Beyond Self-Promotion: Why B2B SaaS Newsletters Shouldn't Be So Selfish

“Do you know what I love? Waking up on a Monday morning and reading about a SaaS platform’s version 12.3 release!” – Nobody, ever.

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In the bustling world of B2B SaaS marketing, newsletters have become a staple tool for staying connected with potential and existing customers. According to Hubspot, 74% of B2B marketers say email is their most effective channel for generating leads. Marketo found that 59% of B2B marketers say newsletters are their most effective content marketing tactic. 

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However, many B2B SaaS newsletters fall into the trap of solely self-promotion – company news, product updates, and promotional offers. While these elements may have a place, over-reliance on self-promotion can quickly make your newsletter a bore, leading to unsubscribes and missed opportunities.

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A more effective and engaging approach is to shift the focus from self-promotion to helpful content.  Provide valuable insights, trends, issues and perspectives on the wider industry, relevant to your target audience.

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Treat Your Newsletter as if it’s a Revenue Generator

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Although this sounds obvious, truly treating your newsletter as a revenue generator will transform your approach to the content you share. If we take a look at the companies making money from newsletters, we can see apparent similarities.

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Morning Brew is a popular newsletter that has had colossal growth over the last few years. They provide a list of organized headlines and links, so their users can skim through to find anything meaningful to them. They don’t spend too much time on creative, foregoing images which remove newsletter functionality; they simply provide information in a digestible way with links if something piques your interest.

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The same can be said for successful financial newsletters such as Liquidity, which provides top-level financial market updates at 7 AM ET every weekday. One simple scroll through allows financiers to understand what happened in the market at a glance, without having to trawl through a bevy of irrelevant information.

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B2B newsletters can benefit from collecting important information about the broader industry and the topics they know are relevant to their target audience, then presenting it in a digestible format alongside their own brand.

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This approach offers several compelling advantages:

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1. Enhanced Audience Interest and Value

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By moving beyond self-promotion and delving into industry insights, trends, and wider issues, you create a genuinely interesting and valuable newsletter for your audience. This shift will increase engagement, encourage readership, and foster a sense of trust and loyalty among your subscribers.

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2. Positioning as a Knowledge Leader

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By consistently delivering insightful and thought-provoking content, you position your company as a trusted source of information and a knowledge leader in your industry. This reputation can attract new customers, strengthen relationships with existing ones, and enhance your brand's overall credibility.

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3. Differentiation from Competitors

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In a crowded market, standing out from the competition is crucial. By adopting an industry-focused newsletter approach, you differentiate yourself from competitors who may be focused solely on self-promotion. This differentiation can attract subscribers who value insights over self-promotion.

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4. Opportunity for Thought Leadership

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Newsletters provide a platform for sharing your company's expertise and perspectives on industry trends and issues. This can lead to opportunities for thought leadership, such as invitations to speak at events, contributing to industry publications, and being quoted as an expert in your field.

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5. Nurturing Customer Relationships

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A newsletter that provides valuable insights and thought leadership can go beyond marketing and serve as a tool for nurturing customer relationships. By consistently demonstrating your expertise and commitment to the industry, you’ll build customer trust and loyalty.

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Real-World Examples of Successful Newsletters

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Several B2B SaaS companies have successfully implemented an industry-focused newsletter approach:

- HubSpot's Marketing Blog: With over 500,000 subscribers, HubSpot's Marketing Blog is one of the most popular marketing blogs in the world. According to HubSpot, their blog generates over 1.5 million page views per month and has a conversion rate of 5%.

- Buffer's Social Media Blog: Buffer's newsletter has over 1 million subscribers. According to Buffer, their newsletter generates an average of 10,000 clicks per week and has a click-through rate of 2%.

- Intercom's Product Blog: Intercom's newsletter has over 150,000 subscribers. According to Intercom, their newsletter generates an average of 5,000 clicks per week and has a click-through rate of 3%.

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These examples demonstrate that newsletters can be more than just promotional tools; they can be powerful platforms for sharing knowledge, establishing thought leadership, and nurturing customer relationships.

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B2B SaaS companies that shift their newsletter focus beyond self-promotion and towards industry insights, trends, and wider issues will reap significant benefits, including increased audience engagement, enhanced brand reputation, and stronger customer relationships. By positioning themselves as trusted sources of information and thought leaders, these companies will gain a competitive edge and attract new business opportunities.