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The e-newsletter can be a key ingredient in your corporate marketing mix.
By Michael Astrachan
The e-newsletter - company or industry information sent by e-mail on a regular
basis - has become a standard tactic in the marketing toolkit of many small
businesses. Why? Because, when executed properly, e-newsletters can help build
loyalty among current customers, generate new leads from prospective customers
and reinforce your company's brand. Following are some tips and guidelines for
developing and deploying an effective e-newsletter campaign.
Develop a Strategy
It is important to determine what the marketing objective of your e-newsletter
initiative is before you begin your effort. Some possible options are customer
lead generation, retention of your current customers, higher dollar sales or
promoting a specific kind of product or service offering. Developing a solid
marketing strategy will help you determine the focus of the content of your
e-newsletter campaign and will move you closer to achieving your objectives.
Planning Your Campaign
Once you have determined your strategy, spend some time planning the editorial
framework of your newsletter campaign. First, determine how frequently you are
going to distribute your e-newsletter. From this point, you can develop article
topics for each issue that will complement one another and help you meet your
marketing objective. Developing an editorial calendar is an effective way to
plan out your e-newsletters and to create editorial continuity between each
issue.
HTML vs. Plain Text
When it comes to designing your e-newsletter, HTML or plain text are the
primary formats to choose from. Like a Web page, HTML e-newsletters can contain
text and graphics with links to stories or pages of your corporate Web site.
Plain text looks much like a typical e-mail message with additional formatting
and hyperlinks to stories.
If you choose to develop an HTML e-newsletter, it is important to create
continuity between the graphic design of your e-newsletter and your other
corporate marketing materials, such as brochures or sales pieces. This approach
will help create brand consistency across your offline and online marketing
channels and help you build a stronger overall marketing effort.
Format plain text newsletters using text and dashed rules. ASCII dashes
separate stories and advertising if used. Like HTML newsletters, plain text
e-newsletters contain hyperlinks that take the user to story content or
external Web sites for additional information.
As with your corporate Web site, usability is important for either format.
Creating a hierarchy of information, much like a traditional publication, is an
effective way to lead the reader through your newsletter. A sidebar is a good
way to showcase short bits of information, such as user polls and frequently
asked questions or industry statistics.
Content Is King
When writing for your newsletter, be sure to keep your business objectives in
mind. Develop informational benefit-driven copy that will offer your readers
information to further their business goals, and perhaps even prompt them to
forward the issue to a friend or save it for future reference.
As part of this planning process, try making a list of topics and scale the
list down until you have a suitable amount for your issue. Potential article
categories might include customer success stories that highlight the positive
impact your product or service has had on their business, interviews with
industry experts, how-to articles about your product or service, or
contributions from experts inside your company.
As with traditional publications, a table of contents is important for
organizing your e-newsletter's hierarchy. Depending on the nature of your
business, you might consider selling advertising or sponsorships as a way to
support your editorial.
Building Your List
If you have an "in-house" e-mail list, this is a good place to start when
building your e-newsletter mailing list. Give the people on this list an
opportunity to opt-in to the newsletter list. This valuable asset will give you
a great foundation on which to build. Another effective way to grow your e-mail
list is through your Web site. Providing visitors to your Web site the ability
to opt-in via a sign up box is an effective way to collect names. Other
list-building techniques include trade shows and direct mail campaigns.
Distribution and Timing
There are a variety of tools and service providers to choose from when
selecting a way to deliver your newsletter and manage your list. One such
example is Constant Contact.
Constant Contact is a Web-based service that allows you to create and manage
your newsletter campaign through a set of online tools. This service allows you
to upload and manage your list, including the tracking of bounces. From a
design standpoint, this application, like others, allows you to develop and
deliver your newsletter. If you have a custom design, this software will
accommodate that as well.
Make sure to allow yourself enough time to plan and distribute your
publication. An industry rule of thumb is four to five days for developing and
deploying your first issue, and two to three days for subsequent issues. With
careful planning and implementation, your e-newsletter campaign will become an
integral part of your marketing communications mix.
Michael Astrachan is president of Astrachan Inc., a full-service interactive
marketing and business solutions company. You can contact him at
mikea@astrachan.com or at (816) 363-3287 or by visiting
www.astrachan.com. This article first appeared in the Kansas
City Small Business Monthly.
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816.363.3287