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Home::Newsletters
Creating Demand with Email Newsletters
Author : Julia Hyde
You've launched your web site. You've implemented a public
relations campaign and spent oodles of money advertising in
trade journals, magazines and newspapers. But your site's daily
visitors are still in single digits and your sales are...well
let's just say that early retirement is no longer an option.
Now what?
Perhaps it's time to try email marketing. Or, to be specific, an
email newsletter. After all, they require minimal effort to
produce, and are proven to increase sales.
Of course, there are many other reasons why email newsletters
make good business sense. Here's just a few of them:
~ You can create a marketing campaign on a shoestring budget.
~ You can measure the results and find out what works and what
doesn't.
~ You can build a personal relationship with a large group of
people.
~ Your subscribers pick YOU when they opt-in to your list. ~ You
can track customer behavior
~ You can collect user information for specific, targeted
campaigns...the list goes on and on.
So what are you waiting for. It's time to take the next step and
put the power of email newsletters to work for you.
Starting Your Email Newsletter Campaign
Before you start any type of marketing or advertising campaign,
you need a plan. This is equally true for email newsletters. You
don't have to put together a 200-plus page document outlining
all your goals and objectives, but you do need to define some
basics before you begin.
1. Get to know your audience. It's not enough to say, "they're
people who like widgets". Take your cue from magazine
publishers. They know exactly who their target audience is, how
much money they earn, what social group they fit into and what
motivates them to buy. Find out who your customers are, then
tailor your newsletter around their needs and desires.
2. Check out your competition. Yes, you do have competition.
Find out what they're doing by investing some time to research
their product or service. What could you do better? Is there a
gap in their service you could fill?
3. Identify your newsletter's purpose. What do you hope to
achieve with your newsletter. Do you want to give your
subscribers information about your product to help them make
purchasing decisions? If so, you must first help them find out
more about your product by letting them see how it can make them
smarter, healthier, wealthier, or more successful. Or do you
want to position yourself as an expert in your field? Your goal
here is to provide your subscribers with well-written articles
that address issues in your industry. Whatever your objectives,
your strategy must focus on your goals.
Creating Content
Now you know what you want your campaign to achieve, it's time
to start thinking about content. This is usually where the faint
hearted run for cover. Fear not. Creating content isn't as
difficult as it first appears. Below are different methods you
can employ to keep your newsletter content fresh, relevant and
on target.
1. Write it yourself. By far the cheapest approach in the long
term is to write it yourself. If you enjoy writing and if you
have lots of ideas for content, then this may be the best
option. Only you can decide.
2. Hire Writers to Write for You. If you're not comfortable
writing content yourself, you may want to consider hiring a
professional writer to write it for you. There are plenty of
freelance writers who specialize in writing newsletter articles.
You'll find several at http://www.freelancewriting.com/
3. Get Content from Online Article Directories. A low-cost
option is to get content from article directories, such as
Ideamarketers.com, Goarticles.com, Articlecity.com and
Ezinez.com. Articles posted on these sites are generally free,
as long as you include the writer's byline when you publish.
Design your template
Just as a magazine has a certain look that will appeal to their
subscribers, so must your email newsletter. Decide on a template
design and stick with it so your subscribers know what to expect
with each issue. Think about how magazines and newspapers have
regular columns in each issue. Split your newsletter into bite
sized pieces so the content is easier for readers to digest.
HTML or Plain Text? It's really a matter of personal preference,
and what you think will most appeal to your readers. The jury is
still out on whether one sells better than the other, but if in
doubt offer two lists: one in plain text and one in HTML. Then
let your subscribers decide.
Ready, Set, GO
You've defined your objectives, secured your content and
designed your newsletter. Now all you need to do is put it
together and launch it to your customers. For this you need a
mailing list. Begin with your own in-house list-made up of
people who have specifically requested to receive information
from you. Set up a sign-up form on every page of your web site,
advertise your newsletter in online ezine directories or in
other newsletters, and announce your newsletter in your
signature file--the tagline that is, or should be, attached to
every email you send.
However you choose to build your list, don't ever, ever become a
spammer. Never send your newsletter to anyone who hasn't
specifically requested to receive it. Remember, Can-spam
regulations require every marketing email to include an opt-out
provision and a valid physical address. If you ignore these
rules, you do so at your own risk.
Email newsletters, are possibly one of the most effective
marketing tools available to online businesses. Exploit this
opportunity and you¡¦re almost guaranteed to pull targeted
customers to your site, create demand for your product, gather
customer data and secure your company's success.
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