Mickie E KennedyHave you ever received a newsletter from a company and wondered who they were writing to? Many companies send them out willy nilly without regard for the audience, their knowledge level, or their interests. These useless newsletters then get put in the spam folder or the recipient will unsubscribe from your list. Neither one of these situations is desirable after you and your employees have spent time building up your company and your contact list.
How can you make your newsletter stand apart though? What is the best way to reach your audience and keep them engaged? Let’s go through these 5 tips to get you started.
1. The Topic—A great topic is crucial. Of course, you want to keep customers updated regarding your services and products, but you always want to give them information they can use. Choose a topic that will answer frequently asked questions or solves a problem. Or write about something that they can apply to their life. A key component of this is choosing a topic that won’t become outdated and irrelevant over time. Try to pick subjects where the information will (almost) always be useful.
2. Uniquely You—Newsletters have a tendency to look the same and feature the same content, but not yours. Choose a fresh design and write your own original content to stand out from the pack. Your customers will thank you for not cluttering their inbox with the same old stuff.
3. Proofread—Remember to proofread and then go back and proofread again. Better yet, have a fresh pair of eyes take a look at what you’ve written. It is surprising at how many mistakes are overlooked when you’ve been staring at the computer screen for hours.
4. Break It Up—Long blocks of text bore your customer just as much as they bore you. It’s reminiscent of studying textbooks and not a good look for a newsletter. Use bullet points, bold text, subheadings and textboxes to break up the words on the screen.
5. Regularity—One of the surest ways to build a loyal readership is to send out regular newsletters. Set a date on the calendar and give yourself enough time in your work week to get them done. The regularity will encourage new subscribers and keep your current subscribers eagerly awaiting the next release.
Another thing you might consider doing is surveying your audience. Find out what they’d like to know more about and tailor your newsletters to their interests. Remember that a newsletter is not just a time to advertise. You are building a relationship with your readers and you want to give them valuable information that they can use.
As a way to encourage participation, offer a discount or giveaway for signing up or as a prize for answering a question correctly. It could be something as simple as a 20% discount on a future service or a free product in the mail.
Is your newsletter still giving you trouble? Let us know some of the issues in the comments.
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