How to make email newsletter and get a return. This is one of the best forms of advertising available if you do it correctly.
Estimated reading time: 8 minutes
Table of contents
- Do newsletters work?
- Newsletters are not a sales tool
- Newsletters are a sales tool
- Visuals save a lot of writing
- Using white space to affect
- You can tell a story
- Where is the best place to get emails delivered
- Branding is important for open rates
- Your reporting strategy
- Segmenting your list
- Gathering your base is important
- Your database becomes a valuable asset
- Consistency is king
- Who should send newsletters
- Conclusion
Do newsletters work?
The answer is always yes, newsletters do work. The principal reason is the volume of information. Someone will like your content every time you write.
I have a small business and a new client is worth about a thousand dollars over a year.
therefore If I only sign a customer per year I cover all my costs, anything more is a bonus.
So does it work for me, you can bet it does.
How to write newsletters for success
Newsletters are not a sales tool
Wow, if they don't sell then what do they do.
It's all about touch. Your customers need constant reminders about you and your business.
When the buying time comes you are first in mind.
My Car Tyre retailer has a great newsletter. Talks about cars and batteries, travel tips and driving ideas are all things of interest to me. I might buy Tyres every two years but when I do I have some sort of social commitment to him. He cares enough about me to stay in contact so I repay the favour.
His is a very competitive business with high-value sales so every customer counts.
I had a guy email me recently and tell me he had been getting my emails for well over a year and wondered if I could help him with his problem. I could and we did a deal that is worth
$2000 a year to me. Without my newsletters, he would never have contacted me.
Newsletters are a sales tool
Ha, ha I threw this heading in just to confuse you. The purpose of a good Newsletter is to entertain, educate and maintain contact.
However, you never know where in the sales cycle your reader is so always have a call to action for those that wish to act now.
You may have a special, a launch even a giveaway somewhere near the bottom of the page.
It could be a CONTACT ME box or click for a free trial so that you tell the interested parties what to do next. People like things easy so give them what they want.
Visuals save a lot of writing
Your current customer probably suffers from attention deficit syndrome and loves looking at pictures. This way they can quickly eliminate unnecessary clutter and find those things of interest.
My tyre friend could have a smashed-up car with bald tyres to act as a wake-up alert.
He is selling neither cars or bald tyres however he has my attention and I shall read more.
Relevance is necessary as long as it is eye-catching. A baby carriage would not get me but a new Tesla just might. Then a story on how they stopped wheel spin by fitting the new Firestone Snow tyre for winter wear. You could have a Guy throwing chains away to create a similar effect.
Using white space to affect
You only write a lot of words in the last leg of the sales cycle.
A great example is Car advertising. You may see this view of the latest Mercedes winding around a mountain road with a great looking blonde at the wheel.
Very few words and a very small demographic they are targeting.
If for example, I was interested in the Merc I would click the little box that said car stats or something like that. I now want as much info as you can give me because I have my trigger finger ready.
You can tell a story
Everyone loves a good story. It does not have to be long or drawn out and can be done very minimalistic.
A customer of mine is in the Blind business, selling blinds and shutters for housing. He only has an email quarterly however it is always about trendsetters. Now the girls love to know exactly what is in fashion and he gives the details. Colours Styles and fabrics are all explained for those that are interested. It works well.
Where is the best place to get emails delivered
Having tried many of the Email houses I have found that some problems exist.
One, in particular, had a higher spam rate because they plaster their name all over the bottom of the email. People that had been getting mail over a long period reported me as spam so the provider banned me.
Constant Contact has been my choice over the years and I send hundreds of thousands of Newsletters without a problem.
The templates are easy and they offer a lot of other ideas to increase your penetration.
Branding is important for open rates
Along with using a consistent carrier is identity recognition or branding. It is important to maintain your structure, logo as well as colours to provide a consistent and recognisable profile.
This will improve your open rates and give you a better chance to gather some clicks.
Your reporting strategy
This is one of the great benefits in that you know what your readers are doing. Did they open the mail, click on something opt-out or report you for spam?
I generally offer a click-through to something of value. Sometimes a free trial or to my latest blog post or even to a supplier if I am promoting a product.
Open rates will vary and average just over 20% in general use. Readers may be busy or just not interested at this time and that is normal for all Newsletters. Your job is to try and lift that rate by a further 1-2% on new letters to climb up into the 30% group. You will find your level at some time.
Of course, this depends on the demographic.
Segmenting your list
You may sell several products that have a different base of readers. Therefore if you are marketing Mag wheels it is probably young blokes but snow tyres only to people in Snow country at the right time of the year. It is targeting your audience
By picking your demographic correctly you can lift your results immensely.
You can however have a general Letter that is appropriate to all.
Why tyre pressure increases fuel consumption and saves thousands of dollars.
I sell one product to different industries. The product remains consistent however the pitch changes dramatically.
When approaching the medical industry it is a safety situation however to the tradesman it is a missed opportunity.
Gathering your base is important
Off course you need people to be on your list to get your newsletter and this can be done in many ways.
| Asking your customers for an email address | Every one of them should be on a list |
| Dropbox on your website | Collect emails with a giveaway product |
| Facebook and Instagram | Link to your site |
| Trade shows and exhibitions | Gather cards from interested players |
| From quotes and offers | get those names |
| Never spam | You must have permission |
Your database becomes a valuable asset
As you build a base of customers and interested parties your database grows to a whole bundle of emails, names and numbers.
This becomes an asset to your business that can be easily valued. It might be $5 a client or $50 a client depending on the expected return. This asset adds value to your business anytime you want to sell. It also provides a great income generator by just spending an hour a month on writing material.
Consistency is king
This is a lifetime job. Consumers love consistency and that is why TV ads are played over and over until they become monotonous. They do it because it works.
Therefore send your emails with regular monotony, every fortnight or every month maybe quarterly if you must but be regular.
Your customers will be expecting them and your open rates will go up and sales will follow.
Who should send newsletters
Anyone that has a database of customers should send newsletters. Remember it is all about touch and the more times it is done the greater the chance of a sale.
It is an old marketing adage that a client needs to be touched seven times before they become a customer.
Therefore up your touches the easy way
Conclusion
Remember that consistency and branding are vital to your success.
Entertain, train and educate. Never oversell.
Always have a call to action block
Use white space and Images
Improve your stats as you go.
Finally, remember that if they are not reading your newsletter they are reading someone else's
How to make email newsletter by Peter Hanley
