There are different reasons to resend a newsletter - squeezing the last few drops of engagement from your audience, giving your content another chance, or just maximising the value of all the effort you put into it. But, should you resend?
Imagine your audience’s inboxes as busy stations, with emails zipping in and out like high-speed trains. When your email goes unread, it could be because they missed it in the hustle and bustle. And sometimes, they just don’t want to get on. A resend is like dispatching a second train at a different time, giving your audience another chance to engage with your content. But there is a fine line between being persistent and being annoying, and it is crucial to tread lightly. Stay on board to learn more.
-Stand clear of the closing doors please-
Benefits of newsletter resends
Boost open rates
Resending your newsletter to those who didn’t open it the first time improves your reach. It is possible your email got lost in the crowd the first time, or your audience meant to come back to read it later. A resend is a quick and simple way to increase the overall open rate for your newsletter.
Reiterate your message
If your newsletter contained important information, a resend is a good way to reach people who missed it the first time.
Refine and test
A resend gives you a chance to test different elements of your email. You can resend with a different subject line, or resend at a different time of day to gauge how it affects engagement. Be sure to test only one variable at a time to make accurate analyses.
Get the most value from your resources
Building a newsletter involves considerable time and effort in conceptualising, writing, designing, curating, sending and analysis. A resend is a cost-effective way to get the most value from your resources and efforts.
Gain additional audience insights
By strategically resending your newsletter, you can gain additional insights into your audience's behaviour. Resends can help you analyse which segments of your audience respond better to resends, and understand how subscribers react to different subject lines and delivery times. Such insights help inform future targeted and personalised content.
Risks of resending newsletters
The overall risk associated with resending a newsletter is being viewed as inbox clutter or coming across as spam. If your audience feels they are receiving the same email repeatedly, they might class it as spam. This can affect your email deliverability and harm your brand’s reputation. It might also lead to a rise in unsubscribes.
Best practices for newsletter resends
Do not resend to the whole list
Only resend to the subscribers who did not open the first time. Sending it to those who opened will end up annoying your already engaged subscribers.
Don’t resend all your newsletters
Resending a newsletter must be a strategic decision. Choose what newsletters to resend based on performance or resend if the content is urgent or tied to a current campaign. For example, a newsletter with important content that had a less-than-average open rate.
Timing
Wait a few days before resending. We usually wait a week before resending our C&M Newsletter. It is also advisable to try a different time or day to see if that gets a better (or worse) response.
Test subject lines
A resend is an opportunity to gain some insights into audience behaviour. Try resending with a new subject line to see how your audience reacts.
Resending newsletters is a great way to give your content a second chance and to increase audience engagement. A few careful considerations can ensure you do so without compromising your audience’s trust and your brand’s reputation. Remember - the ultimate goal of any newsletter is to build a positive and lasting relationship with the subscribers.
A step-by-step guide on how to set up a resend on e-shot is available on the C&M toolkit.
Leave a comment