I'll get right to the point of this one. E-mail newsletters are a great way to stay in touch with your audience and ensure you stay at the top of your customers' minds on a regular basis. They are easy to produce, cost-effective, and in most cases, fun to read. As long as you are giving people information they can use, you'll stay top of mind and out of the junk mail folder. That's the key.
Newsletters by e-mail are easy if you use an e-mail service provider. Many are inexpensive and allow you to promote your expertise on a regular basis. They also add to your overall marketing mix by providing you extra face time with your audience. So, what's the best strategy for conducting an e-mail newsletter campaign? Here are a few suggestions that should keep your e-mails out of the deleted folder.
Have a purpose: Provide interesting and informational content. This is by far the most important advice. Topics could include simple home maintenance, green cleaning tips, organizing solutions or how to shop for certain home items. Most importantly, provide the reader with valuable information that they can take away and use in their daily lives. In offering that expertise, always educate the reader and do not lecture.
Have a great subject line: Don't just put in the subject line "newsletter." Have an interesting title, and try to use your branded name in the subject line as well. Something like, "ABC Construction's tips for greener cleaning." Your open rate will be greatly enhanced by thinking up a great subject line.
Provide links back to your company website: In the actual e-mail, keep your copy to one paragraph and then link them back to your website if they want to read the full article. This keeps the reader interested and drives traffic back to your website where readers can find other valuable information regarding your company. You don't want your potential customers to stop at the e-mail. You want potential customers to go to your website to find out what you can offer them.
Make your e-mail forward friendly: Make it easy for readers to forward your e-mail by providing a clear link. Also, creating informational, valuable and sometimes funny content will make readers want to forward to friends and colleagues. This will help to build your e-mail list.
Here are a couple quick "don'ts" to help you avoid an ineffective e-mail newsletter campaign:
Never send your e-mails on Monday. As we all catch up from the weekend, there's a very good chance your e-mail will just be deleted in favor of more important e-mails. Do however, try to send your e-mail newsletter on Tuesday, preferably between 10 am and 2 pm. Research has shown this is one of the best times for e-mail newsletters to pop up in someone's inbox.
Don't use Outlook to send e-mail newsletters. Bulk e-mails sent through Outlook can end up in your spam folder. Use an e-newsletter provider. Your e-mails will look more professional.
Don't send your newsletter too often: Sending a weekly e-mail newsletter will surely make you an annoyance very quickly. A monthly e-mail is adequate. You can send them twice monthly if you're providing timely industry insight, but a good rule of thumb is once a month.
E-mail marketing along with everything else you do to grow your business will help keep your name out there and generate repeat business as well as generate new leads. Follow these simple tips and you'll be well on your way to having an effective e-mail marketing program that will surely reap results for your firm.
