relatively small group you are talking about, if you are serious about reconnecting, I would suggest writing a few personalized (or semi-personalized) emails (particularly to the "dropouts").

    There may be a bit of a summer lull, but it won't hurt to reach out. Consider using the person's name in the subject line (or some other detail that will indicate to them that its a personal note). Don't make it sales related, just a note to ask after them, and offer a few pleasantries about your own summer. You may also consider telling them how much you enjoy having people like them as clients, and how much they mean to you. These kinds of communications tend to achieve great results among close knit buyer-seller communities, especially when they are sincere.

    See how the responses look in the month following, and then re-evaluate the format change decision.

    I hope this proves useful to you.

    Kind regards,

    Ryan

    Ryan Rutan
    Branding Brainiac
  • Posted by michael on 8/23/2010 at 11:14 AM Accepted
    You pretty much nailed it when you said your sales are constant. The key is to be on their minds regularly. Now, if you've been doing this bi-weekly you can drop to monthly so as not to tax your brain.

    I do this for a few companies and the response (sales) are consistent but the open rates are all over the board. It's B2B so I also get a lot of out-of-office responses, but again the sales are pretty regular.

    Now, if you are looking for the "high" you get from knowing people are reading your newsletter that's a different issue.

    Catchy subject line. Funny opener to get them to keep reading. REAL information, that they don't get in quilting magazines, and then finish with a quote...works 95% of the time.

    here's a few https://www.aprairiehomequilts.com/quilting-resources/quilting-quotes.html

    Michael
  • Posted by ipawlowski on 8/23/2010 at 12:56 PM Accepted
    You've gotten some great answers so far - I especially agree with the respondent who recommended reaching out on a more personal basis, given your small target audience.

    Another good idea for newsletters is rather than a pun or funny title, make it something compelling. Like a question that would be relevant to quilters - which your newsletter would answer, or a hot new trend in the category, or "Quilter Tip #55" or "Quilting Mistake #128".
    Make the subject line a compelling teaser that will make your customers curious to read the "answer".

    The newsletter is more about reminding your customer base of who you are (the authority on quilting), what you have to offer them, and your close relationship.

  • Posted by SRyan ;] on 8/23/2010 at 10:38 PM Accepted
    Why don't you skip sending the next newsletter to the subscribers who haven't opened, say, the last 4-6 issues. Instead, send those people a message with a subject line such as "I've missed you!"

    In that message, perhaps send them a link to a short survey that asks for feedback about your newsletter. (Is it too frequent? No longer relevant to them? That kind of thing.) And to encourage responses, promise a $50 gift certificate to one lucky winner.

    That will help you make decisions about your newsletter. And who knows? It might get those folks to start opening future newsletters again!

    Shelley
  • Posted by whimziequiltz on 8/23/2010 at 10:52 PM Author
    I hope it's just a summer lull! Open rates just dropped so much, more than in past years, and that had me worried. I appreciate eveyone's advice; you've given me a lot to think about...

    Thank you, Inbox_Interactive, for the information about images being the trigger - I wasn't aware of that. I'll try to make my images more "irresistible". And, fingers crossed, the weather will turn cool soon :)

    I do feel like some customers have almost become friends, Ryan, so I'll think about the personal notes. I've done that occasionally in the past , but always feel like I'm hitting them up for an order when all I really want is to let them know I'm thinking of them. It's hard to balance 'business' sometimes with the personal service I offer.

    It's nice to know someone else has experienced variable open rates/consistent sales, Michael. I've got to remember that's the real goal, not a big %, no matter how great it is to see that # go up and up. (The quote link was great! Thank you!)

    ipawlowski, I'll test some more compelling subject lines instead of just the puns. I like your idea of reminding my customers who I am and what I have to offer, too - got to remember it's not about the finding the funniest pun, it's about creating a quilt they will treasure for years.
  • Posted by whimziequiltz on 8/23/2010 at 11:08 PM Author
    Shelley, great advice, as well. I have the ability to split out a group from my overall subscriber list and an "I've Missed You" email is probably the perfect use for that.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 8/24/2010 at 9:00 AM Accepted
    You might also reach out to your best customer to ask if they've seen your newsletter recently. Perhaps it's been labeled spam and they never saw it?

    Also, sometimes simply receiving an email from you is enough to remind them, and they don't need to open it to be reminded any further.
  • Posted by whimziequiltz on 8/24/2010 at 9:41 AM Author
    Makes sense, Jay, especially with some of the customers who have been with me for years and years. They may not feel the need to open the emails anymore (which is why I wondered if I needed to change things up a bit.)
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