[Newsletters are a very effective marketing tactic. Whether you distribute them electronically, traditionally, or both, done right they can be extremely effective. Unfortunately, most companies don’t understand how to create powerful newsletter content that gets read versus content that ends up in the circular file.
Consider the following five recommendations:
1. Have a plan””Your newsletter needs to have a true vision and a target; otherwise it’s just a bunch of articles without continuity. To build reader loyalty, you must identify your key audience – and it can’t be “industry people.” It should be more specific, such as “CFOs who need to cut costs.”
2. Don’t sell too hard””Sure, your newsletter is a sales tool, but be careful not to sell too hard or you will lose readers. Try to be subtle by using customer case studies, testimonials, industry stats, government projections or other less obvious sales techniques.
3. Provide value””We live in a “what’s in it for me” world. Your newsletter is fighting for your audience’s most precious asset: their time. So be sure to make it worth their time by providing new information, resources, or other valuable information or insights. The more valuable your content is to them, the more they will look forward to reading your next issue.
4. Be consistent””If you promise a monthly newsletter, be sure you deliver one on time, every time.
5. Make it interactive””Give your readers the opportunity to ask questions, make comments or interact with other readers through your company’s blog. Your goal should be to turn your newsletter from a monologue into a conversation.
Newsletters are a lot of work to produce. Make sure all of the effort pays off by developing content that gets read, and you will have loyal readers for life.
Until next month…
