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If you’re looking for ways to increase revenue without constantly gaining new customers, improving your Customer Lifetime Value (CLTV) should be on top of your list.
One of the most effective and often underutilised ways to do this is by creating an engaging, value-driven customer newsletter.
Email newsletters give eCommerce brands a direct line to their customers, keeping your products top of mind, building trust over time, and driving repeat purchases. When done right, this can turn one-time buyers into loyal customers, resulting in a significant difference.
In this blog, we’ll walk through how to build a newsletter that doesn’t just add value to your customers but also contributes to long-term growth.
Define the goal of your newsletter
Before writing anything, have a clear idea of what you want your newsletter to achieve. Does it want to drive more repeat purchases, educate customers on how to get more from your products, announce new launches or exclusive deals, or simply stay top of mind with your audience?
Your goal will shape everything from your tone of voice to your content mix. For CLTV growth specifically, focus on creating ongoing value for your existing customers, not just pushing for the next sale.
Determine your email newsletter strategy
Now you have a clear goal in place, build a strategy that supports it. For that, you’ll need to know who you are sending this to: are they recent buyers, VIP customers, or all subscribers? Also, a thought is what sort of content will be included, and how often you will send it.
To grow CLTV, your strategy should prioritise content that builds relationships over time. This could be things like product tips, (user-generated content) UGC, behind-the-scenes stories, loyalty perks, and personalised recommendations.
Pick your newsletter platform
There’s no shortage of tools to help you send and manage email campaigns; you have Shopify Email, Attentive, Mailchimp, and Klaviyo, to name a few. When choosing a platform, ensure that you consider its ease of use, integration with your eCommerce store, and reporting and analytics features.
For CLTV, automation and personalisation are key, so it’s essential to choose a tool that enables easy delivery of the right message to the right person at the right time.
Customise a design template
Your email design should be clean, on-brand, and mobile-friendly. Most platforms offer ready-made templates that you can easily tweak to fit your branding.
Just keep things simple, however, by using clear headlines and short paragraphs. Include a strong call-to-action (CTA), and also ensure that images load quickly and look good on mobile devices.
Another important factor is consistency; using a familiar format helps your newsletter become part of the customer’s routine. As a result, it is something they expect, recognise, and hopefully start to look forward to.
Commit to a schedule
CLTV increases when customers consistently engage with your brand over time. To do this, you need to ensure you show up regularly. Whether it’s weekly, fortnightly or monthly, pick a schedule and stick to it.
However, if it’s too frequent, you run the risk of burning people out or too irregular, you’ll struggle to build familiarity. To find the perfect spot, you need to establish a rhythm that’s just enough to stay relevant without being intrusive.
Collect emails
You can’t scale CLTV by email if you don’t have a growing list. Therefore, to make it easy for people to sign up, add an opt-in form to high-traffic pages such as your homepage or checkout. You could also offer incentives like exclusive discounts, early access, or useful resources or even promote your newsletter on social channels.
Customise your automated email flow
Newsletters work even better when they’re a part of a broader automated email strategy.
You can use automations to:
- Welcome new subscribers and set expectations
- Re-engage inactive customers
- Cross-sell or upsell based on past purchases
- Celebrate milestones like anniversaries or birthdays
These touchpoints can aid in deepening relationships and drive ongoing purchases, which can be key drivers of CLTV.
Comply with privacy regulations and best email practices
It’s not the fun part, but it’s essential. Making sure your email marketing follows the GDPR and other relevant laws is massively important. This means you need to have clear consent to email people, offer an easy way to unsubscribe, and include your business details in every email.
By following best practices, you build trust with your audience and help maintain high deliverability rates.
Deliver your first newsletter
The best way to learn what resonates is to hit send and see how your audience responds. You don’t necessarily need to wait for everything to be perfect before you launch.
Keep your first newsletter simple by clearly introducing what it will offer. Another suggestion is to share something valuable immediately, whether that be a tip, offer, or story, to keep it engaging. Also, invite feedback to improve your future editions.
Assess your analytics
To understand the impact of your newsletter on CLTV, track key metrics such as:
- Open rates and click-through rates (CTR)
- Repeat purchase rates
- Revenue attributed to email
- Unsubscribe rates
These numbers will show you what’s working and where you can improve. Over time, aim to refine your content and timing based on real customer behaviour, not assumptions.
Handle unsubscribes and feedback
Not everyone will stick around, and that’s okay! When someone unsubscribes, view it as a learning opportunity. Did you send too often, or was the content not relevant to that person? Invite feedback and use it to enhance your performance.
Also, make sure people who unsubscribe are removed promptly. Respecting your audience’s preferences helps maintain a strong brand reputation.
Final thoughts
A well-executed customer newsletter isn’t just a marketing tool; it’s a long-term asset for your business. By delivering consistent value, staying relevant, and building real relationships with your customers, you can drive more repeat purchases and significantly grow your Customer Lifetime Value.
Start simple, stay consistent, and always put your customers first. That’s how you turn a newsletter into a revenue driver.
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