| Wondering why or how to get an email newsletter | | | | for even when they do manage to garner more |
| going? | | | | open response, they tend to depress click-through |
| Yes, your business should have one. And yes, they | | | | because the reader feels tricked or deceived into |
| are surprisingly simple to put into operation. For some | | | | opening it. Something like: "July Newsletter: On the |
| businesses, their email results are so compelling, they | | | | subject of subject lines" is good. To help avoid |
| have eliminated the majority of their other | | | | getting caught in today's aggressive spam filters, |
| advertising costs. So if you want to cut costs and | | | | avoid using exclamation points "!" (especially |
| improve results, here's how to get going. | | | | multiples!!!), and avoid the words "free," "sale" and |
| THREE THINGS YOUR COMPETITORS ALREADY | | | | "guaranteed". |
| KNOW ABOUT EMAIL NEWSLETTERS | | | | 3. Write briefs, not books. |
| 1. Bottom Line Impact | | | | There's something attractive about that strong silent |
| Simply put, email newsletters are less costly than | | | | type. A one page newsletter is not only acceptable, |
| other more traditional methods of customer | | | | but preferred. Do you want people to read it or file |
| communication. Measured in standard cost metrics (i.e. | | | | it? Instead of writing four articles at the end of the |
| Cost Per Lead, Cost Per Sale, etc.), the adoption of | | | | month, send one each week instead. Make your |
| an email marketing strategy can improve results | | | | point, provide some links, and move along. |
| significantly. It has been shown that email provides | | | | 4. Put marketing in the back seat. |
| the highest ROI at 40%, followed by search (28%) | | | | If you don't want to end up in the junk folder, use |
| and direct mail at 18% . From the humble beginnings | | | | your newsletter to educate and inform, not as a |
| of just 50 names on a clipboard at the front of his | | | | blatant shill. Write your newsletter like a reporter, not |
| wine store, Proprietor Steve Silver has built a 10,000 | | | | a marketer. A subtle shill is fine, it's your newsletter |
| name mailing list for Pearson's Wine & Spirits' | | | | after all, just be sure your content is useful, timely |
| that now drives all their sales and effectively | | | | and/or informative. You'll know you have a winning |
| eliminated all their former advertising costs. | | | | newsletter when you still see clicks coming in months |
| 2. Personal Relationship Builder | | | | after you sent it out. If you having trouble getting |
| Like the phone, email is a personal medium. We are | | | | simple, informative articles out, look no further than |
| protective of inboxes for a reason. It's our space. So | | | | your local or industry news reporters, most are |
| when you are invited in, or invited back, you are now | | | | hungry freelancers looking for any opportunity to get |
| communicating on a much more personal level than | | | | published. |
| any newspaper ad or direct mail letter could. If you | | | | 5. A Picture is worth it. |
| don't abuse it, and provide relevant, interesting, or | | | | Unlike printed pieces, email has relatively low |
| timely information, you are in closer contact with | | | | resolution requirements. With email you can grab an |
| your customers and prospects, and that is always a | | | | image or logo from your website, and any digital |
| good thing. | | | | camera (including the one on your phone) is an |
| 3. Measured Response & Feedback Loop | | | | adequate source for newsletter images. Just snap a |
| The online medium, unlike other forms of | | | | few around the office, take a picture of your |
| communication, enables you to track and identify | | | | building, production line or your president having lunch |
| customer interests. Email also provides an efficient | | | | at the company picnic. Authentic, candid images are |
| direct response and follow-up mechanism. Tracking | | | | ideal for email newsletters, and far better than |
| customer tendencies enables companies to silently | | | | polished corporate brochure photos or pricey stock |
| compile research information they would otherwise | | | | photography. But if you do need that stock image of |
| have to solicit or purchase. Such information gathering | | | | a rainbow or a fire truck, you can find cheap stock |
| can pinpoint which topics, messages and offers | | | | photography one the web for literally $1 to suit your |
| resonate best with your target audience, providing a | | | | basic needs. |
| foundation to further hone in on the sales process, | | | | 6. Have Google write the news for you. |
| even on a customer by customer basis. With finite | | | | Find out what's going on in your industry using news |
| sales resources, any such productivity short cuts are | | | | notification feature. Simply go to the site, select the |
| profitability boosters. | | | | News Alerts icon on the left, and enter in your topic |
| THE 7 SECRET INGREDIENTS | | | | or industry (i.e. 'email newsletters'), the frequency and |
| 1. It OK to be inconsistent. | | | | your email address. Google will send you email when |
| It's fair to say putting out a monthly or weekly | | | | relevant news items emerge, and you can compile |
| newsletter is no small task, and that idea makes it | | | | them into a folder (or write an Outlook rule to do it |
| hard to even get started. So forget about it (the | | | | for you) then use the stories and links as content for |
| monthly schedule that is, not the newsletter). Unless | | | | your own newsletter. |
| you're running a magazine, you don't need to publish | | | | 7. Design skills are optional |
| every month. The idea is to make contact with your | | | | You don't need to be a graphic design expert to get |
| prospects and customers. If you can send weekly, | | | | a professional level document ready for distribution to |
| do it, otherwise why not just send when you have | | | | your (now customized) email lists. Software such as |
| something to say? The best thing about being | | | | Politemail offers templates for the Outlook email |
| unexpected is you are more likely not to be ignored. | | | | newsletter medium, facilitating both aesthetic and |
| This especially holds true if, when you do get around | | | | analytical needs. |
| to sending something, it's something good that | | | | In summary, email newsletters are a cost effective |
| people save and go back too. An engaged reader is | | | | way to stay in contact with your customers. Not |
| far better than an idle one. | | | | only will you be providing information, you will be |
| 2. Avoid wrapping your riddles in a mystery. | | | | gathering it too. Email brings the benefit of response |
| Both people and spam software filter their email | | | | tracking and measurement, allowing you to analyze |
| based upon the subject line. If you want your | | | | the topics, products and interests of your customers |
| message opened, use caution when composing your | | | | based upon their actual behavior. The sooner you get |
| subject lines. Keep it short. Keep it simple. Make it | | | | started, the more you will know. |
| clear. Clever subject lines tend to outwit themselves, | | | | |