If your audience isn’t seeing your content, they aren’t engaging with your brand. And that’s crucial for brand awareness, lead nurturing, conversion, and customer retention.
However, there’s a channel that is essential when it comes to getting your content in front of your audience.
Email.
Email marketing is one of the most reliable channels when it comes to promoting content.
It doesn’t suffer from fluctuating search engine and social media visibility. It is highly trackable. And it gives you power over deciding exactly who sees what content.
Perhaps that’s why email is the most preferred channel to communicate with consumers across the whole customer lifecycle.
Pure360 gives seven ways that you can successfully combine email and content.
Sharing your latest content
Let’s start with an obvious – but powerful – option.
Simply sharing your latest content within your emails.
It’s a no-brainer. Especially as email has an average open rate of 24 per cent.
And there are lots of ways of doing it.
You can include links to your blog posts in your newsletter. Send out a monthly, weekly, or even daily content round-up. Link to your latest guide or report in your regular email communications. Or send out dedicated emails to promote your latest content campaign.
Share your social media channels
“But this blog post is about email and content!” we hear you cry.
Don’t worry, there is a reason behind this suggestion.
Some brands don’t want to link directly to their content in all of their emails. Maybe their emails are more visual. Or maybe they don’t want to detract from their main call-to-action.
Instead, these brands can share their social media channels.
Social media channels are often the gateway to a brand’s latest blog post, video, or guide. So by sharing your social media channels you are indirectly linking to your latest content.
Many brands include links to channels in their email footer. Whilst others are bolder and include entire blocks dedicated to their social media community.
Video content
Adding video directly into your emails is a fantastic, visual way to share your latest content, without the recipient needing to click outside of the email.
The brilliance of video is that it can communicate large amounts of information in a short, snappy, engaging format.
It’s also perfect for your audience members who just aren’t big readers.
In fact, 74 per cent of marketers say video has a better return on investment than static imagery.
So get creative with your video content. You could include tutorials, reviews, interviews, product demos, and even behind-the-scenes footage.
Email segmentation
Marketers who use segmented campaigns note as much as a 760 per cent increase in revenue.
Segmented communications are the perfect way to increase the relevancy of your content in your email.
Use the data you have on your contacts, whether that be demographic or behavioural, to segment your database and send them the most relevant content possible.
For instance, your audience in their 20s will have very different interests to your audience in their 50s. So ensure that you are sending them content that directly addresses their wants and needs.
Lead nurturing sequences
Content is essential for lead nurturing sequences to keep your potential customers engaged with your brand.
And it can become more targeted and tailored as the sequence progresses.
Simply keeping your leads up-to-date with your latest content releases is a great place to begin. Or sending out some of your most popular and useful content, such as how-to guides, tips, and tricks.
You can then tailor your content responses based on the recipients’ actions, engagement, and any other details you gather about them.
Promote curated content
We wouldn’t blame you for wanting to use every inch of your email real estate for your own content and promotion.
But curated content can also be a powerful tool.
While it may not be written by your brand, by sharing content from other experts and thought leaders in your industry, you are increasing the usefulness of your email communications for your audience.
The purpose of content and communication is to educate. So the more useful content you send, the more your brand will be respected as a trusted source of information. And a trusted brand.
Promote your emails through your content
We didn’t want this blog post to just focus on how you can promote content with email.
Because you can also promote your email communications through your content.
If your audience are regularly engaging with your content, then they may well want to keep in touch with you. Ensuring that your latest updates land in their inbox, all ready for them.
So don’t be shy about promoting your email.
You can include links to your newsletter sign-up at the bottom of your blog posts. Or offer an email series or course that is relevant to one of your content topics.
