A newsletter for a local shop works when you write to customers who want to read you, keep it short and make the offer clear. As a general rule, the recipient must have said yes in advance, and every e-mail must let them unsubscribe.
This guide explains how to collect customers’ consent, what to keep in mind regarding the rules, what to write and how often to send.
Who can you send a newsletter to?
As a general rule, writing to an individual for promotional purposes requires their prior consent. There are exceptions for existing customers, but they come with precise conditions, and it’s hard to rely on them when the address was collected without a purchase.
The simplest is to ask: an optional box, not ticked in advance, where the customer says yes to news. You can then show that you have their consent. For personal data in general, read the digital loyalty card guide.
How do you collect customers’ consent?
The best moment is sign-up to the program. The form has a single box, for example “Yes, I’d like to receive the shop’s news and offers”. It isn’t ticked in advance, and the card works even if the customer doesn’t tick it.
The team can back it up at the till: “Want to know when we have something new? Tick the box when you sign up.” No need to convince: asking is enough. Those who say yes also read more often.
Don’t try to force it. A small interested list beats a big list of people who never open the message.
What goes in a newsletter?
The customer should grasp the essentials in a few seconds. A simple structure:
- A subject line that says what it’s about. “Tuesday: coffee and pastry for 3.50 €” beats “October newsletter”.
- A headline and two or three short paragraphs. Say what’s coming up.
- A clear button. Book, drop by, see the menu.
- The sender and the unsubscribe. The message arrives in the shop’s name, with a working unsubscribe link.
Write the way you talk at the counter, and one single offer per mailing, otherwise it drowns.
How often should you send?
As often as you have something to say, never more. For a small business, once a month is often more than enough, and many make do with one mailing every two months. Better one message worth opening than four that get deleted.
Keep a simple calendar: a few fixed dates a year, such as back-to-school, the holidays or an anniversary, and room for spontaneous offers when it’s quiet. See also the pricing for what the plans include.
How do you actually send it?
You can use a classic e-mail tool, or one linked to the loyalty program. The advantage of the second: the list is always right, with only those who said yes, and those who unsubscribe are removed automatically.
Fidelia offers an e-mail tool in the Pro plan, at €59 a month excl. VAT:
- Messages go only to customers who ticked the news box when signing up and who have an e-mail address.
- Each business gets its own sender address of the form name@shop.fidelia.se, with the business name as the sender.
- Every message contains a one-click unsubscribe link. The card keeps working afterwards.
- You write yourself in a simple block editor, or have the AI write a draft that you adjust. The tool checks the subject, length and links before sending.
- Each e-mail can exist in the three languages of Belgium, and the customer receives theirs. A language left empty falls back to the business’s default language.
- You schedule in a calendar. There is no tracking pixel for opens. There are sending limits: at most 2 campaigns a day and a monthly quota of 2.000 recipients.
Newsletter or notification on the card?
They serve different purposes. A newsletter carries more text and images and suits when you want to tell something. A lock screen notification is short and suits when it’s urgent, for example an offer valid today. See the pricing for the notifications in the Pro plan. Both require the customer’s consent: treat them the same way.
In summary
Ask first, write short with an offer, send rarely and always include an unsubscribe link. A small newsletter for people who want to read you is worth more than a big one for people who don’t. See also the pricing.