Hiut Denim: A Case Study in Newsletter Marketing.
I’ve had this argument many times about newsletters. What is the point of them?
I’ve received a thousand newsletters that had no discernible interest to me. I’ve had to write a lot when I couldn’t see why people would want to open them. And, a number of times, I’ve tried to change a newsletter into what I think it should be. Why? Because not everyone understands why newsletters exist and how they can work for you.
There are two newsletters I always open without fail. One I will talk about in this case study. (The other is Penguin, because I’m a huge book nerd.)
When I talk about who is doing newsletter marketing right, the brand I always use as an example is Hiut Denim.
Who is Hiut Denim?
They make jeans — and they believe in the idea of doing one thing well. That’s why they make great jeans and nothing else.
Cardigan, Wales is a town of 4,000 where, for three decades, 400 of the townsfolk made jeans — until the factory closed down.
Hiut Denim helped Cardigan make jeans again.
They employ some of the best jeans makers in the world – the Grand Masters of denim so to speak. They also have the best newsletter in the world (my words, not theirs.)
I first became aware of Hiut Denim while working in the UK — my boss at the time loved their marketing strategy and went to at least one Do Lecture about how to make a great newsletter. The Do Lectures are founded by David and Clare Hieatt, the founders of Hiut Denim.
What is their newsletter strategy?
Hiut Denim have two distinct newsletters – Factory Talks and the Scrapbook Chronicles. I’m going to focus mostly on the Scrapbook Chronicles.
A few bullet points to get their strategy across quickly:
They send at a consistent day and time
They keep their subject line the same every time (Scrapbook Chronicles No.331)
They keep the design minimal
They include 8(ish) links to great and interesting content
They start with something they are promoting (but keep it simple)
They end with a link to their own content.
David Hieatt has also written ten tips for a great newsletter which are great. There are a few that I like more. These are the ones that I think people ignore more than others:
Don’t just sell.
Stick at it.
Be you.
And ignore the rules.
These are the four things that marketing professionals are most hung up on. They can’t seem to understand why they shouldn’t sell in a newsletter (I’ll return to this point later). They don’t see instant results, so they decide that it doesn’t work – I once had a boss who told me email marketing didn’t work because, after we changed our strategy and sent out two newsletters, we didn’t get the results we wanted. Like all worthwhile marketing, email isn’t an instant win — it requires patience and stamina.
Don’t fall into the trap of sending generic emails that feel like they could’ve been written by anyone, or get stuck on the rules and best practice (we’ve actually written an interesting article about the Mediocrity of Best Practice – it’s worth a read).
What’s the point of a newsletter?
So far, I’ve told you what a newsletter shouldn’t be — but I haven’t really talked about what it should be.
A newsletter builds community. It’s as simple as that.
Don’t make selling the focus of your newsletter. Use it as a way to provide value to your customers. In an interview, David Hieatt made an analogy that has stuck with me. It’s the idea of two friends. When one friend calls, they are always asking you to do something for them. And, when the other calls, they are usually going to recommend a book or tell you something interesting that happened. Which friend are you always going to pick up the phone for?
Your newsletter should be like the second friend. Provide value to your clients and they will always open your newsletter — so, when you do eventually ask them for something, they will be more likely to say “Yes”.
Our rules for a great newsletter:
They take time. You wouldn’t plant a seed, water it once, and when it doesn’t sprout into a tree declare that it hasn’t worked and walk away. Newsletters take time and care to grow.
Don’t sell (too much). The focus should be on providing value to customers not trying to sell your product.
Keep it consistent. Make it something to look forward to. If they know that at 4pm every Friday they will get your newsletter, then they will start to look forward to it.
Sell stories. People buy stories. Stories are interesting. Embrace them.
Be clear. When you are selling, then sell. When you are sharing, share. And never the twain will twixt.
Find what works for you.
Interested? Subscribe to Hiut Denim’s newsletter.