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Modern e-newsletters are a great way to nurture both new leads and to retain existing customers. They're a little different from the mail out type of newsletters we used to send. Those had a closer resemblance to a traditional print mini-newspaper. They contained a little bit of everything. Multiple topics, multiple offers. They were sort of a shotgun approach and might have been 2 to 4 or more pages.
But e-news is a little different. Our inboxes are crowded and the recipient only takes a split second or two when they make a decision as to read or delete.
E-newsletters need to be quick to read, entertaining, conversational and informative. There should be graphics and other visual elements to make it engaging.
Don’t get them confused with an e-blast. Those are again a little difference in purpose. E-blasts tend to announce an event, a sale, or even that the monthly newsletter is now available on your website with a connecting link. They are very short and visually rich.
For the most successful newsletter, the topic should focus on a single theme or idea. One. Some tidbit that the reader is going to find useful and educational, something beneficial to them.
If you have multiple messages you want to send out, great. Schedule a newsletter for each one. One newsletter per idea makes them much more powerful.
We know that prospects need to know like and trust us before they'll do business with us. The newsletter can be focused on building these factors and engaging the potential client. Readers might learn how to solve a problem. They might build trust to see us as a go-to resource.
To keep your readers reading, e-newsletters are not sales pushes. Think of them as engaging “infotainment.” Share a specific idea you have that will make their life a little easier. Solve a problem. Share how-to-do something. Tips and tricks. These are great types of things to include.
Your topics should relate to your type of business. But avoid directly selling. Instead, you're kind of working in from the side to engage that customer, inform them, educate them, build trust. You might include a video link. That video link could take them to your website where they can see a how-to video or a problem-solution video.
In alternative health and wellness, I’ve seen things like lists of best foods or foods to avoid. Try this instead of this. It might be ideas on different ways to use a supplement powder outside of the traditional stirring it into a beverage. Wellness tips, health tips, lifestyle tips. In today’s market, we are seeing more on healthy aging, aging in place, and tips for keeping youthful vigor.
Whatever the topic, it needs to be fun, short and engaging. If you host your newsletter on your website, you might use an e-blast with a link and invitation to read your newsletter. That's another way to handle these communications and can be very effective.
Effectiveness for web-hosted newsletters might include a short email series to remind the recipient it is available and does contain a special offer at the bottom.
The email gives them a little synopsis of what's available there, but it doesn't take much time to read. All they have to do is click to read it. By sending more than one email, we remind those who haven’t clicked that it is there waiting for them.
Once we get them to the website, we can work to engage and keep them there. All the links take them to see something that you might have available for them, additional information, cross-references and take them back to the newsletter.
Again, keep it friendly, keep it gentle... Like a note, something you'd share with a friend. After all, that's how we want them to think of us, a friend that they're getting to know and like. Someone that they trust to do business with.
The key to an effective newsletter, in addition to great subject lines and subheads, is the sharing of information. Think 80% non-sales oriented information. The last 20% can be your offer. Whether that's a product, a service, information, education, membership, whatever it is, keep that to the last 20% and have links appropriate to the pages to drive your sales.
How frequent you send your newsletter depends on your needs. Some businesses do a monthly newsletter, others like to do it twice monthly or even weekly. The more frequent they are, the shorter and targeted they should be.
Don’t overwhelm your readers with what you're putting in their mailbox. How much is too much? Start with monthly, then in increments add more frequency. Follow your analytics to determine the best frequency.
Focus on one idea, one topic in the newsletter, 80% information, 20% call to action with your offer. Need help trying to make it happen? Message me, I'm your business builder. We can do that. [email protected].
Want to read more...Here's an article on using newsletters to build client relationships.
Judith Culp Pearson receives three top honors
at the annual Society of Permanent Cosmetic Professionals in
Ft. Worth, Texas - October 7-9, 2023
