Testing Out A Newsletter? Here’s How You Win!

Hi, this is Matt Masinga, account manager at the Bay Area Times.

When testing out a newsletter, it’s important to set yourself up for success, especially when it comes to campaign duration.

Think of it like trying out Tinder to find the right person, which one seems more realistic? Finding the right person in three weeks or two to three months?

It can be done in three weeks, but it’s highly unlikely. People aren’t sitting around scrolling on their phones waiting to be found by a like-minded person. They are out and about, they are busy with life, work, wins, losses, and everything else in between. Like you, they have had bad experiences with people or orgs who have overpromised and underdelivered. So they are skeptical about opening up and letting new people in, unless and until these new people prove themselves over time with word and deed. It’s a process that takes time and consistent effort.

It’s exactly the same with newsletter advertising. Always negotiate for two to three months. This is enough time to create brand awareness, become top-of-mind, tip-of-tongue, build rapport, and achieve the desired number of clicks, page views, and conversions.

Two to three months is enough time to do the following:

• Request two to three make good ads

• Run a sequence of 3 remarketing dedicated emails

Let’s break these down individually.

Requesting Two to Three Make Good Ads

The first two to three ads will produce okay to minimal results. With this in mind, make sure you request at least two make-good ads to make up for the two to three that perform poorly, okay, or fair. This only works if you are a sponsor who’s purchased a two to three-month package.

These two make good ads, will complement the first three, and give you enough time and opportunity to test out two copies or creatives to see which one produces better results.  

The hardest thing to do in newsletter advertising is to find copy or creative that works. You need as much time as possible to test out the copy until you find one that works. The two make-good ads afford you this opportunity without touching the remaining primary ads for which you paid. 

Once you test out the copy and find one that works, it’s time to convert. Let’s discuss running a three-touch-point remarketing sequence that’ll help you maximize conversion.   

Running A Sequence Of Three Remarketing Dedicated Emails

Most newsletter advertising campaigns are strictly for qualified lead generation or potential customer acquisition. Brand awareness is simply a by-product of newsletter advertising for prospecting.

To maximize efforts, more and more sponsors or advertisers are trusting newsletters to run a sequence of three remarketing dedicated emails to capture more and more qualified leads. 

These remarketing dedicated emails are sent specifically to everyone who clicks on ads. The first one goes out three days after clicks, the second one goes out six days after clicks, and the last one - nine days after clicks.

They can take the form of anything the sponsor or advertiser wants to promote, including but not limited to:

• Educational, Product Bundle, or Limited-Time Offer Email + CTA

• Case Study, Thought Leadership, or Customer Success Story Email + CTA

• Social Proof, Problem-Solution, or ROI Calculator Email + CTA

We look forward to seeing you win. 

Catch you on the next one, stay tuned! 

Schedule a call with Matt here, to discuss your marketing plans.