Email newsletters, or ezines, can contribute in a very big
way to the success of your business, but there are right
and wrong ways to do them. If you do the wrong things, you
could damage your reputation/brand.
I have made some mistakes and learned a lot of lessons in
the 5 years I have been publishing my monthly email
newsletter. This article will address content; part 2 will
address the technical side.
The two most important concerns are your distribution list
and your target. Many newsletter publishers believe the
bigger their list is, the better. In some ways that is
true, but honestly, the quality of your list is much more
important. That means that compared to a huge list of
subscribers who will never buy anything from you, a smaller
list of targeted subscribers who will purchase your goods
and services is better.
What I mean by targeted, is that the subscribers to your
list are interested in what you have to tell them and are
likely to buy from you. So, if you are a residential real
estate agent, you will want subscribers in your geographic
area who are likely to buy a house in the next few years.
It would be even better to target even more. For example,
people saving for their first homes – first time buyers -
would be better, and easier. Your content would be
specifically written for them. They get to know you well
and you build a relationship with them. They trust you.
They hire you!
Ideas for content come to you more easily once you have
selected your target market. Here are some ideas:
- Top 5 lists
- Tip of the week/month
- 250 – 500 word articles
- Q & A (question and answer) section
- Advice column
- Favorite resources/websites
- Interviews of experts
- Book reviews
- Other product reviews
- Links to audios (recordings of teleclasses, interviews,
you teaching something)
- Surveys
Of course this in not a complete list, but it should be
enough to get you started.
Although it is a good idea for your subscribers to get to
know you a little bit on a personal level, don’t go
overboard. Unless you are a veterenarian, do not put
pictures of yourself playing with your cats. A headshot is
excellent, but not if you have cut a picture of you at a
wedding in half because it’s the only picture you have of
you dressed up. Get a professional picture.
Putting a little bit of personal information is good so
people can get to know you, but they are mostly interested
in themselves and in how you can help them. They are not
interested in you until after they have gotten to know and
trust you on a professional level.
I recommend that you put something marketing-oriented in
your newsletter. Let your readers know where you will be
speaking or networking, offer a promotion on a product or
service every month, ask readers to visit your website
after you have added new content or redesigned, etc.
Timing is a question I am often asked, and the answer is –
it depends. For information marketers, it seems once a
week works, as long as you provide value/information in
every newsletter. For everyone else, every other week is
usually very good timing. Once a month is good, too. The
key is to provide value every time.
If you have a very long sales cycle, meaning you don’t sell
100 houses every month, the price is fairly high and it
usually takes awhile for a sale to complete, once a month
is best. If you are selling a higher volume of products or
services, like massages for example, and the price is
fairly low, more often is better. Establish the timing
that works best for you and your subscribers and stick to
it.
The purpose of your newsletter is to remind your
subscribers that you exist, build relationships and sell
products. By writing articles, answering questions or
providing tips or resources, you are establishing yourself
as the expert in your niche and industry. Be consistent in
your timing and your subject matter!
—————————————————-
Audrey Burton, Small Business Coach, is “The Tigressâ€. Get
her FREE Special Report, “Closing the Sale is Not
Complicated!†and her FREE monthly email newsletter at
http://www.TigressCoaching.com .
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