A Guide to Designing the Perfect SaaS Newsletter

Newsletters are an integral part of any SaaS’ digital strategy.

With the right promotion, you can cultivate a valuable list of contacts who are genuinely interested in hearing about your brand and products.

These emails can also serve an important role in nurturing prospects who aren't quite ready to buy. However, the right piece of newsletter content may be enough to move them down the funnel, and eventually become a paying customer.

But once you have these contacts, are you serving them relevant information in a visually pleasing format? Are you extracting the most value out of your emails?

Without the proper approach, your clickthrough rates, open rates, and conversion rate could flop.

Today, we’ll go over the essential tactics to construct a SaaS newsletter that actually drives meaningful results.

SaaS Email Marketing Basics

Before we even think about redesigning a newsletter, we must make sure that we cover the basic strategy. While we won’t get into too much depth about strategy in this article, here’s a brief checklist for your newsletter.

👤 Define Your Target Audience

Defining your SaaS newsletter's target audience is fundamental to its success as it provides a clear roadmap for your content strategy. By understanding the specific needs, challenges, and interests of your audience, SaaS marketers can create tailored and relevant content that resonates deeply.

This targeted approach ensures that the information you share directly addresses the pain points of your ideal readers, making your newsletter an invaluable resource to them. Moreover, a well-defined audience allows for precise messaging, enhancing engagement rates and fostering a sense of community among your subscribers. Ultimately, catering to a specific audience enhances brand credibility, establishes trust, and positions your newsletter as an authoritative source in your industry.

👋 Send a Welcome Email

I am incredibly surprised by the number of SaaS newsletters I am subscribed to that did not send a welcome email. It’s arguably the point at which subscribers are most inclined to learn more about your organization. This is an excellent opportunity to start nurturing your contacts and figure out how engaged a contact is from the beginning. You can also see what newsletter content they are most interested in, and use that data to share even more relevant content.

🗓 Follow a Set Delivery Schedule

Whether it’s weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly, stay consistent with sending out your newsletters to build a strong and loyal readership base. Regular, predictable communication establishes a sense of reliability and trust with your subscribers, making them look forward to your content. It creates a rhythm, ensuring your audience knows when to expect valuable updates, insights, and offers from your newsletter.

👀 Share Valuable and Interesting Content

If you win the first battle of open rates, you must follow that up by including content that is sticky and keeps people reading. There should be thoughtful and strategic planning that goes into what will be included in your newsletter, and what will be most popular with your audience. Ideally, your subscribers should be interacting with your content - clicking on links to blogs, landing pages, etc.

Moreover, set a high standard so that readers are more likely to open subsequent newsletters and additional emails you send them. 

How to Design a SaaS Newsletter

Now, let’s dive into the actual composition of a SaaS newsletter.

✅ Nail your subject line and preview text

Crafting a compelling subject line and preview text is your first opportunity to capture your subscribers' attention. Aim for clarity and intrigue, ensuring that readers are motivated to open the newsletter.

Personalization and relevance are key – consider segmenting your audience to tailor subject lines, making them specific to each group’s interests or pain points. A well-crafted subject line sets the tone for your newsletter and significantly impacts open rates.

✅ Write a brief, intriguing introduction

The introduction serves as the gateway to your content. Keep it concise yet captivating, providing readers with a clear understanding of the newsletter's purpose and the value they can expect.

Focus on addressing the 'why' behind your newsletter – why it matters, why it’s relevant, and why readers should invest their time. Aim to pique curiosity and generate interest, prompting readers to delve deeper into the newsletter. A compelling introduction sets the stage for a positive reader experience, encouraging them to explore the entire newsletter and engage with its content.

✅ Showcase your brand’s visual identity

Your newsletter should have the same look and feel as your website and other marketing channels. Consistency in visual identity is highly effective for brand recall and strengthening brand association in the minds of your readers. Ensure that your tone and personality are reflected in the newsletter's design.

Examples of newsletter branding derived from your visual identity can include:

• Logos

• Colors

• Typographies

• Icons

• Shapes and layouts

• Illustrations

✅ Give your newsletter a visually pleasing design

Just like a website, your newsletter starts with a blank canvas. It should be designed to express your brand, and captivate the attention of your audience. A well-designed newsletter not only captivates your audience but also reflects professionalism and attention to detail, making your content more memorable and impactful.

Don’t miss out on using vibrant colors, stylish typographies, or eye-catching imagery that align with your branding. Similarly, not all parts of your newsletter have to look the same. Mix up the formatting of your text and images.

Another factor to consider is your newsletter’s layout on smaller screens. Mobile responsiveness is crucial, ensuring that your emails appear seamless and visually appealing across various devices.

✅ Entice users to take a desired action

Every newsletter should have clear call-to-actions (CTAs) that guides readers on what steps to take next. Whether it's encouraging them to visit your blog, sign up for a free trial, or engage with your latest social content, the CTAs should be prominently displayed and compelling.

Use persuasive language and create a sense of urgency, emphasizing the benefits of the action. Employ visually distinct buttons or links that stand out within the design, making it easy for readers to identify and click. Additionally, consider A/B testing different CTAs to determine which ones resonate best with your audience, optimizing your newsletter's effectiveness in driving desired user actions.

What Should You Include in Your SaaS Newsletter?

Your newsletter can include several different types of content. It may vary depending on your specific audience and industry, but the key is to create enticing previews that lead to additional off-page content.

Some examples of content you could design your newsletter around include:

• Blogs

• Videos

• Podcasts

• Product Updates

• eBooks, Guides, and Reports

• Customer Stories

• Webinars

• News and Press Releases

• Social Posts

SaaS Newsletter Key Metrics

Before you blast out your redesigned newsletter, you’ll want to do some benchmarking to measure the current performance of your email marketing.

Take note of several key metrics, like:

• Clickthrough Rate - the percentage of email recipients who click on links, indicating engagement.

• Open Rate - the percentage of recipients who open and view an email.

• Conversion Rate - the percentage of recipients who complete a desired action.

• Bounce Rate - the percentage of emails that couldn't be delivered.

• List Growth Rate - the percentage increase in your email subscriber list.

• Unsubscribe Rate - the percentage of recipients who opt out of your emails.

Then, you’ll want to compare this data to a few of the updated newsletters, and identify any increase or decrease in performance.

Get Started Redesigning Your SaaS Newsletter

In conclusion, crafting an effective SaaS newsletter goes beyond mere communication—it's about establishing a specific strategy for a specific audience, and presenting relevant information in the most interesting format possible.

When it comes to designing your newsletter, meticulous attention to detail is key. Craft intriguing subject lines and preview texts that captivate attention, and compose a concise yet compelling introduction that intrigues readers to explore further. Ensure your brand’s visual identity is consistently displayed, incorporating logos, colors, typographies, and imagery that harmonize with your overarching brand identity. A visually appealing design, optimized for both desktop and mobile devices, exudes professionalism and enhances memorability.

Moreover, entice users to take action with clear and persuasive call-to-actions (CTAs). Experiment with different CTAs through A/B testing to optimize engagement. Additionally, curate your newsletter content strategically, utilizing blogs, videos, product updates, customer stories, and more, providing enticing previews that lead to off-page content. Lastly, monitoring key metrics to gain insights into your newsletter's performance. This will allow you to refine your strategy for continuous improvement.

By implementing these strategies and focusing on these essential elements, you can create a SaaS newsletter that resonates with your audience, drives engagement, and delivers meaningful results for your business.