How to create and send an email marketing newsletter

Olivier Rousseau
25 July 2024 2 min read

Creating and sending a newsletter is still an excellent way to communicate with your customers. It’s one of the marketing tools with the highest ROI with every $1 marketers spent on email marketing returns 36$ in revenue.

In this article, we’ll explore:

Also looking to to create online forms? Here’s an analysis of the best online form building tools on the market.

How to create and send a newsletter

Creating and managing a newsletter for a company or NPO usually involves 7 steps.

1. Define the objectives of your newsletter

Before you start, it’s crucial to know why you’re sending out your newsletter.
The answer to this question will dictate the tone, images and title of the newsletter.

  • Inform: Share news, updates from your company, organization or your most recent blog posts.
  • Sell: Promote your products or services with special offers to your subscribers.
  • Loyalty: Offer tips, tricks or exclusive content to keep your subscribers interested.

start a tennis club newsletter

2. Choosing the right tools

You’ll usually need a tool for sending newsletters and a tool for creating your visuals.
Mailchimp or Activity Messenger can help you create personalized, professional newsletters.
I highly recommend Canva to help you create visuals and designs that will make your business shine.

  • MailChimp or Activity Messenger: Manages the creation, sending and analysis of newsletters.
  • Canva: lets you create eye-catching designs without needing graphic design skills.

3. Create a newsletter template with Canva

Canva offers a variety of templates that you can customize to suit your needs.
Import images, edit text and create a design that reflects your brand.

  • Template selection: Choose from the many templates available on Canva.
  • Customization: Adjust colors, fonts and images to match your brand’s visual identity.

4. Customize content

Use mailmerge to personalize each newsletter with the recipient’s name or other important information.
This helps you create a more personal connection with your subscribers and can increase the engagement rate of your newsletters.

  • Merge fields: Add elements such as the recipient’s first name for a personal touch.
  • Personalized message: Write content that speaks directly to your subscribers’ interests.

5. Add interactive elements to your e-mail marketing

Add buttons based on the actions you’d like your customers take as they read your newsletter.
These links can redirect them to a form, a coupon, your online store or your website.
Adding in-text links and images can also make your newsletter more interactive.

  • CTA buttons: Encourage subscribers to visit your website, read an article, or buy a product.
  • Links and images: Add visuals and hyperlinks to enrich your content and make it interactive.

6. Plan and send your newsletter

Define the subject of your marketing email and choose the recipient list.
You can schedule the mailing at an optimal time to maximize open rates.

  • Email subject: Create an eye-catching subject to increase open rates.
  • Mailing list: Segment your recipients according to their interest and recent interaction with your company.

7. Analyze results

After the mailing, analyze your newsletter statistics: open rates, clicks and conversions.
You’ll be able to use this data to improve your next promotional campaigns.

  • Open rate: Measure how many recipients opened your e-mail.
  • Clicks and conversions: Analyze the click-through rate and the conversion or sales rate that resulted from your most recent mailing.

Analyze conversion rates from your email marketing

 

To simplify your life, you can choose a newsletter platform that integrates with Canva, such as Activity Messenger.

Popular newsletter platforms

1- Mailchimp

Mailchimp was a priority and the most popular platform for creating and sending newsletters.

  • User-friendly interface: Easy to use, even for beginners.
  • Customization: Numerous options for personalizing your newsletters with templates and images.
  • Detailed analyses: Powerful tools for analyzing open and click-through rates.
  • Integrations: Works well with tools like Shopify, WordPress, and Facebook.

mailchimp for your newsletters in quebec

2- Cyberimpact

Cyberimpact is a Quebec-based solution tailored to the needs of SMEs and NPOs

  • Legal compliance: Helps you comply with Canadian anti-spam laws.
  • Ease of use: Intuitive interface with pre-designed templates.
  • Customer service: Bilingual support with training and webinars.
  • Automations: Automate the sending of newsletters and email sequences.

3- Constant Contact

Constant Contact is an American tool offering robust solutions for your email marketing campaigns.

  • User interface: Simple and intuitive.
  • Customization options: Numerous templates available to create your own newsletters.
  • Customer support: Available by chat, email and telephone.
  • Integrations: Integrates with platforms such as Shopify, WooCommerce, and Salesforce.

constant contact for your newsletters in quebec

4- Activity Messenger

Activity Messenger stands out for its advanced communication features.

  • Send SMS: Sends newsletters by SMS, increasing open rates.
  • Automation: Automate newsletter send time after specific events or customer interactions.
  • Personalization: Use merge fields to personalize messages.
  • Canva integration: Integrates directly with Canva to create your visuals.
  • Other features: Create surveys, registration forms, forms and digital certificates.

Create and send marketing emails with Activity Messenger

7 popular newsletter types

Newsletters play a crucial role in communicating with your customers, keeping them engaged and informed

Here are seven types of newsletter that are essential for any business:

  1. Welcome email: As soon as they sign up, welcome your new subscribers with a series of welcome emails.
    This helps build trust right from the start, and familiarizes your new subscriber with your services and mission.
  2. Special offers and discounts: Catch your customers’ attention with special offers and exclusive discounts.
    These newsletters are ideal for boosting sales and rewarding subscriber loyalty.
  3. Satisfaction surveys: To continually improve your services, send out satisfaction surveys to your customers.
    This shows that their opinion counts, and gives you valuable information for adjusting your offers.
  4. New product or service launches: Announce the launch of new products or services.
    These newsletters generate anticipation and can greatly influence initial purchases or registrations.
  5. Event invitations: Whether it’s a webinar, training or in-person event, use your newsletters to invite your subscribers.
    This builds community and encourages active participation.
  6. Blog post: Share your latest blog posts to offer relevant, valuable content.
    This helps establish your expertise and keep your subscribers interested in your regular communications.
  7. Registration start: Let your subscribers know when registration starts for your courses, programs or events.
    This maximizes registrations by creating a sense of urgency and keeping your subscribers informed of upcoming opportunities.

Best practices for sending newsletters

To maximize the impact of your newsletters and ensure that people want to continue subscribing, here are a few best practices to follow:

  • Be concise and to the point: Readers appreciate clear, concise content.
  • Use attractive visuals: Images and videos can capture attention and make content more engaging.
  • Test before sending: Send yourself a test to check the display and correct any errors before sending to your subscribers.
  • Optimize for mobile: Make sure your newsletter is readable on all devices.

The advantages of choosing a Canadian newsletter platform

Activity Messenger and Cyberimpact host all your data in Canada. On the other hand, MailChimp and Constant Contact store your data in the USA.
This data localization ensures better protection of your information, in line with privacy standards and compliance with Canadian anti-spam laws.

A Canadian-based newsletter platform also offers fully bilingual support, allows you to support a local business, and you’ll never need to pay your subscription in US dollars again.
When you choose newsletter software based in Canada, you benefit from a platform that :

  • Is local and adapted to the needs of Canadian SMEs and NPOs
  • Stores your data in Quebec
  • Respects Canadian anti-spam laws
  • Easy to use
  • With local and bilingual customer service

Create and send your first newsletter

Creating and sending newsletters has never been easier, thanks to tools such as Mailchimp, Constant Contact and Activity Messenger.

Each platform has its own advantages, but Activity Messenger stands out for its advanced features, its ability to integrate into automated processes with sms, surveys and online forms.

Using the right tool for your newsletters, following best practices and targeting the right segments of your audience allows you to maximize your open and click-through rates, while strengthening your relationship with your customers and increasing their engagement.

Written by Olivier Rousseau Olivier is a kids sports programs owner who has been operating for over a decade with locations in Montreal, Quebec city & Ottawa. He also helps Gymnastics Club, Swim Schools and Dance Studios streamline their operations. He is the co-founder of Activity Messenger an online registration platform for the sports & leisure industry.

Book a demo with an Activity Messenger expert

Subscribe for exclusive content

Receive News and Updates about our product

© Activity Messenger

info@activitymessenger.com