Promotional emails and email newsletters are both extremely useful tools for conveying your messages to your customers – but what is the difference, and how do you strike the right balance between the two when planning your email marketing campaigns?

Promotional emails are really useful tools for conveying a single, clear and direct message to your customer base.

With a punchy headline, eye-catching visual, short intro and compelling call-to-action you can focus energy and attention around one or more of your products and services. It’s your chance to shine a spotlight on a key part of your business and really encourage customers to purchase or contact you for more information.

If sales need a boost or you need to ramp up interest ahead of a new product launch, then a promotional email is just what you need.

HOWEVER, they don’t provide the answer in every situation – and overuse can ultimately drive your customers and prospects away.

Thought leadership

Email newsletters give you the opportunity to offer a more balanced overview of the benefits of using your products and services and position you as experts in your sector by sharing an array of useful information – from company developments, to opinion pieces, insights, product updates and industry stories.

While promotional emails are unashamedly single-minded and to the point – often incorporating one message and a call to action to clearly instruct your customer on how you wish them to respond – email newsletters are designed to be balanced, informative and content-driven.

Build a relationship

We write, design and issue email newsletters for a number of our clients and find them an extremely effective way of communicating a company’s expertise, experience and knowledge in a relaxed, informative and interesting way.

Users tend to be very receptive to the approach as they feel they are gaining expertise from professionals as well as insight into the company personality and even behind-the-scenes information.

For this reason, email newsletters are invaluable for building brand loyalty – as readers feel they are receiving useful, relevant content which they come to trust, value and share with their colleagues.

With a regular schedule of email newsletters you can position yourself as a company that your customers rely on for interesting and useful content – you become more than just a product and/or service provider.

Put simply, think of your email newsletters as more of a conversation with your users than a direct sales pitch. Once they have bought into your company’s message they will be more responsive to promotions or offers in the future.

Your next email campaign. Think wisely.

In conclusion, our advice is always to think carefully about the content of your email communications.

Whichever route you choose, make sure you invest in well-written, professionally designed communications that are clear and inspire action.

And, while it can be very tempting to keep issuing emails about how great your products are or how you’re running yet another jaw-dropping offer, be sure to strike the right balance to ensure you are seen as a trusted partner, an industry leader and source of knowledge.

Once you’ve built up the loyalty, you’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to convert a sale.