We’re proud that our JCM & Co Coffee and Cake Zoom calls have inspired our clients to think differently about aspects of their business – such as the humble community e-newsletter – that are often forgotten.
At our recent coffee and cake meeting, we focussed on the importance of building your community and your business by investing effort and time into an e-newsletter that GIVES back to the reader.
Too often organisations have an ASK, but with most readers, their most precious currency is their time, and to build an engaged community that reads your e-newsletters, we must ensure that the content is worthwhile each and every time.
Below are our top tips to build your e-newsletter community:
It’s everyone’s job
Too often the community newsletter is pushed onto an intern to deal with. With newsletters being a vital and important part of building organisations, it needs input from the entire team. The JCM & Co team have themes for each newsletter and often will share articles, videos, podcasts and book of relevance into a Whatsapp group to be considered for the next newsletter.
Curate, Curate, Curate
You don’t have to create all content shared in your newsletter. What have you and your team read, watched or listened to since the last newsletter that interested you? Could you include a link to a podcast, article or video created by someone else?
Size doesn’t matter
Don’t get hung up on the size of your list – it’s about engagement. Look at the statistics of your newsletter and see what worked and what didn’t.
Give and your community will give back
Not every newsletter can be sales orientated. Give them content and relevant resources that they can use. If you give, your community will give back and this is by sharing your content
Less equals more
No one likes a long, text-heavy e-newsletter. Use short snippets and push back to your website.
Timing
Decided when you’re going to send your newsletter and stick to it. Make it a habit.