ABA Banking Journal
No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Ag Banking
    • Commercial Lending
    • Community Banking
    • Compliance and Risk
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economy
    • Human Resources
    • Insurance
    • Legal
    • Mortgage
    • Mutual Funds
    • Payments
    • Policy
    • Retail and Marketing
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Technology
    • Wealth Management
  • Newsbytes
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Magazine Archive
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Podcast Archive
    • Sponsored Content Archive
SUBSCRIBE
ABA Banking Journal
  • Topics
    • Ag Banking
    • Commercial Lending
    • Community Banking
    • Compliance and Risk
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economy
    • Human Resources
    • Insurance
    • Legal
    • Mortgage
    • Mutual Funds
    • Payments
    • Policy
    • Retail and Marketing
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Technology
    • Wealth Management
  • Newsbytes
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Magazine Archive
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Podcast Archive
    • Sponsored Content Archive
No Result
View All Result
No Result
View All Result
ADVERTISEMENT
Home Retail and Marketing

Launching an E-Newsletter

May 24, 2016
Reading Time: 4 mins read

The Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council today released the 2014 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data on mortgage lending transactions at 7,062 financial institutions.

By Kate Young

How many times have you heard that “content is king”? If you’re like us, you’ve lost count. But there’s a reason why you keep hearing that drumbeat. Consumers—bombarded by information, all day every day—have learned to ignore messaging that isn’t instantly recognizable as genuinely useful or compelling. As a result, marketers have been asking whether content might replace advertising. And many banks, particularly smaller institutions, are asking how they can shore up scarce resources and do a better job playing the content game.

Chances are, your executive management has also seen the memo, and is eager to pursue a content marketing strategy. As long as it doesn’t cost too much. Or take up too much time. Or distract you from your other duties. Within that context, starting an e-newsletter might make a lot of sense.

Now for the hard reality: bank marketers who’ve been down that road agree that maintaining an e-newsletter can be very time-consuming. And costly. And distracting. To succeed, you’ll need to kick off the effort with some clear-eyed planning and careful business case analysis.

James Gibbons, president of Gibbons-Peck Marketing Communication, suggests starting with the following questions:

  • Will the target audience be prospects, new customers, business customers, high-net-worth customers, or some other group?
  • What do you want to achieve with the publication? Cross selling? Relationship building? Brand building? New customer acquisition?
  • If you are planning to use this outside of your customer base, where are you going to get the database and how are you going to qualify it?

Keep in mind that e-newsletters are not known for driving quick conversions. They’re more about building long-term relationships and making the brand a trusted source of information. But “once you’ve answered those questions,” Gibbons said, “it becomes easier to decide tactical issues, like how big, how often, and where to source content.”

Then what? Here’s some real world advice from the marketing trenches.

Identify sources of content.

Lorenda Smith, AVP of Pelham Banking Company in Pelham, Georgia notes that information about community events is a good way to engage local readers. “Just like social media, it needs a face,” she added. “I start with a letter from the president.”

For retail customers, brief and simple is better. A periodic tip or promotion, along with a curated article from a trusted source such as ABA or your state bankers association, or a contributed piece from a local business, such as a financial advisor or tax expert, is often enough.

Kristin Sundin Brandt, CFMP, of Sundin Associates in Natick, Massachusetts recommends against creating new content exclusively for newsletters. Instead, she looks at newsletters as a way to push existing content from your other marketing channels, such as website content, alerts, announcements, product launches, press releases, and event information.

If you’re short on resources, call in the cavalry.

To avoid a chronic urgency for producing fresh content, some banks enlist the help of content vendors. Even so, many banks will customize their newsletters by supplementing purchased content with bank-specific news and product information.

Just as there are many providers of paid content, there are also numerous email marketing platforms. The one you use to send out your e-newsletter may also offer a content library, so it’s worth checking on that.

Brian Reilly, a digital marketing consultant from PrintMail Solutions in Newtown, Pennsylvania adds that before selecting an email software, you should double check how it will integrate with any CRM or analytics platforms you rely on.

Don’t forget compliance.

Yes, it’s a newsletter. But it’s also an email. And even if you’re sending your e-newsletter only to existing customers, you still have to follow the rules. The CAN-SPAM Act applies to any email messages that promote a commercial product or service. The rules aren’t that complicated, and they cover basic items like including your postal address, and giving recipients an easy and efficient way to opt out of future emails. But before hitting the “send” button, make sure that someone who understands all of the requirements has reviewed the e-newsletter and found it compliant. The regulation calls for penalties up to $16,000 for each email that’s in violation. Yikes.

Send the right content to the right people.

You’ll get the most bang for your buck if you take care to send the most relevant information possible to the recipients on your mailing list. You may achieve that by segmenting your customers and customizing the messages according to their needs.

Stephanie Sullivan, marketing manager at ACCESSbank in Omaha, Nebraska notes that members of their commercial team each send out their own email, which goes to their own customers and prospects. While the bulk of the content in each newsletter is the same for everyone, the opening paragraph is written by the commercial team member and the newsletter comes from that member’s email address. “We’re big on personal relationships with our customers,” Sullivan explained. “We find that we have higher open rates because it’s coming from their commercial banker, who they trust.”

ADVERTISEMENT

As for open rates, you’ll want to set expectations. According to May 2016 data from MailChimp, the average open rate for the business and finance industry is 21.31%.

For Brian Reilly, relevance is the most important consideration. “Sending out emails just for the sake of sending out emails,” he said, “is a great way to lose valuable subscribers in a hurry.”

 

Kate Young is the content editor of ABABankMarketing.com. Email: [email protected]

A benefit to individual membership in the ABA Bank Marketing Network is the ability to converse through the ABA Bank Marketing Network Groupsite–a members-only discussion group. The thoughts expressed in this article reflect the collective wisdom of Groupsite responses to the question, “One of the things on my list is to start an eNewsletter. Could anyone give me some insight?” Join in the discussion today.

 

Tags: Cross sellingCustomer communications
ShareTweetPin

Related Posts

Podcast: Old National’s Jim Ryan on the things that really matter

Podcast: Old National’s Jim Ryan on the things that really matter

ABA Banking Journal Podcast
June 12, 2025

Jim Ryan has led Old National Bank to 250% asset growth. On the podcast, the ABA American Bankers Council chair discusses the bank's growing profile and footprint, his views on deposit insurance reform and the experience of leading...

Bank community engagement: Yes, you can help bank veterans

Bank community engagement: Yes, you can help bank veterans

Retail and Marketing
June 9, 2025

AMBA partners with the ABA Foundation to recruit banks to provide our nation’s veterans access to safe, reliable and flexible financial products and services.

FHFA finalizes strategic plan for 2022-2026

Marketing Money Podcast: Why leadership matters more than likes

Retail and Marketing
June 6, 2025

For bank marketers, the value of being strategic is great.

Looking for trouble?

Podcast: What bankers need to know about ‘First Amendment audits’

ABA Banking Journal Podcast
June 5, 2025

"First Amendment auditors" have long tried to provoke public officials into stopping them from recording in public settings. Now, some auditors are targeting banks.

ABA: Proposed quality control rule for AVMs would overburden banks

Bank survey: Uncertainty weighing on prospective homebuyers

Community Banking
June 4, 2025

Roughly 60% of current homeowners and prospective homebuyers are uncertain whether now is a good time to buy a home, up from 48% two years ago, according to a recent survey by Bank of America.

Looking for trouble?

Looking for trouble?

Compliance and Risk
June 4, 2025

So-called ‘First Amendment auditors’ target bank employees with provocative filming. Here are tips on responding.

NEWSBYTES

In 90th anniversary year, Stonier graduates 182

June 12, 2025

ABA, CBA support maintaining confidentiality of CFPB nonbank risk determinations

June 12, 2025

Survey finds high customer satisfaction with banking apps

June 12, 2025

SPONSORED CONTENT

AI Compliance and Regulation: What Financial Institutions Need to Know

Unlocking Deposit Growth: How Financial Institutions Can Activate Data for Precision Cross-Sell

June 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Account Opening Platform: 10 Key Considerations for Long-Term Success

Choosing the Right Account Opening Platform: 10 Key Considerations for Long-Term Success

April 25, 2025
Outsourcing: Getting to Go/No-Go

Outsourcing: Getting to Go/No-Go

April 5, 2025
Six Payments Trends Driving the Future of Transactions

Six Payments Trends Driving the Future of Transactions

March 15, 2025

PODCASTS

Podcast: Old National’s Jim Ryan on the things that really matter

June 12, 2025

Podcast: What bankers need to know about ‘First Amendment audits’

June 5, 2025

Podcast: Accelerating banking for quick-service restaurants

May 8, 2025
ADVERTISEMENT

American Bankers Association
1333 New Hampshire Ave NW
Washington, DC 20036
1-800-BANKERS (800-226-5377)
www.aba.com
About ABA
Privacy Policy
Contact ABA

ABA Banking Journal
About ABA Banking Journal
Media Kit
Advertising
Subscribe

© 2025 American Bankers Association. All rights reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Topics
    • Ag Banking
    • Commercial Lending
    • Community Banking
    • Compliance and Risk
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economy
    • Human Resources
    • Insurance
    • Legal
    • Mortgage
    • Mutual Funds
    • Payments
    • Policy
    • Retail and Marketing
    • Tax and Accounting
    • Technology
    • Wealth Management
  • Newsbytes
  • Podcasts
  • Magazine
    • Subscribe
    • Advertise
    • Magazine Archive
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Podcast Archive
    • Sponsored Content Archive

© 2025 American Bankers Association. All rights reserved.