6 reasons why outsourcing your newsletter isn’t bad for your business

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Have you thought about outsourcing your newsletter? How does it make you feel? I expect the first thing that comes to mind is the cost. I want you to think about this differently. Because let’s face it, it’s probably one of your least favourite things on your to-do list.

Marketing your business goes hand-in-hand with having a business. It doesn’t matter what you sell, or to whom. Without marketing, how do people hear about you? Yes, we all want that word-of-mouth holy grail. But that takes time to build up, and once you start getting referrals, you still need to keep in touch with people to stay top of mind.

That’s where having a newsletter comes in handy. It’s the algorithm-busting digital marketing tactic your business needs. So, I want you to carry on reading this post with an open mind, as I explain why outsourcing your newsletter is a good thing.

Outsourcing your newsletter saves you time

I know you know this already. But I want you to do something for me. Grab a piece of paper and work out how long it takes you to create one newsletter.

Take into account all the things you need to do.

• Write the text
• Create the images
• Write any content you link to
• Craft the subject line and preheader text
• Send a test email and test all the links are working
• Schedule the email to send
• Look at the reports and make decisions with the information

What does that look like? How many minutes/hours have you landed on?

Now work out what else you could be doing with that time – more on this below.

Outsourcing your newsletter helps you make money

OK, bear with me here. I know you’ll be spending money on outsourcing your newsletter. But, now you’ve worked out how much time you’re saving let’s dive into what else you could do with that time. Remember, you do need to spend time working on your business, as well as working in it.

• How long have you been thinking about that new service or product you want to develop and launch? Ages, right? And you know your target audience would love it. How about taking the time you save on outsourcing your newsletter to work on it?
• Have you heard the phrase: the money’s in the follow-up? It really is true. You can end up spending a lot of time generating leads. But what good are they if you never follow up? Imagine having time to do that. Outsourcing your newsletter is one way you can create that time.
• What does it take for someone to buy from you? Have you worked it out? Because I’m a service-based business, the time (or sales cycle) is pretty long for me. Once I get a lead, it might take anything up to a few months for them to buy. Outsourcing your newsletters gives you extra time to make those sales.

There. Three ways that outsourcing your newsletter will make you money. And when you tot up how much, you’ll see that what you pay to outsource is an investment in your business.

You become consistent with your newsletter

I’m sure it’s a safe bet to say that you don’t send out your newsletter at the intervals you say you will. Am I right? Let’s face it, running a business means the buck stops with you. And when there’s an emergency with a customer, you quite rightly prioritise that. But your newsletter takes the hit, right?

Outsourcing your newsletter means it goes out consistently. If you say you’ll email your subscribers every month, it happens. And that’s because it’s not completely reliant on you to make it happen. Yes, of course, it needs your input. But the mechanics of putting it together happens – seamlessly.

And you know what consistency means, don’t you? It means you’re showing up and building a relationship with each of your subscribers. They are receiving content from you they find valuable on a regular basis. You’re building that know, like and trust factor.

Benefit from oodles of expertise

When you started your business, did you say, “Oh, goodie, I get to learn how to become an expert in email marketing?” I thought not.

That’s where an email marketing expert comes in. They built their business on that thing they’re an expert in. When I want to cut and colour my hair, I go to my hairdresser. I don’t think, “Yeah, I can do that.” Even in all the lockdowns. I waited patiently for them to open up. I rejoiced when they did – as did my hair!

Here’s what you’re getting when you work with an expert:

• Someone who lives and breathes email marketing for small businesses.
• They know the best practices to use and keep on top of changes.
• They can help you make the best use of email marketing alongside your other marketing activities.
• Someone who understands how to run tests to help you achieve better results.
• They’ll make sure your integrations are set up properly to help you save time and money.
• They’ll take time to craft good subject and preheader text.
• They understand email automation and how you can get the most from it. If you want to know more about email automation, read this post.

Maintain a healthy email list

You know why you need a healthy email list. To get the most from it – the best results. When you look at outsourcing services, make sure list management is bundled into the service you’re paying for. Here’s what you should be looking for:

• Regular list cleansing. That means looking at your bounces and understanding why they happened and removing the ones that need to be removed.
• Understanding what’s happening with your unsubscribes and making recommendations based on feedback received.
• Helping you stay compliant with data privacy legislation.

Remember, a healthy list is packed with people who are interested in your business, your offering. They are your target audience. As soon as your list is made up of anyone who doesn’t fit this profile, it becomes unhealthy. That means poor results for you.

That’s why I always advise against buying email data. You have no idea if the people on it are relevant to you (even if the company selling it says they are). Plus, they aren’t opted in to you (again, even if the company selling it says they are.)

That means potential spam reports for your business. The more you get, the more likely will end up being blocked by the likes of Google, Outlook, and Yahoo. That means your emails don’t get through, which is a massive impact on your ability to sell.

Make the most of the reporting

Fess up. How often do you look at your email reports and spend time understanding how they could help you with your marketing? What’s that? Next to none?

Well, when you outsource your newsletter, part of the service you receive should include a report on every email sent. You should know who opened your email, who clicked and on what, which emails bounced and who unsubscribed. I always tell my clients who didn’t open the email too. That’s useful information.

Based on the reports, over time, your service provider will be able to tell you about trends they’re seeing and also make recommendations on the type of content to focus on.

If you’re an eCommerce business, your email tool should be hooked up to your eCommerce tool. That way, your report can include things like the number of sales you made from an email.

So, what now?

I hope I’ve convinced you that outsourcing your newsletter is a good thing. If you’re ready to get started, I’m ready to help you! Book 30 minutes with me to discuss your requirements. I know I can help you do all the things I’ve mentioned in this blog post. I can’t wait to get started!