How strategic subscribe asks, personalized content, and continuous testing can help local newsrooms grow and foster deeper connections with readers

In an era where digital news consumption has become fragmented across various platforms, newsletters have quietly emerged as a powerful tool for news organizations — especially local outlets striving to maintain a strong connection with their communities. For local journalism, which is often overshadowed by larger national outlets or social media noise, newsletters present an opportunity to directly engage readers and foster community bonds.

Why newsletters matter to local news

Unlike social media or search algorithms, which prioritize virality or engagement with specific trending topics, newsletters deliver content directly to readers’ inboxes in a controlled and intentional way. 

This direct line to the reader eliminates many of the barriers local newsrooms face in reaching their audience. This is also a different voice to your readers and offers a more casual setting than what they see within the website and other outlets related to the news brand.This is particularly valuable for smaller newsrooms, like those working on tight budgets or limited staff, where each engagement counts. 

Newsletters offer a focused, digestible format for readers to stay informed without having to scroll through endless feeds or navigate complex websites.

Integrating subscribe asks within the article page

One of the most effective places to prompt readers to sign-up to a newsletter is directly on article pages. These pages are often where readers are most engaged with content, making them prime real estate for inviting further interaction. 

By offering newsletter sign-ups in strategic locations — such as in-line with the article, at the bottom of the page, or through pop-up prompts — newsrooms can convert casual visitors into regular readers. 

At sltrib.com, as part of this fellowship, we will test a few different newsletter sign-up placements on the article page. Our A/B testing will focus on two different types of newsletter sign-up asks: one will include a “box” directly on the article page where readers can input their email for the related newsletter, while the other will feature a link that takes readers to a dedicated landing page with more information about the newsletter before signing up. By comparing the performance of these two approaches, we aim to determine which method drives higher conversions and better user engagement.

In addition to on-site strategies, growing the newsletter audience through external channels like Reddit and Meta ads has been an effective way to reach potential subscribers where they’re already active. Combining these off-site efforts with in-article subscribe prompts creates a comprehensive strategy for expanding the newsletter base and boosting engagement.

Best practices for local newsletters

Creating an effective newsletter involves more than just sending regular updates—it’s about understanding your audience and continuously refining your strategy based on performance data. 

Our marketing coordinator, Eve Rickles-Young, emphasizes the importance of analyzing what resonates with readers. For example, we’ve seen success with our Utah Eats newsletter because our audience frequently searches for things to do locally, making it a valuable resource. Knowing your audience’s interests and tailoring content to meet those preferences will significantly boost engagement.

A critical aspect of this is crafting enticing subject lines. Eve and our Audience team specialize in creating short, to-the-point subject lines that grab attention quickly, since often longer subject lines are cut short of visibility on different device sizes. Constantly monitoring metrics like open rates helps gauge the effectiveness of subject lines. For us, an open rate between 40-50% is typical, but even moving from 30% to 35% can be considered a success depending on where your newsroom is with newsletter growth. Testing different types of subject lines through A/B testing is crucial—everyone’s measure of success will vary based on their starting point.

Eve also highlights the importance of adopting a more casual tone in newsletters compared to website content. Since newsletters go directly into someone’s inbox, the relationship feels friendlier, making it appropriate to use the reader’s name and even encourage them to reply. This fosters a more personal connection, which helps build brand loyalty and awareness. 

Measuring newsletter success

To measure the success of a newsletter, it’s important to focus on several key metrics, including open rate, click rate, and unsubscribe numbers. Our marketing coordinator, Eve, consistently tracks these performance indicators to ensure we’re meeting our goals. 

For example, while one of our most read newsletters has around 36,000 subscribers, and one of our more niche newsletters has a smaller but highly engaged audience of about 5,000 subscribers. Knowing this, it’s important to keep in mind that the percentage of open rates will be varyingly different when comparing larger newsletter audiences versus smaller ones. Despite the size differences, Eve generally strives for an open rate of 50%, a benchmark that indicates strong reader engagement. However, even smaller increases in open rates can signal success — for instance for a small newsroom, going from 30% to 35% is still an improvement worth noting.

Click rates tend to vary significantly based on the number of links included in the newsletter. If a newsletter contains many links, the click rate might be lower simply because readers have more options to choose from. On the other hand, if there are fewer links, the click rate may be higher, but it’s crucial to monitor whether the wording around those links is effective in driving clicks. By regularly analyzing how each element of the newsletter performs, from subject lines to link placement, we can continually refine and optimize the newsletters.

Additionally, keeping an eye on the unsubscribe rate is essential. A growing unsubscribe rate is a red flag that readers are disengaging, signaling the need for changes in content, tone, or frequency to ensure the newsletter remains valuable to its audience.

Looking ahead, our goal is to make newsletters more tailored to each reader’s interests. By leveraging data from user behavior, survey feedback, and content engagement, we can create more targeted newsletters that deliver the most relevant stories straight to readers’ inboxes.

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Cite this article

Partida, Alex (2024, Nov. 7). The power of newsletters. Reynolds Journalism Institute. Retrieved from: https://rjionline.org/news/the-power-of-newsletters/