How Email Newsletters and Nonprofit Ezines Build Your Visibility

Award-winning writer Kathy Widenhouse has helped hundreds of nonprofits and writers produce successful content and has gained 600K+ views for her writing tutorials. She is the author of 9 books. See more of Kathy’s content here.

Updated 11.5.24

“Yes, I want to build an audience!”

Why? For nonprofits, solopreneurs, freelancers, and small businesses, the answer is clear. You want to attract potential readers, but it’s hard to get heard above the online noise.

An email newsletter is a key tool you can use to extend your reach. When users discover you – and find your content helpful – they become your loyal followers, supporters, customers, and fans.

Nonprofit ezines, electronic magazines, online journals, electronic bulletins, digital digests – they’re different terms for this type of content. It’s a publication sent at a regular interval, such as monthly, bi-weekly, or weekly, to your subscriber inboxes. And it’s delivered by an email marketing provider.

Large brands use email to drive sales. But if you’re a nonprofit, freelancer, solopreneur, or small biz, you can use email newsletters for visibility. Here’s how.

How email newsletters build visibility for freelancers and small biz owners

Email newsletters give you direct access to subscribers

Email subscribers are your ultimate targeted readership. They are supporters, customers, partners, and friends of your organization or your work. These readers opt in on your website, make a purchase, download a freebie or subscribe through your website and social media sites because they are interested in the content you offer.

Unlike social media, where posts can be missed due to algorithms, your email newsletter goes straight to subscribers’ inboxes. This direct line lets you cut through the riff raff and connect with your readers regularly, keeping your content top of mind.

Email newsletters keep you in front of subscribers

By sending email newsletters you can stay in touch with supporters and prospects. You stay on their radar – and consistency builds familiarity.

Readers see that you’re “open for business” … you’re relevant … you’re producing reliable, helpful content. When you steadily show up, readers have regular opportunities to engage with you through links that drive them to your website and social media sites. Naturally, that increases your visibility.

Email newsletters build your authority with subscribers

Valuable insights, updates, and tips – all that luscious content positions you as an expert in your niche.

• Subscribers routinely uncover nuggets of useful or interesting information from your newsletter.
• They recognize your name in their inbox and look forward to opening your ezine.
• You don’t disappoint them. This builds your credibility with your readers. They like you and start to trust you.

Email newsletters reach more subscribers for less money

Ezines are inexpensive.

Unlike their print counterparts, they are not produced on paper or mailed in envelopes. They don’t require postage. Instead, you can get a free or inexpensive account with an email list manager, build your ezine with its templates (branded with your logo, look, and feel), load your contact email addresses, and click “send.” The email list manager will report your open rate, record click-throughs, and handle bounces.

Apart from the email manager fees, the only costs are writing the ezine and loading it. And since your email newsletter is free to readers, so you don’t need to “sell” them on subscribing – which saves marketing fees.

In fact, an email newsletter is considered to be an advertising bargain, with an average ROI of $36 for every $1 spent, since followers are more likely to share, promote, and recommend your content organically.

Email newsletters reach more subscribers in less time

Your electronic newsletter (versus print newsletters) allows you to compose, edit, format, proofread, and send with a few clicks of the button. Meanwhile, print publications require a more involved editorial schedule, like viewing proofs, printing queues, and snail mail delivery.

Quick turnaround makes it easy to communicate with your audience more often, if you choose. Or you can use that time to take care of the zillion other tasks on your To-Do list. What freelancer, solopreneur, or small biz owner doesn’t want to save time and build visibility simultaneously?

Email newsletters build your traffic

Links to blog posts, products, pages, and special promotions in your newsletter drive up your web traffic on your website – the hub of your communications. Higher traffic numbers push your site higher on search results, increasing your visibility.

Email newsletters can be repurposed

You can re-send your ezine to new prospects, link to it on your social media sites, and create an electronic newsletter archive on your website. Newsletter content can be restructured as a series of blog posts. More exposure means more readers – and more interest and support for your organization and your cause.

How email newsletters build visibility for your nonprofit

Nonprofit ezines benefit your organization in all the same ways as for a small biz. But if you’re a nonprofit that publishes a well-written email newsletter, you have a few extra benefits in your pipeline.

Nonprofit ezines build your audience depth

You educate them about the problem your work addresses and how you help solve it.

That creates a ripple effect, both for your longtime supporters and newcomers. A quality newsletter offers articles and information that educates the public. Your subscribers become more well-informed so they can talk intelligently and with passion about your cause.

Nonprofit ezines build your audience numbers

You build your audience numerically with an email newsletter when your readers share your content with like-minded friends. It’s a natural way to reach more people. That, in turn, creates deeper understanding, empathy, and action from a wider slice of the public.

Nonprofit ezines raise funds

• People who understand your niche are more likely to give.
• People who are informed about your nonprofit’s specific activities within that cause are more likely to give to your cause – either as individuals or as program sponsors – because they understand how they can have direct impact.

Nonprofit ezines engage readers

Building an audience allows you to foster a community among your subscribers. They share your values and are committed to your cause (otherwise, they’d unsubscribe). Your nonprofit ezine articles show subscribers what their efforts can do, apart from financial support. They can volunteer … advocate … promote events – all elements that give your nonprofit more exposure and help extend your reach.

Get visible when you publish with quality

Large brands already have recognition. But for little folks, email newsletters help level the playing field. Use yours wisely.

It’s well and good to load up your template and click “Send.” But make sure that each issue of your email newsletter (nonprofit ezine) is filled with quality, useful content – information that your subscribers are eager to digest.

Do that and new readers will flock to your publication. Your current subscribers will share your content with others in their circles. And all of your readers will become loyal fans who help you continue to grow.

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