Successful Internet business owners know that a consistent, fresh, value-packed email newsletter is one of the best marketing tools at their disposal in terms of both cost effectiveness and customer satisfaction.
Here are some tips that will help a solo business operator create and develop a valuable and profitable newsletter.
1) Before you begin publishing, answer these four questions:
- Who is my perfect customer? (My targeted prospect)
- What do I intend to accomplish? (My purpose)
- How can I be different and unique? (My specialty)
- What do I have to offer? (My personality, experience, skills, etc)
2) Determine how you can best publish and deliver the newsletter. There are many alternatives available including everything from total do-it-yourself to nearly complete out-sourcing.
You will have to take into account the time, cost, and your skill in writing, publishing and sending messages. I would also consider the size of the mailing list you intend to create.
For the sake of consistency, I would stick with one format and service provider. That means you'll have to anticipate how large your list might become if all goes well. Sending to 50 customers through your own email server is pretty simple. But if you try to do that with 25,000 subscribers you'll fail.
3) Develop a well-planned customer acquisition and retention plan. Know in advance how you plan to use the newsletter to grab interested prospects. Consider also how you will maintain a fresh product that will keep your customers from un-subscribing.
Some businesses say their subscriber base changes (goes up and down) on a monthly basis by as much as 25%. It's called "churning" and it's a red flag to your business that, for some reason, your customers are uncomfortable being on your list.
4) Develop an archive of your newsletter issues. Make it readily accessible on your web site by current subscribers.
Your customers will refer back to your previous issues if they contain valuable content and offers. You will generate some sales as a direct result of this service.
5) Put a sample copy of your newsletter (one filled with valuable relevant content) on the web site or in your auto responder.
Many prospects would like to get a glimpse of the value of your newsletter prior to registering.
6) Prominently display both your registration box and the un-subscribe links and include them in every newsletter issue. Make it easy for the customer to find where and how to join or leave your mailing list.
Some try to hide the un-subscribe feature, but if you do that many people will be hesitant to join your list in the first place. If you provide great value, you shouldn't be overly concerned about folks leaving.
7) Use a consistent email subject message and "from" name, ones that your customers will easily notice and begin to recognize in their inbox.
Consistency will help customers to sort the newsletter from all the spam that seems to be so prevalent on the Internet these days.
8) Incorporate a newsletter design that accommodates skimming. Use headlines, titles, short blocks of text, subheads, etc.
Your readers will appreciate the ease of navigating around your newsletter to find just the information they want. They will stop and read what interests them.
9) Incorporate reader feedback whenever possible. Offer some incentives to have your readers comment on what they like and don't like about your previous issue.
Ask them what topics they'd like to see covered in the future. Make your newsletter are customer-centered as possible.
10) Focus on fresh content, not stale news or rehashed articles from Internet content directories. Your readers will appreciate your own viewpoint, ideas, and assessment of happenings in your niche. Inject your personality and "quirkiness" into every issue.
If you'll follow these suggestions, your newsletter will add great value to your Internet business and keep your customers tethered to your company.
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