E-Newsletters: 7 Tips to Attract More Customers
E-Newsletters: 7 Tips to Attract More Customers
By Phillip M. Perry
"Good, fast, cheap—pick two because you can't have all three." That old proverb holds true in the world of advertising and promotion, with one exception: e-newsletters. Why? First, they're good ways to spark more sales. Second, they work fast. And third, they're cheap: It's tough to think of any promotional tool that gives so much bang for so little buck.
"E-newsletters are great for establishing new lines of communication with your customers," says Ralph F. Wilson, an Internet marketing consultant based in Rocklin, CA. (www.wilsonweb.com). "When you have specials, new products or new services, you can promote them at little or no cost."
When time is of the essence, e-newsletters get the job done. "Whether you want to broadcast information about last minute promotions or help beef up attendance at a special event, electronic newsletters get the word out much faster than other vehicles," says Wilson. Seconds after you hit "send" you'll often see subscriber activity: People will be opening your email, then clicking on your links to go to your website.
Electronic newsletters are no substitute for traditional advertising that raises your profile and attracts new customers. But they are invaluable tools for increasing the spending habits of your current customer base. If you haven't already launched an e–newsletter now's the time to do so. Already have one? Look for ways to make it pull more sales. Here are some profitable tips from Internet marketing experts:
Tip #1: Make it Useful
What goes into your e-newsletter? Anything that helps your recipients live better when using your goods or services. When planning content keep asking yourself: How can we serve our customers with good information to build a relationship and keep that relationship at the top of their minds? Include information on new services, new lines, private sales and great ways people can use what you sell.
In today's world "useful" often means short. "People are in a hurry and don't want to read long newsletters," says Wilson. "An effective newsletter can be as short as one or two paragraphs of brief tidbits." What to do when you have more information than will fit comfortably in a short form? "Include a link to a page on your Web site where people can get more information," says Wilson.
Bonus tip: Invite recipients to print out the newsletter and bring it to your business for a free gift or discount.
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How to Select an E-newsletter Service
You need a good e-newsletter service provider to take care of the hassle of list maintenance. So how do you find one? "My recommendation is to ask other businesses for referrals," says Byron Lunz. “Find a newsletter you like and ask its customers how happy they are with the service provider." Here are some questions to ask:
- Is the service provider dependable? Do newsletters show up on schedule?
- Are its staff members friendly and knowledgeable? Are they easily reached?
- Is its Web site easy to navigate?
- Does it handle bounces efficiently?
- Are there any unpleasant billing surprises?
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Tip #2: Make it Attractive
You can send out your email in two formats: plain text or HTML. A lot of people prefer the latter, because it allows you to include fancy text, tables and pictures. But there's a drawback: Designing an attractive HTML newsletter takes talent. And anyhow, who has the time? You can get help in the form of pre-built templates that are now being offered by many email service providers. To use them, just plug in your information, press the "send" button and you are off and running. "Using templates helps you get a lot of information in a precise area," says Chuck Hester, communications director at iContact.com, one email marketing outfit that offers the service.
There's one more problem with HTML: Because not every recipient of your e-newsletter uses the same email software program, your newsletter will not look the same for each person. To get around that problem follow this advice from Byron Lunz, owner of DataBack Systems, an e-newsletter service provider in Beaverton, OR: "If you decide to go with HTML formatting, keep it as simple as you can," he says. "Avoid tables, columns and flashy graphics. The more complex the things you do in your email, the greater the chance some of your recipients will not be able to read it."
Bonus tip: You might ask recipients for their format preference, then prepare two versions of each newsletter for separate plain text and HTML mailing lists.
Tip #3: Build Your List
Encourage people to sign up for your e-newsletter. "Every single point of contact with your customers is an opportunity to build your list," says Hester. "Offer cards for people to fill in their email addresses. Print subscription invitations on your receipts. Include an invitation at the bottom of your regular emails, and on every page of your website."
Here's another idea: "Ask for your recipients' first names so you can personalize the subject line later on," says Wilson.
Your employees can be great sales people for your e-newsletter as well. They can promote benefits such as advance notice of sales and new lines of goods, and many "how-to techniques."
Tip #4: Use a Good E-newsletter Service
At first, if your mailing list is small you may want to send your newsletter using your own computer and Internet connection. For small lists it's not too much hassle to tackle administrative tasks such as processing bounces and entering changed email addresses.
Once your list rises to over 100 people or so, such tasks can become onerous. You will want to consider handing the job over to an e-newsletter service provider. Popular examples of such companies are Constant Contact at www.constantcontact.com, iContact at www.icontact.com and Databack Systems at www.cctomany.com. (See the sidebar: "How to Select an E-newsletter Service.")
Tip #5: Stay Newsy
Don't send your newsletter too often. "As a general rule, don't send your newsletter more than twice a month," says Hester. "You don't want people to think they are getting too much information." The exception: You might want to send several, short announcements in a series to promote a special sale or event.
Send your newsletter on the same day of the same week of the month each time. Your recipients will get in the habit of looking for the information.
Include a "forward to a friend" invitation in each newsletter. This is a great way to build your list because many of those friends will become subscribers. Encourage forwarding by including a special offer for all recipients.
Provide incentives. Perhaps each person who signs up for your newsletter will receive a gift certificate worth $10.00 or will receive exclusive invitations to private seminars.
Tip #6: Play by the Rules
Don't get labeled as a spammer. Make sure you receive some form of formal permission before adding someone to your list. "Don't send a newsletter to people unless they have requested you do so," says Lunz. A reputable e-newsletter service company will help you maintain your reputation by collecting permission forms from all new subscribers. (See the sidebar, "Don't be a Spammer.")
Tip #7: Stay current with e-newsletter trends
You will create more profitable e-newsletters if you stay current with what is happening in the field. For relevant news visit the E-Commerce Times, published by the ECT News Network, Encino, CA. (www.ecommercetimes.com).
Other good sources are E-Commerce News (www.ecommercenews.org), and E-commerce Guide (www.ecommerceguide.com). Finally, for more ideas about good newsletters click on "Email Marketing" at www.wilsonweb.com.
Launch time
The seven tips in this article should get you started on the path to a profitable e-newsletter. You can take the plunge now without a big investment in time and money. "Don't wait to start your email newsletter," says Wilson. "There is no time like the present. You will start with a small list but in time it will grow."
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Don't be a Spammer
The number one buzz phrase today is "permission-based marketing." In the case of your e-newsletter, you want to make sure that you receive some form of formal permission before adding someone to your list. "Don't send a newsletter to people unless they have requested you do so," says Lunz. You don't want to be accused of being a spammer.
Many service providers use what is called a "double opt-in" procedure. Here's how it works: A person wanting to subscribe to your e-newsletter fills out a request form on your web site, then sends it to you. That's the first opt-in. The recipient gets an email automatically generated by your service provider, asking if that person wants to subscribe. This is to avoid the risk of the request having come from someone else. When the recipient responds to the email with a positive response, that is the second opt-in. At this point the person's email address is added to your mailing list on the service provider's computer. "The bottom line is that the subscriber has indicated they want to be on your list," says Lunz.
While the benefits of this procedure are clear, it suggests a question: What can you do with all of those email addresses you have already gathered? How can you keep them from going to waste? You might be tempted to just add those people to your list thinking they will be interested in your electronic newsletter. That's not necessarily true, cautions Lunz. "Sending those people unsolicited newsletters would be considered rude. But one thing you might do is send each a personalized invitation to subscribe."
Here are some other tips to avoid being labeled a spammer:
- Always include an opt-out link in every e-newsletter you send, and put it in a prominent position.
- Never send "extra" emails to your list unless you have the recipients' permission to do so.
- From the very start of your e-newsletter campaign, include a pre-checked box on your registration form that says something like: "You have my permission to send me occasional product updates and special promotions." The e-newsletter alone is valuable, but having the ability to send occasional announcements and promotions based on your subscribers' preferences increases its potential exponentially.
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New York writer Phillip M. Perry has published widely in the fields of business management and law. A two-time recipient of The American Bar As-sociation’s annual award for editorial excellence, Perry was awarded an M.A. in the Humanities from California State University. He maintains a web site at www.editorialcalendar.net and can be reached at phil@pmperry.com.