As technology and social networking have evolved, the e-newsletter has become a more and more common way to communicate with groups of people. Although the e-newsletter offers many conveniences, it comes with a huge set of challenges. The state of e-communication being what it is, the average person gets slews of emails each day. The last thing prospects want to do is read your latest and greatest pitch.
It is no surprise, then, that most e-newsletters end up in the e-trash. E-newsletters lack a personal touch, but—let's be real—they are really convenient. They're so convenient that we must find a way to keep them from ending up in the trash. Here are some methods to help you send out e-newsletters that get read instead of recycled:
- Get a game plan. Identify your niche, frequency and audience. With your niche in mind, set your marketing strategy and stick to it throughout the newsletter. Stay consistent. Figure out how often you want to send out the newsletter (quarterly, monthly, etc.). Identify your audience and use that knowledge to generate the answers to questions regarding content and frequency. Don't start putting together the newsletter until you have a long-term game plan in place.
- Content. Your e-newsletter needs to display creativity, be something different. People are tired of seeing the same old marketing ploys that go on and on. Allow the content to really thrive throughout the newsletter. If writing isn't your strong suit, hire a freelance writer. Keep the content short, to the point and, most of all, make it different and unique.
- Grab the reader's attention. When recipients go through their emails, they tend to delete those with spam-like subject lines. Your subject line may determine whether or not your newsletter is read. Avoid too-good-to-be-true lines, such as, "Stay at home and make $8,000 per month working part time!" Instead, perhaps ask a question, such as, "Have you ever thought about working from home?"
- Promote. Now that you have a unique, to-the-point, informative newsletter, it's time to promote it. Promotional ideas may vary depending on your audience. Some popular strategies include putting links on your website that direct readers to the articles or allowing individuals to sign up on your website to become a recipient.
There's no need to be resistant to e-newsletters. They are cost effective and actually preferred by many people. A little creativity coupled with a solid game plan will take your newsletter from dismissed spam to an excellent marketing tool.
