How To Use Newsletters To Market Your Business

In today’s Information Age people are often overwhelmed with advertising and marketing. They tend to block out most of what they see and hear. The question becomes how can you capture the attention of prospects and customers in order to generate interest in your business?

One solution is newsletter marketing. Newsletter marketing is a great way to create top of mind awareness, communicate news and information about new products and services and stay in touch with your customers and prospects on a regular basis. Here are a few tips on how to create a successful newsletter:

• Use a consistent, well-designed template with a nameplate that is easily recognized, issue after issue.

• Include articles to inform and educate, including helpful tips about your products and services. TIP: As tempting as it is, avoid putting too much product information. It is best to balance product information with what I call fluff. Fluff is interesting tidbits and other non-product related information, basically bubble gum for the eyes. If you put too much product information the newsletter will become too heavy reading and readers will not read. Remember they already are overwhelmed with things they have to read.

• Keep product information short and sweet. Use short stories, bulleted information, lists and other forms of concise information. If necessary, include a link to additional information in case the reader is interested in learning more.

• Include relevant graphics, such as charts, cartoons, illustrations and sidebars, as well as your logo to personalize and create name recognition.

• You can mail newsletters as a direct mail piece, hand them out at trade shows or on sales calls, provide them at your front counter for prospects and customers, include them in informational kits and post current and archived issues on your web site with a link to subscribe.

HOW TO GET A NEWSLETTER DONE

If you are like most people, putting together a newsletter can almost be unconfrontable. Where do I start? How do I design it? When will you have the time? All of these questions tend to slow or stop any progress one may have on getting a newsletter done. We can help you get a newsletter done but we do need you to help.

Below is a list of things to do to get a newsletter produced:

1. Plan in advance. Are you going to mail quarterly or monthly?
2. Create a spreadsheet broken up into small confrontable chunks. Set a deadline for yourself when you will have main article written.
3. When will you have your article written and sent to Wilson Printing’s graphic designer.
4. What will the theme be?
5. Based on the season what product or service should you promote? Not only will this help you save time, it will ensure your newsletters are delivered on a timely basis.
6. Always include a call to action to request more information, place an order, or stop by to redeem a coupon or learn more about a product offer.
7. Tell readers you value their feedback in any form. Consider creating a link to a short survey for customer ease.
8. Call Wilson Printing and commit to a regular newsletter schedule. We can make it easy. Repetition is necessary to get people thinking about a company’s products or services, so regular readers are far more likely to become regular customers.

Newsletters are effective in building customer loyalty and generating business. Depending on your industry it may become the single most effective tool you have in your marketing arsenal.

Mark Hale

CEO