Newsletters: What, How, + How Often?

Clients tell us all the time about the blogs + articles they read online encouraging them to focus their efforts on growing their email list. While we agree that increasing your audience is super important, having an extensive list of subscribers does little good if you aren’t sending out emails—or if no one is opening them.

When it comes to email marketing, there is a fine line to walk. You want to drive sales without being pushy + be consistent without being annoying. Creating email content takes time, so you need to be able to justify it with engagement and inquiries.

You might wonder if it’s worth it at all, especially in an industry increasingly driven by social media. Our take: it’s worth it. In our own business, we’ve seen a direct correlation between newsletters and sales/inquiries. The first step to successful email marketing is having a plan in place. Just as we recommend having an editorial calendar for Instagram, we encourage the same for newsletters.

 

Interior Design: Nicole Davis Interiors | Photography: Candice Brooke

 

 

Newsletter Content Ideas

 

 

The key to newsletter content and sending emails that actually get opened is value. Your recipients want the exclusivity of getting first dibs and fresh previews of products and projects. They want to learn about something new or get a glimpse behind the scenes. Here are some content ideas to throw into the mix:

 

• Project Reveals: Share a room or two from a new project as a sneak peek. Do this before posting to Instagram. Revealing rooms this way is a great option if you’re keeping withholding a project for press but want to get use of the images. You could pair the kitchen and dining rooms or living room and entry for a teaser before releasing the entire reveal post.

 

• Design Tips: Remember that your newsletter is likely going into the inboxes of clients and potential clients who enjoy your aesthetic and value your expertise. Quick tutorials like styling a bookcase or mantel gives them a resource to use + forward to friends. Free education is a huge value add when it comes to email marketing. 

 

• What To Expect: Everyone wants to look behind the curtain. Plus, demystifying the interior design process builds trust in your brand and makes potential clients feel more comfortable. In your emails, walk them through what actually happens during a renovation and how they can prepare for one on the front-end. 

 

• Care Guides: Interior designers are usually experts on hard + soft finishes for the home, because they work with a variety on a daily basis. Outline how to care for and protect surfaces like floors and countertops, give tips for cleaning upholstery and rugs, and share your recommendations for finishes that complement different lifestyles + budgets. Information like this gives former clients a reason to keep following along as they maintain their homes.

 

Interior Design and Photography: The Grit and Polish

 

• Inspiration Roundup: Don’t forget that it’s okay to link to other people’s content! Send out a weekly email with photo inspiration (both yours + others’) with the appropriate links. If you aren’t sure what the etiquette is for sharing others’ work, you can find our recommendations here. 

 

• Questionnaire Outline: Home renovations can seem very daunting, even if you’re working with a professional. Take your design questionnaire and turn it into a list of questions that potential clients can use to wrap their head around what they’re hoping to accomplish + where to start. 

 

• Testimonial Graphic: A few genuine words from a satisfied client is a super simple, yet very powerful, sales pitch. Everyone loves a review. When you wrap up a project, be sure to reach out to your client to ensure they’re happy, then ask for a testimonial. These can eventually live on your website, but they make great email content in a pinch. 

 

• Client Interview: If you want to take the testimonial idea a step further, ask a client if you can interview them about the process. This is, again, another way to pull the curtain back and build confidence in your expertise. You can have them answer questions about why they chose to work with you, their experience throughout the process, and how they live in their new space.

 

• Local Guide: Unless you offer e-design services only, odds are that a good amount of your email list is local to you. That proximity gives you the opportunity to produce location-based content. Feature local artisans that you enjoy working with or round up your favorite small businesses and create a guide to your city.

 

 

 

Interior Design: Jenn Feldman Designs  | Photography: Amy Bartlam

 

 

The Best Platform + Timeline for Newsletters

 

 

Now that we’ve covered what should go in your emails, let’s talk about how and when:

As for software, we highly recommend Flodesk. We have tried so many newsletter platforms, and Flodesk is the best for layouts you actually want to use. It’s super well-designed and easy to navigate. 

As content goes, we encourage three educational emails for every hard-sell email. When we say “educational,” we mean emails like the ones we referenced above that are strictly for inspiration, tips, and news.

If you feel overwhelmed by the constant need for content, remember that it can be simple. Not every email strategy has to be elaborate with tons of links and photos and custom graphics. Open rates often prefer emails with fewer images and mostly text (plus, fewer images keeps you out of the spam folder!).

 

Interior Design and Photography: Chris Loves Julia 

 

A good example is Chris Loves Julia’s weekly love letter. Once a week, they send out a little lifestyle roundup of links to things they’re using, reading, and cooking. There’s usually one single image at the top and a paragraph. It’s one of our favorite emails we receive and their huge following suggests we aren’t alone.

For most people, the big question is “when?” It can seem difficult to walk the line between staying relevant and overdoing it. If you’re just starting out, aim for one email a month to start with, and work your way up to one a week. If you’re selling products, you can even increase to sending two per week. 

The important thing to remember is that the people on your email list signed up to receive your emails because they resonate with something about you and your brand. They value your expertise and want to see your work. Don’t overthink it. Share what you know and do and watch the growth happen organically.

 

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For more tips for elevating your interior design business, check out these posts:

• Our Top Instagram Hacks
• 12 Unique Instagram Content Ideas for Interior Designers
• Our No-Fail Instagram Editorial Calendar for Interior Designers
• Why You Need a Newsletter + What to Include in Yours
• What to Do When Instagram Goes Down

 

IDCO Studio is a full-service creative studio for interior designers and boutique lifestyle brands. Offering bespoke branding, web design and social media content creation, we help brands built around beautiful living elevate their digital presence to represent the physical spaces they design. Our recently launched limited-release website templates are the perfect way for interior designers to get a luxury website on a budget. These templates allow designers to maintain control of their content. Want to work together? Shoot us an inquiry here.