VUMA Blog
In today’s marketplace, the real competition isn’t just other businesses—it’s the overwhelming amount of information that your audience is constantly bombarded with. All this noise makes it more challenging than ever for your messaging to stand out. This obstacle hits particularly hard for associations, who once thrived as the exclusive gatekeepers of industry-specific knowledge. Back in the ‘olden days,’ before the ubiquity of the internet and the advent of the smart phone, which allows anyone to hold the entire world of information in the palm of their hand, members turned to associations for unique, specialized information that wasn’t accessible elsewhere.
Today, that priceless information is available for free with the click of a button.
And there lies one of the biggest challenges facing professional and trade associations: how to remain relevant and deliver value when access to one of your most precious resources—unique, proprietary expertise—has been democratized.
Associations Now touched on this issue in an article highlighting the intense competition associations face in email newsletters with the increasing popularity of platforms like Substack, LinkedIn newsletters, and other niche journalism.
As far back as 2015—which is ancient times when you consider the pace of technological advancements in the intervening years—the average office worker sent and received 121 business emails per day, according to technology research firm Radicati. These estimates exclude personal messages and the relentless scourge of spam.
That’s a lot of clutter for your association’s newsletter to cut through.
Despite these hurdles, industry data shows nonprofit membership organizations’ emails outperform the overall average across all industries with an open rate of 43.07 percent, compared with 37.72 percent. Of course, these numbers aren’t specific to association newsletters, but they provide a reasonable benchmark to gauge your publication’s open rates. Yet, even if your email marketing has reached peak performance, over half of your membership still isn’t getting the message.
There are many factors that could be affecting your numbers, not the least of which is the quality and accuracy of your mail list. Lackluster member contact information aside, there’s a good possibility that your association’s newsletter is failing to deliver the engagement, retention, and new member acquisition you hoped for.
Here are five reasons why your newsletter could be stagnating and easy, actionable tips to turn things around:
- Lack of Personalization
The Problem: Sending the same content to all members can make your newsletter feel generic and impersonal, leading to lower engagement rates.
The Fix: Use member data to personalize your content. Segment your audience based on interests, demographics, and past interactions. Tailor the newsletter content to address the specific needs and preferences of each segment. Personalized greetings and customized content recommendations can make a significant difference.
- Inconsistent Publishing Schedule
The Problem: Erratic sending times can cause your audience to overlook your emails or even forget about them entirely.
The Fix: Establish a consistent schedule. Whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, choose a frequency and stick to it. Align your send times with your members’ habits, such as sending in the morning when they are most likely to check their emails. Consistency helps build anticipation and regular readership.
- Too Much Content
The Problem: Bombarding your readers with too much information can overwhelm them, causing them to disengage or unsubscribe.
The Fix: Focus on quality over quantity. Highlight the most important and engaging content at the top of your newsletter, then use clear headings and sections to make it easy to scan. Include concise summaries with links to full articles for those who want to read more. Keep the design clean and uncluttered to enhance readability.
- Neglecting Mobile Optimization
The Problem: If your newsletter isn’t optimized for mobile devices, you’re likely missing out on engaging a significant portion of your audience who check their emails on their phones. According to the HubSpot blog, the “majority of email views come from mobile devices (41 percent) versus desktops (39%).” While these stats don’t total up to 100 percent, they certainly suggest a strong inclination toward phones and tablets.
The Fix: Ensure your newsletter uses responsive design that adjusts to different screen sizes. Test your emails on various devices to ensure they look good and function properly. Use larger fonts, single-column layouts, and touch-friendly buttons to improve the mobile experience.
- No Calls to Action (CTAs)
The Problem: Without clear CTAs, members might not know what action you want them to take after reading your newsletter, resulting in missed engagement opportunities.
The Fix: Include clear and compelling CTAs throughout your newsletter. Whether it’s registering for an event, clicking through to your blog to read a full article, or participating in a survey, make sure your CTAs stand out and guide your members towards the desired action. Use action-oriented language and make the buttons or links easily clickable.
Conclusion
If your association’s newsletter is languishing, it’s important to identify the areas where you might be falling short. By personalizing content, maintaining a consistent schedule, focusing on quality, optimizing for mobile, and including clear CTAs, you can take the first steps toward revitalizing your newsletter to increase readership and boost member engagement, retention, and acquisition.
These five tips only scratch the surface, so we’ve decided to tackle the topic of association newsletters in our next blog, too. Check back soon for the next installment on the theme, which will offer more insights to help your marcom team make the most of your newsletter.
Sometimes, an outside strategist can provide the fresh perspective and expertise needed to transform your newsletter into a powerful communication tool. If you’re ready to take your newsletter from lackluster to flourishing—take action today to make it a valuable resource your members look forward to receiving.
We can help transform your creative concepts into reality with our comprehensive services in strategic planning, marketing project management, and content and communications, all designed to align with your business goals. Schedule a free consultation with our marketing experts or drop us an email to see find out how Vuma’s team of association marketing and communications experts can support your organization’s impact and help you reach your growth goals. Plus, join our mail list to stay updated on our latest services, special offerings, and exclusive deals.