Skimm’d from InkHouse: Why Email Newsletters Matter

Sep 16, 2015 Rachel Marsden

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“The inbox is the executive’s news homepage.”

Newsletters may seem old school. For most PR people, landing media coverage is what really gets us excited. But when your coverage is included in a newsletter – it’s like a double whammy. Here’s why.

KIND OF A BIG DEAL

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A recent report by Quartz Insights highlights a fundamental shift in the way we’re consuming news. From a study of nearly 1,000 global executives, 60 percent said they read an email newsletter as one of their first three news sources checked daily– more than twice as high as news apps.

Furthermore, executives are highly likely to share content that they find useful to their professions, according to the study, on a variety of platforms and devices. A whopping 91 percent said they would share work-related content via email if they found it to be valuable.

The bottom line: newsletters are a big deal. Not only are executives using email newsletters as their primary news source, they are highly likely to share the content they’ve discovered through them – even more than social media in fact, according to research we did in partnership with GMI Lightspeed. Email is a direct path to the channel in which people consume and share information.

REPEAT AFTER ME...

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What’s the reason behind this trend? Because news round-ups, like the one this blog post emulates (The Daily Skimm) – or Briefing, OZY Daily Brief, Thrillist and Fortune Term Sheet – are finite. Readers opt-in to topics they care about and are more likely to read, engage and share as a result. The important news items are summarized, with links to dig deeper if merited.

Email provides a personalized, curated digest for the day that’s easily accessible on any device which is the stark opposite of the Web, where readers are faced with infinite options.

THINGS TO KNOW

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How audiences consume content is shifting and, for PR people, this matters enormously, especially in this age of [In]attention. Everyone is competing for awareness and has ubiquitous access to publishing platforms like Medium or LinkedIn.

Despite this, one truth remains. That breaking through the noise means creating compelling stories. That good content is thoughtful, relevant and unique. That people desire emotional connections, authenticity and transparency: when what you see is what you get. (PS: Check out Sasaki’s newsletter ‘Inside the Studio: News and Ideas to Transform and Inspire’ which is a great example.)

So, whether it’s in the form of newsletters, podcasts, videos or listicles – in some respects, old may become new again – when it comes to the best way to reach your audience.

Topics: Public Relations, Social Media

Rachel Marsden

Rachel has a decade of experience across both B2B and B2C technology. She spearheads diverse communications programs for clients ranging from emerging venture-backed startups to post-IPO companies with the same mentality: transparency, teamwork and never backing down from a challenge. She works with some of Inkhouse’s most innovative, fast-growing clients.

Skimm’d from InkHouse: Why Email Newsletters Matter

Sep 16, 2015 Rachel Marsden

Topics: Public Relations, Social Media

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