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10 'Must Haves' for a Successful e-Newsletter

A creative, non-invasive way of reaching your current clients and building your prospect base at little or no cost.

E-Newsletters, or e-zines, are a great marketing tool for any business and a fantastic way to educate prospects on what you offer while positioning your expertise and including offers that invite response.

A well-crafted newsletter no only provides useful information to subscribers on a consistent basis, but it is also a valuable marketing tool that allows you to enter their lives regularly and get your name and products/services in front of them without the heavy sell.

The following contains a list of must-haves from the beginning to the end of your newsletter, and everything in between. 

First and foremost, you e-newsletter must have a...

1. Subject Line

Your newsletter's headline, otherwise known as the subject of the e-mail, is responsible for 50-75% of its success. Other than who the e-mail is from, it is what your reader sees first. Without a successful headline, your e-mail is destined for the trashcan and then you've missed a golden opportunity to reach clients and prospects with your message. Writing a good headline is tricky and something people spend years learning and practicing. That being said, there are a few keys to a successful headline that I'd like to share with you.

a) Appeal to your reader's self interests. Provide a benefit to your reader and make it personal. A headline can be tailored to any industry and what your readers are interested in learning about.

b) Make it newsworthy. Headlines using the words 'new', 'now', 'finally', 'announcing' and 'latest' give the reader a sense of newsworthiness so they want to read it.

c) Appeal to your reader's emotions. Fear, pride, insecurity, curiosity, love, happiness, boredom, laziness and altruism are among the top emotions you can use to motivate your readers to open your newsletter. "How to Ask Your Boss for a Raise" would be a good title for a staffing company because it appeals to the readers curiosity. Another curiosity-driven headline might be "10 Questions You Should Never Ask a Prospective Client".

One last thing to remember about headlines: Make them believable. Nothing gets deleted faster than an outrageous and unbelievable headline.

2. Volume Number and Date

It may seem obvious, but one thing that is consistently overlooked in e-newsletter publication is the volume number and date.

Every newsletter you send should have a volume number and date.  Consistency is key to establishing yourself and your business as a reliable and credible source of information; the kind of company your customers will return to time and time again.

Additionally, by providing a consistent publication date and volume, you give your readers a method to archive and or search when they’re hunting through old issues for the amazing content you have supplied them with.

3. Theme

Each newsletter you put out to the world should have a consistent theme running throughout.  Regardless of whether you have one article or 10, they should be linked with your theme, and your theme should be referenced in the headline.

For example, a doctor's office might run an issue with the theme of fighting the flu just before flu season.  The newsletter might contain articles pertaining to it and on such things as diet, supplementation and inoculations.  Similarly, they could offer a theme on allergies in early spring.

A restaurant might highlight specific ingredients, time-saving tips in the kitchen or upcoming seasons and holidays.  The articles could reference menu items or recipes that they use as marketing tie-ins.

An auto repair shop might address tune-ups in one issue and preparing for summer vacations in the next.  They could talk about braking: how to brake, different types of brakes, when to replace brakes, common problems with brakes, etc.

You get the picture.  Every industry has a specific client population with specific needs and interests.  If you stick with the interests and needs of your customer your newsletter can become a powerful sales and educational tools for your business. 

4. Valuable Information

Your newsletter must contain useful information.  Content is key!  Even if your newsletter contains an editorial piece, you need to give your readers something valuable.  We're a nation hungry for information.  Non-fiction consistently outsells fiction in the bookstores.  Information is in high demand; valuable information ‚ not garbage. 

And as far as information goes, nothing is better than free, helpful information delivered on a consistent basis!  According to a recently published article by the Newsletter & Electronic Publishers Association (www.newsletters.org) , publishers need high-value content to reach readers and advertisers.  The article advises publishers to talk with their clients at all times, survey readers and know their needs. 

Remember: Editorial quality is just as important for a free newsletter as it is for a subscription newsletter.

5. An Option for Reader Feedback

Including an option for reader feedback in a newsletter is a good way to build your community and add content that is of interest to your readers.  It not only lets you know what the readers are responding to, but it encourages participation and people, whether they admit it or not, like to see their names in print. 

A simple feedback form occasionally included in the newsletter or a more consistent ‚'Dear Abby' type of column, in which readers ask questions and you (as the expert) answer them, is the easiest way to include this feature.

6. An Offer

Besides endearing your clients and prospects to you and your company, the main purpose of an e-Newsletter is to build your business, or in other words, SELL.  Don‚'t let a single issue go by without some kind of offer; a click through to your web site, a coupon, a new product for sale in your store or on your Web site or an inside sale.  Links to more information; a click here to register option or a registration form right in the newsletter are other possibilities. 

Tie the offer into your theme with a good headline, and you have a sure hit! 

7. A Link to Your Web Site

Again, the reason for your newsletter is to sell your product or service.  If you don't have at least one link to your Web site, you're not giving the newsletter the chance to do its job. 

If you don't have a web site, get one. (BrightWay can help with that!)  No matter what your business, a Web presence is a necessity for your business to grow.  From basic business information like hours and staff information to newsletter archives and products, a Web site gives your customers a place to go when they're not with you.  To put it simply, a Web presence expands and embraces your customer community, and it provides one more way to build that all important know-like and trust relationship that drives sales.  People buy from people they know-like-and trust! 

Links to your Web site in your newsletter provide not only a tool to sell, but they're also great tools for realizing the effectiveness of your Web site because they're measurable.

8. Viral Marketing

Viral marketing is a term used by marketing specialists that simply means encouraging current customers and prospects to share your message with their colleagues and friends. 

Viral Marketing is free for you. 

A simple message consistently included in each and every newsletter, preferably in the same place each time, that encourages recipients for forward you newsletter to friends, family and colleagues is all you need.  The bonus is: there is an implied endorsement of your services to recipients of your forwarded newsletter.

9. An Opt Out

Although an e-newsletter is a great source for building your opt-in database, you must provide your recipients an option to 'opt out'.  No one likes to be trapped into receiving an unwanted e-mail.  A simple 'Click here to unsubscribe' will suffice.  Be sure to make good on all opt-out requests to avoid angering and alienating clients and prospects.

Be sure also to make it a practice never to send emails to anyone without their permission.  In other words, send them an invitation email 'inviting them' to receive your newsletter and then send it.  It is highly annoying to meet someone or visit a website and suddenly find your in-box full of newsletters and bulletins you never asked for. 

Your email service provider may even ban you if you consistently send emails without permission and they receive complaints.  It's best to err on the side of caution and get permission first before sending.

10. Signature

An e-newsletter signature isn't your signed name at the bottom of each message, though it can be.  In direct mail, a signature is your company information and a possible disclaimer listed at the bottom of the page.  Think footer, if you're familiar with word processing.  A signature could look something like this:

All material on this site is provided for information only and may not be construed as medical advice or instruction.

It is important to have a signature for several reasons:

1. Consistency
2. Ease of Use (if the reader prints out the newsletter, your contact information is readily available)
3. Professional appearance
4. Another opportunity (for your client/prospect to contact you by clicking on y our Web link or e-mail link)
5. Possible legal protection.

Summary

There are an abundance of tips to improve the effectiveness of your e-newsletter, but the ten (10) basics highlighted here are vital to produce an effective, high-quality marketing newsletter that your readers will value and enjoy and your business will prosper from.

If you'd like to start a newsletter program for your company, BrightWay offers an affordable newsletter program, where we do everything ‚ or we can help you on a consulting basis with tool selection, setup, content creation and ongoing project management. Don't miss out on this valuable tool to market your business.  We have the expertise to make it effective for you.