Most MSPs have thought about starting a company email newsletter. Our inboxes get flooded with email newsletters from companies every single day. Some of them are amazing – most of them go straight to the trash.
But what makes an email newsletter worth doing – and more importantly, what makes it worth reading?
If you’re reading this article, you probably know that SmarterMSP has a reputation for publishing awesome content – that’s why you’re here. When people see your email newsletter appear in their inbox, they should feel the same.
Here’s the truth about email newsletters.
There are lots of marketing companies out there that write a single email newsletter, and then sell it to hundreds of MSPs. What we end up with is hundreds of cookie-cutter email newsletters that rarely get read. There’s nothing wrong with the companies that do this, but if you buy their templates, there are a few things you need to know.
You can outsource a lot of marketing work to agencies – and can be virtually hands-off for most of it.
Email newsletters are different.
At my MSP marketing company – Tech Pro Marketing – we manage all crucial marketing tasks for our MSP clients in the background so they can focus on delivering exceptional services to their clients. Email newsletters are where we require a fair amount of input.
In this post, I want to provide a realistic view of how MSP email newsletters should be approached. Let’s dive right into it.
What the marketing world tells you about email
If you read business blogs and look at the statistics, the general consensus is that email marketing provides the greatest ROI of any digital marketing tactic. Year after year, we hear stats like “email provides a return of $30 – $40 for every $1 you invest.
Technically, this is true – but this data alone doesn’t show the full picture.
Many business owners see these types of numbers and dive full steam into email marketing – with the email newsletter being the cornerstone. An email newsletter can be an extremely valuable content asset, but only if it’s created properly.
The average office worker receives around 120 emails every workday.
Unless your email newsletter is exceptionally awesome and valuable, it probably won’t get read by many people.
What MSPs need to know about email marketing
An email newsletter isn’t something you can just throw together or use cookie-cutter content.
The real power of email newsletters comes from authenticity.
Now, in terms of lead generation, an email newsletter should not be at the top of your marketing arsenal, but it’s a pretty close second.
Email newsletters are not for your prospects. The big benefit you get from email newsletters is customer retention – and if your content is A-level, you may get referrals from your existing customers.
The second big benefit of an awesome email newsletter is it’s a way for your employees to take pride in their work.
The bottom line is this: If you’re going to write an email newsletter, go the distance. Don’t just download a pre-formulated newsletter and send it out without doing any edits to make it uniquely your own.
What makes a great MSP email newsletter?
To reiterate, authenticity is the key to every good email newsletter – but this is just the table stakes.
An A-level email newsletter is uniquely your own, provides genuine value, and gives people a reason to engage with your MSP. Here are some ideas to consider adding to your email newsletter:
- Case studies: Share success stories and how your services have helped clients overcome IT challenges.
- Product or service updates: Announce new offerings, upgrades, or improvements to your MSP solutions.
- Q&A: Answer frequently asked questions from clients or subscribers about your services.
- Client testimonials: Feature positive feedback from satisfied clients and highlight their achievements.
- Events and webinars: Promote upcoming events, webinars, or workshops that your MSP is hosting or attending.
- Cybersecurity spotlight: Highlight the latest trends, threats, and best practices in cybersecurity.
- Employee achievements: Share noteworthy accomplishments and certifications earned by your team members.
- Highlight partnerships: Showcase collaborations with technology vendors or other businesses in the industry.
- Monthly poll: Engage subscribers by asking a question related to technology and share the results in the next email newsletter.
- Client success stories: Share how your MSP has helped clients achieve their business goals through IT solutions.
- Expert interviews: Conduct interviews with industry experts or thought leaders and share their insights.
- Customer appreciation: Express gratitude to your clients for their continued trust and support.
These are just a handful of ideas to get the ball rolling.
If you plan on releasing a monthly email newsletter, we recommend mapping out the meat and potatoes for each in advance. Maybe one month you’ll showcase a client success story, then the next you’ll discuss some cybersecurity trends, and then maybe feature an expert interview.
When you’re creating your email newsletter, be honest with yourself.
Is this content something my customers would actually be interested to read?
What’s the next step?
Writing A-level email newsletters is not an easy task by any means, but the good news is you don’t have to start from scratch. We all know how tough it can be staring at a blank document.
There’s nothing wrong with using pre-formulated email frameworks, but they only get you about 30-40 percent of the way there. You need to take the time to make this framework your own – inject some of your own personality, add some hot takes, and provide some value that people can’t find anywhere else.
If you’re looking to get an email newsletter going in the new year, talk to me. We’ve built out a proven email newsletter framework to get you started. Send me a message on LinkedIn to learn more about it.
Nate Freedman is the CEO of Tech Pro Marketing and Ulistic. He runs the only MSP marketing group with 12+ years of experience and has helped MSPs generate over 20,000 high-quality leads. Tech Pro Marketing has earned over 150 5-star Google Reviews.
Photo: Brian A Jackson / Shutterstock
We have followed this content model for more than a year and have seen continuous increases in email engagements. Great post!
I love seeing that! Keep it going, because as with most marketing strategies, the more consistent you are, the better results you get.
Great post. Very comprehensive and informative.
gonna pass this onto our marketing folks to get some new fresh content going
Awesome to hear that! Make sure that you’re marketing staff are always kept up to date on what you’re doing with the business so they can really make the content shine!
Impressive! It really is a thoughtful and comprehensive overview on the benefits and best way to implement a proactive and regular communication towards customers and prospects.
Proactive communication on these matter is under valuated although it goes a long way, even when doing regular QBRs. It shows the committment of the MSP to its customer and the values they promote.
Thanks for this article
QBRs are a great customer success strategy, but only one of many! You can also do newsletters, like I mentioned here, but also Customer-only webinars, CEO roundtables, open houses, etc are all ways to keep your customers engaged!
Unique content is key, but it also needs to be relevant and useful!
100% Make it relevant to you and your customers!
Interesting article. Very informative.
I’d love to get added to your email list and see how you implement: nate@techpromarketing.com
Great information, will make use of this.
Add me to your list
eye catching subject line tend to have a better open rate.
Honestly, in my experience, direct and straightforward subject lines perform best
Love this, very informative and will use as a template moving forward.
Awesome to hear that, Scott! Let’s level up our newsletters in 2024
Great information to pass along to our marketing team and clients.
Been there, done that. The trick is to offer your recipients content they are truly interested in and information that is useful to them instead of general news and info.
Indeed success stories, client testimonials and staff certifications are some examples of content that is likely to get read and even trigger a response.
Will make these suggestions to our marketing team and CEO. I could see this boosting sales and advertisement of our services.
I love seeing you take action!