One of your highest marketing costs is often customer acquisition. Once you already have that customer, there are some very affordable ways to ensure they become a repeat customer, and build brand loyalty. One of the best is sending out an email newsletter. It is so cost effective that all different types of companies are doing it.
In addition to sending out information, an e-newsletter adds contacts to your marketing list. As long as you do not over saturate your client’s email, this same contact list can be used to announce sales and other significant company events.
One of the greatest benefits over other forms of marketing is that e-newsletters are so trackable. Using a service like MailChimp, you can instantly see the results of your campaign, including who opened the piece and when, and what actions they took.
Here are the top 10 reasons we often suggest an e-newsletter to clients.
- Effective Communication
Newsletters typically content of value, such as how to do something better, industry recommendation or answering frequently asked questions. A good newsletter will have strong calls to action- those desired steps you want the reader to take- but will embed those within and informative or entertaining format. Since you can customize each newletter with a person’s name just by adding a merge tag in the code, they are also a perfect tool for making a personal connection with your readers that will enable you to establish brand loyalty.
- Brand Recognition
You can use your newsletter as launch pad to announce new products and services that your company promotes. Your newsletter will create brand recognition and will help get your brand more exposure through the newsletter which in turn will entice more buyers.
- Increase Client Loyalty
If you have an informative newsletter that your readers enjoy reading it will help the customers and readers to develop a loyal following for your brand. They will prefer to do business with you rather than your competitors. As long as your newsletter contains valuable and relevant information, you will find that your clients will appreciate the newsletters and will look forward to the next issue.
- Increase Traffic to Your Website
Include your website links in your company newsletter and it will encourage your readers and customers to check out what’s new which will increase website traffic. If you are consistent and regularly produce your newsletter you will find that it will become a very reliable and profitable asset in terms of website promotion which will then lead to many more sales.
- Stretch Your Marketing Budget
One of the best features about having a company newsletter is that they can be delivered efficiently and effectively at very affordable prices. They are far cheaper than snail mail and more expensive forms of marketing which are not nearly as effective, targeted or trackable.
However, don’t take your newsletter readers for granted. Just because it is so cheap and effective to distribute, it does not mean that you should compromise the content in any way or overload their inbox. You will lose readers and customers in their droves. The secret to newsletter success is a combination of good quality content and regular distribution.
- Increase Your Business Exposure
You can send your professionally produced e-newsletter to people outside your customer list. E-newsletters are often read by bloggers and people interested in your industry or the product and services you provide. As a result, if your newsletter is good they will talk about it and give your business much needed exposure to prospective customers who might not have known about your business. Just make sure your marketing person or company fully understands current anti-spam and solicitation rules.
- Create Marketing with a Longer Shelf-Life
If you make your newsletter enjoyable and add interesting content with tips, calendar events or a recipe or ‘how-to’ article your newsletter will give it a much longer shelf life and people may download it, or forward it on to friends and colleagues.
- An Excellent Selling Tool
Your newsletter is a perfect way of informing your customers and readers of upcoming sales and promotions. This will create anticipation and excitement, as well as being an excellent format for in-depth product information.
- Show you are an Expert and Establish Your Credibility
There is no greater platform for establishing your authority and credibility than a newsletter. By sharing relevant and useful content you will show your readers and customers that you are experts in your industry which will strengthen their confidence and make them want to buy from you rather than your competitors.
- Save Time over Other Marketing Collateral
Once a template is established for an e-newsletter, the same framework can be used again and again with fresh content. While not effort free, this is a far less time-consuming process than say creating a print brochure that will only be in the form it is created. Distributing an e-newsletter is fast, cheap and trackable. Since you are sending it current customers or those that said they want your newsletter, you appeal will go to a targeted audience that most likely want to buy or use your products and services.
Avoid Some Common Pitfalls
Now that you know the benefits, here are some things to avoid in an e-newsletter.
Don’t be too salesy- Subscribers don’t want to read one sales pitch after another and you will be wasting a valuable opportunity if that is all you decide to provide for them. Make sure your newsletter has mostly valuable content.
Make sure messaging is compelling- Common information or stories that are not well-written (read boring) may lose your audience.
Don’t lack personality- It is ok to tell interesting stories about you and your business. Showing your human side helps customers get to know you and your business. This could include a profile of a different employee in each edition, including their role at the company, home life, hobbies and an interesting factoid like “one thing people don’t know about me.” Who knew John from accounting loves square-dancing? You could also personally comment on current news in your industry and what impact or benefit you think changes will have. Or, explain a customer question and how it was resolved. Personal stories don’t have to be complicated or difficult. Just stay positive and make sure the content has some connection to your business.
Don’t overcommit- One of the most important aspect of an e-newsletter is consistency. I have seen many clients enthusiastically plan to email a monthly newsletter, get off to a great start, then miss an edition and eventually stop. Chose a reasonable schedule like quarterly, seasonally or even bi-annually. The time in between can be used to stockpile new ideas or send out an occasional sales email in between the newsletter. This is one of the top reasons to get professional help, like working with 360 ° Marketing Vision. Your employees may come and go, but we will always be here meeting your deadlines.
Failing to have a clear Call to Action. As much as we emphasize quality and valuable content, you do want your customers to take some action when receiving the newsletter. Whether this is clicking on a blog link which will land them on your website or signing up for a new service, don’t forget to have one or more clear calls to action in your newsletter. You need your customers to respond and you have to ask them to do it by asking them to click a link and giving them a reason to do it.
Why Professional Help is Often Warranted
Businesses love the idea of having a company newsletter but are often too busy running their day to day business activities. It takes finesse to write and produce quality content that will engage readers. Businesses may not be familiar with digital tools to format and send an e-newsletter or how to review campaign analytics.
We can plan out your e-newsletters for you and send you a monthly reminder to pass along relevant information to include in the newsletter. It is a perfect partnership as you can get on with running your business as we do the hard work. And we will tackle the biggest challenge- making sure your marketing gets sent out consistently and on time.