| Using email newsletters is an inexpensive and low | | | | for your readers to be able to decide if it is worth |
| cost method to market your products or services. | | | | their while to click thru for the whole story. |
| Newsletters can produce massive results for little or | | | | Another option is to have a complete article as a |
| now cost. All it takes is a little TIME and PATIENCE. | | | | leader with the rest of your stories as summaries. |
| In general your newsletter should be mailed to a | | | | Make sure that your best article or item comes first. |
| targeted list of recipients, who have subscribed to | | | | The first paragraph needs to get their attention or |
| your services via and opt-in process. Remember that | | | | else they may just go for the delete icon. |
| growing a mail list is a long term process that never | | | | Your Newsletter Subject Line |
| ends. There are many legitimate ways to assemble a | | | | Make sure that you spend some time thinking about |
| good list of emails. These include: | | | | the best subject line to use for each new mailing you |
| · Add a link to subscribe to your newsletter | | | | do. |
| on your home page | | | | Whatever you DO NOT use the same subject line |
| · Make some kind of free offer based on | | | | each time - like: ABC Shoes Monthly Newsletter. That |
| sign up to your newsletter | | | | is really wasting your best opportunity to get your |
| · Run an online contest | | | | newsletter opened and read. Adding the month is not |
| · Ask your customers to subscribe | | | | a solution like: ABC Shoes Monthly Newsletter JUNE |
| · Add your sign up link to your Contact Us | | | | Some basics: |
| page on your website | | | | · Pick your wording carefully |
| · Add a sign up link to your electronic | | | | · Use key words from the newsletter's |
| invoices (and any other financial docs) | | | | content |
| NB: Work hard at making you opt in form as | | | | · Keep it short (most email software like |
| un-intrusive as possible. This means that you should | | | | Outlook has a limited viewing space for The Subject) |
| not ask a million questions. Keep it short - Name, | | | | Timing & Frequency |
| Surname and email address and maybe one more | | | | Traditionally we don't send newsletters on a Monday |
| question should be enough to start with. You can get | | | | morning (because your readers are busy wading thru |
| more info later when they start to trust you and the | | | | a mountain of mail). Some marketers like Tuesday's |
| content you provide them. | | | | or Wednesday's. You can try a few different times |
| Do Not Buy Lists | | | | and see what works best for you. Fridays are |
| Avoid the temptation to buy or somehow acquire | | | | generally to be avoided because your readers are |
| lists of email addresses. This will be counter | | | | likely to be distracted. |
| productive to your business and will cause you more | | | | Do not over send. If monthly will do it for your, don't |
| trouble than you expect. You can quickly get the | | | | try weekly without good reason because they will |
| domain you are mailing from flagged as a spam | | | | vote with their unsubscribe buttons! (Make sure you |
| source by corporate mail firewalls or worse get | | | | have one of these in all your newsletters) |
| flagged by some black list. | | | | Stats |
| If you have to buy access to a list then make sure | | | | Most bulk email services offer stats for each mail |
| that you make use of a reputable mail list broker | | | | send operation they do for you. Basic stats will |
| service and be aware that this is not the best way | | | | provide a summary of how many mails were sent, |
| to get your prospective customers attention. | | | | how many were accepted and how many bounced |
| Never Give Up | | | | back. |
| Always keep at it. Concentrate on growing your list | | | | If you do make use of click thru links embedded in |
| by constantly trying new approaches. | | | | the mail, then click thru stats are very important. |
| Content Strategy | | | | These can be picked up in various ways. Google |
| Make sure that you deliver good relevant content. | | | | Analytics is one really good way to get a feel for the |
| Relevant content takes the preferences and focus | | | | impact that your newsletter has on your website's |
| of your target market into account. Timing is | | | | traffic. You should see: |
| important - like Valentines day content in Feb and | | | | · An easily discernible rise in traffic volumes |
| Mother's day etc. | | | | after the mail has gone out |
| There are two possible strategies for delivering your | | | | · Specific pages getting hits from your |
| content. | | | | various summaries in the newsletter |
| · Deliver all the information as an article or a | | | | Study these numbers after each newsletter. Don't |
| series of articles in a single email | | | | dissipate your efforts and miss out on this analysis |
| · Deliver summary with a link to the | | | | step. Modify and adjust your ongoing content |
| complete article on your web site | | | | delivery based on which types of articles are most |
| The fact is that both strategies have value and some | | | | popular with your readers. |
| of your readers will have a preference for on or the | | | | An additional line of information relates to how many |
| other. So you can opt for either route with a good | | | | mails were opened after receipt. This is important |
| chance of success. | | | | because quite a lot of received mail gets deleted |
| If you do go for summary of key information with | | | | without being read (opened). |
| links make sure that you present enough information | | | | |