In a distracted world, people tend to forget things quickly. This is particularly true for prospects, and as a business, the last thing you’d want is for a prospective customer to forget you.

While there are many ways to improve your brand recall, one underutilised method is the use of newsletters. In this digital age, people tend to check their emails multiple times in the day.

When prospects and existing customers do, you want your name to be there.

Newsletters serve as a reminder that you exist and that you have a service they want. They keep you in your prospects’ minds. So when they’re ready to take action, you’ll be their first choice.

The customer buying journey doesn’t always start when your customers find your business. In fact, a study by Marketo has found that only 4% of your website visitors are ready to buy.

That means that the vast majority of the visitors on your website are at the bottom of the sales funnel – they’re only there to check you out. They’re most likely checking everything—from your socials and reviews to even competitors and their socials in reviews. Weeks, months or even years may pass before they make the decision to purchase.

With such a gap between buying intention and buying action, it’s crucial to stay in contact with prospects during their research stage. Having a newsletter is one of the many ways to stay at the top of their mind, show your authority and credibility, and build trust.

That said, do you need a newsletter for existing customers?

The customer relationship should not end with the transaction. It’s important to nurture these relationships to ensure repeat sales. In fact, a 5% increase in customer retention can cause a 25–95% increase in revenue.

Sending regular newsletters will remind them of your business and the experience they had with you—whether that be positive or negative. This keeps you at the top of their mind, which increases the likelihood of repeat business and referrals.

We’ve hinted at the importance of establishing authority a couple of times in this post, but let’s go into detail about how it helps.

Businesses with authority are one step ahead of the rest. When customers see you as experts in your industry, they trust the solutions you provide and therefore are more likely to trust you with their money. Newsletters are one way to showcase your knowledge and credibility.

Regularly publishing newsletters allows you to share your knowledge and unique perspective on topics that your audiences would find interesting. A newsletter is also a great platform to discuss trends in your industry and other subjects of interest. This shows your audience that you are in the know and up-to-date on the latest developments happening in your industry.

Some businesses may find value in how newsletters allow them to share their passion with their audience. Presenting yourself as someone who is passionate about what you do also counts towards establishing authority. It shows that you are not just knowledgeable, but also care about the work you do.