Are you looking for a meaningful way to connect with clients and prospects?
Recent studies shed light on how e-mail newsletters and print newsletters perform as marketing and communication tools. A 2024 article in Forbes noted that a company newsletter can build a customer loyalty by offering exclusive content, such as behind-the-scenes insights and top-of-mind awareness of your clients and prospects.
So, while direct mail to prospects helped convert them, e-mail to current customers boosted repeat sales. Keeping those findings in mind, let’s move to the crucial first step.
Start with a goal in mind
To maximize your newsletter’s effectiveness, start by clearly defining your marketing goals. They might include:
- Establishing or maintaining a line of contact with clients and prospects.
- Reminding clients of their insurance needs and encouraging them to contact you regarding their specific situation.
- Motivating clients to think about risk management.
- Building a relationship where clients consider you their trusted, educated advisor.
Avoid these most common newsletter mistakes
If you want your newsletter to have the desired impact, avoid the following:
- Poor design – Your audience decides within seconds whether they’ll read your newsletter. Aim for a clean, professional and uncluttered look. Outsourcing to experts can help achieve high-quality design.
- Excessive length – Readers appreciate concise and informative content. Keep your articles brief yet insightful to maintain attention and engagement.
- Overly promotional content – Focus primarily on education and valuable insights rather than overt selling.
- Irregular production schedule – Stick to a regular publishing schedule. Consistency builds anticipation and trust, so clients know when to expect your newsletter.
- Hidden contact information – Your contact details should be easily visible. Clearly display your name, agency, phone number, e-mail and website.
- Stopping production – Once you start sending newsletters, maintain regular production. Abrupt stops can negatively affect your clients’ perceptions of your stability and commitment.
Print or e-mail?
A printed newsletter is tangible and less fleeting — it can be read at the reader’s convenience, shared or saved. In fact, print newsletters often circulate beyond the initial recipient: a physical newsletter can be picked up and passed around offices or households, potentially reaching new eyes beyond the mailing list.
Meanwhile, a 2020 report from the University of Oxford’s Reuters Institute noted that e-mail newsletters have become increasingly valuable for building direct relationships with audiences. In insurance and financial brokerage, e-mail newsletters are also used to build client loyalty over time.
An integrated approach — using e-mail and print newsletters together — can yield the best results. Rather than an “either/or,” you may opt for both to maximize reach and reinforce messaging across channels.
No matter which format you choose, the same rules apply. Quality content, appealing design and consistent delivery are the keys to successful newsletter marketing.