Want to create a champion newsletter your clients will race to read? Think in terms of riding a horse, says Anamaria Lloyd, owner of Seattle-based RIA A.T. Lloyd’s. She’s also an equestrian.

“When you ride a horse, you’ve got to keep in contact with the horse. You have to be with the horse constantly,” she says. “You don’t want to oppress or annoy the horse so they want to get rid of you. But the horse needs to know you’re there.”

Enter the newsletter, which, even in the day of social media and texting, remains a key way for advisors to connect with clients on a regular basis. Building a compelling newsletter that provides useful information and bubbles through email clutter, though, takes a strategy. Capital Group spoke with advisors who shared tips on how they create newsletters their clients love:

• Keep newsletters short and personal. It can be tempting to load newsletters up with charts and economic analysis. And that might be what some clients want. But Lloyd’s roughly 300 clients prefer quick and conversational updates on topics they might mention the next time they visit or call her. Overly verbose letters lead clients to react negatively and think, “Oh my god, I can’t cope,” she says.

During market volatility, a quick, emailed newsletter can go a long way to remind clients she’s there for them. “You just don’t want people to sell in a panic,” one client told Lloyd after noticing emails always showed up after market declines. Lloyd agrees with this sentiment.

Newsletters are also great for reminders on important, but routine, financial matters that clients can control, such as making IRA contributions, taking required minimum distributions or reviewing beneficiaries. She recently included part of an article on market volatility published on the Capital Group site for RIAs using the free-to-use Marketing Lab feature in an email. Marketing Lab allows RIAs to add Capital Group articles into their own newsletters or build one from scratch.

It’s important to maintain a personal touch where possible. Lloyd writes newsletters almost as a friend to another friend. She says her best newsletters are when she pulls together a short note with a timely observation. And she always signs off with “Love.” 

• Use newsletters to encourage a visit or call. It’s easy to get consumed with elaborate email metrics and tracking — and those are important for some — but Lloyd focuses on one thing: connection. Whether that’s a call, email or visit, the newsletter reminds clients they’re top of mind and welcome to reach out. “Clients aren’t going to stick with me for a newsletter, but they want to hear from me,” she says.

“It's really a tool to stay in touch with (clients) and to reassure them that you're looking at things and then encouraging them to come in if they have any questions,” she says.

• Set a routine. Never will 90 days pass before Greg Litts or another member of Houston-based RIA RJ Capital makes contact with a client. The firm’s newsletter is part of that strategy.  

An email newsletter is sent to the firm’s 250 clients, typically monthly but at least every two months. Prospective new clients might receive newsletters up to twice a month if topical events or the content of the newsletter warrants it. During periods of market volatility, the newsletter is even more important. The newsletter itself is a one-page email, but it contains links to four articles. “People appreciate you’ve aggregated things for them,” Litts says.

Litts is trying out Marketing Lab and is looking to it as a possible way to encourage more clients to visit the firm’s website. As far as topics go, clients seem to gravitate to subjects that they can act on, such as tax or rebalancing strategies. “Actionable things are more popular,” he says.

But like Lloyd, Litts believes the key to the newsletter is to know it’s just part of the conversation, especially with prospects. “You’ve got to follow up. We won’t see anything if we don’t follow up,” he adds.

Build you own newsletters in just minutes — easy as drag-and-drop.

RIAs: If you’re looking to elevate your newsletter strategy, Capital Group’s Marketing Lab can be a powerful tool. You can create insightful, compelling, client-ready newsletters with your branding. You’ll find a wide range of topics covering everything from cybersecurity to insights on the economy. Simply drag  and drop Capital Group’s content in the interface and then either add it to your existing newsletter or create one from scratch.