And you’ll do this with your very own Email Newsletter.

That’s right - a Newsletter.  I can hear some of you right now thinking, “Oh, great! Another piece of worthless spam to fill the inboxes of the over-emailed masses.”  Not true.  First of all, you will be sending to folks that have “opted in” – they are willing to receive your news.  And secondly, if done right, your Newsletter will be considered anything but worthless.

I would bet good money many of your current customers are not even aware of all the goods and services you currently offer.  Think about that – these are your current customers and they don’t even know about all that you are selling. And why don’t they know?  Aren’t you telling them?

Let me set the scene: A prospect comes to you and discovers something they wish to purchase from your organization.  And, you sell it to them.  Unfortunately, that may be all they know about your company.  And if you haven’t been keeping them informed of your incredible advances and latest additions to your product and service line, how will they know to come back and buy more of this great stuff from you?  They won’t know.  And that’s a big shame.  It’s also your fault.

Newsletters, if utilized appropriately, can be a highly effective tool in communicating to both customers and prospects.  It keeps your audience aware of your existence, informed of your progress, updated on new products and services offered, and knowledgeable regarding the benefits you provide.  And it generates addition sales.

Sadly, many companies send longwinded pieces discussing nearly everything under the sun.  Try to avoid doing this – it’s usually an enormous waste of time and resources.  

The most effective Newsletters are short and to the point – and sent via the Internet.  Just a few short paragraphs, with some compelling images, can do the job. Tie this in with your branding images and messages, and you’ll greatly enhance your overall market position.

Know Your Objectives:
The key to an effective Newsletter is to understand your objective(s) – what, specifically, do you want to get out of this newsletter.

Below is a list of possible objectives:
1.  Informing your database regarding…
     a. Recent projects.
     b. New products or services.
     c. A recent award or honor your company received.
2. Providing your database…
     a. Ongoing information about something of value
     b. With a special promotional offer valid for a specific period of time.
3. Simply keeping your name in front of them.

Of course, there are probably a number of other objectives you might wish to consider for your situation.  The important thing is to have a clear understanding of what those objectives are prior to developing your newsletter campaign.

Short and Sweet:
For most companies, the Internet is the method of delivery for a newsletter. Some companies develop a 4-color piece and attach it as a .pdf file.  The problem is actually getting the recipient to download and open it – let alone read it.  Other companies will send newsletters that, once opened, require the reader to scroll down and down and down. 

A better way is to have your content not to exceed the space on the average desktop screen – without having to scroll further to read additional content.  That’s really all you will need – and about all your recipient will take the time to read.  Except for you, of course – since you are still reading this.

Content Is King:
It is important that whatever your write, it should be of interest to your audience.  In addition to the news generated from your company’s activities, you can gather content from other sources and incorporate it into your newsletters.  For example:

1. Collect Appropriate Content from other email newsletters you receive, and / or Blog posts.  Remember to give credit where credit is due and note from where the information came.

2. Articles for Reprint written by area experts are also available to you (often, at no cost).  Take a look at these two sources in the Internet:

* http://www.ezinearticles.com

* http://www.ideamarketers.com

If you decide to use an article from a site like the two identified above, you will need to publish the entire article and include the author’s name – often the author will provide a short paragraph promoting his or her business along with a link to their website.  Be sure to check out the site so you know what content your readers will see.

Frequency Of Contact:
The newsletter will serve as another touch point from you to your prospect or customer.  It is all about frequency of contact – and building a relationship that is meaningful and strong.  Once you have that established, no matter when your customer needs your type of services or products, they will have only you to think about - and to call.

Schedule It And Do It:
The biggest challenge for most companies is not creating the first newsletter, but producing the second one.  Remember, keep it simple, yet compelling, and to the point.  And if you need some help, go get it.

For assistance in developing an effective and profitable Email Newsletter program, give me a call at 760-845-1633.  We’ll quickly get you up and running.

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Reproduction
You may reproduce all or any part of this article as long as you include the following attribution:

“Written by Lawrence Kirsch, President of Marketing & Management Consulting www.LawrenceKirsch.com - Larry@LawrenceKirsch.com - 760-845-1633.