According to Inc. magazine, there are 100 million newsletters published in the United States today. That’s a lot of ink, and for good reason. Newsletters are an extremely effective marketing tool.
Stop for a moment and consider the many and varied entities that publish newsletters: hospitals, libraries, schools, high-tech corporations, animal shelters, consultants, designers ... the list goes on. Regardless of whether you deal in information or iguanas, you doubtless have plenty to say about your business, and plenty of people to say it to. More than brochures, more than advertising, certainly more than cold calls, newsletters are the way to say what’s on your mind.
Newsletters work for the following reasons:
• They’re timely, so they set you up as an expert in your industry.
• Their primary intent is to inform, not advertise. This means they are more likely to be read, valued, and kept by their recipient.
• Because they’re distributed regularly, newsletters provide an ongoing way to keep in touch with your market.
Newsletters are fairly easy to produce -- the main components being writing, design, layout, production and mailing. Depending on your skills, computer capabilities, the amount of free time you have, your energy level and the size of your mailing list, you may be able to handle the entire job yourself. More likely, you’ll probably have to enlist help to at least some degree. A freelance writer can take care of the writing while a graphic designer can handle the layout. Even if you have a top-of-the-line laser printer, you’ll most likely want to find a good commercial printer to take care of production -- especially if you have a substantial mailing list. A printer can also take care of collating, folding, and stapling for an extra charge.
Your newsletter can be can be as simple as a single-page with black ink printed on white paper, or as elaborate as a full-color, multi-paged, saddle-stitched mini-magazine. Your newsletter’s feel, what’s in it and how it appears should mesh with your marketing goals and budget. A graphic designer or printer can help you pick out a paper stock, color scheme and typefaces that work with your business image.
The newsletter’s content is limited only by your imagination, but strive to make it meaningful. Your newsletter may be a promotional tool, but it shouldn’t look like one. Include articles that are informative or entertaining. Strive for readability by including a mix of brief pieces, longer articles and graphics. A well-designed layout should take the reader smoothly from one page to the next.
Make your newsletter available to clients, prospects, colleagues, vendors and the press. If you send it regularly to the media, they’ll begin to view you as a resource, someone to call when they need an expert opinion or insider’s view. To encourage this, include a media advisory in your newsletter announcing your availability as a source, and your willingness to send out products for review.
You’ll probably want to send your newsletter free to customers and prospects, but if the content is weighty enough, you can charge others for a subscription. If you decide to offer your newsletter by subscription, do some market research to learn how similar newsletters are priced.
If you’re using the newsletter strictly as a marketing tool, you’re best off distributing it free-of-charge. You can get down to business by including a clip-out order form for products you offer. In my four-page newsletter, Marketability, for instance, I often add a single-sheet insert from which readers can order my resource guides and audio programs, my specialty ties and a variety of products designed to help small-business owners make a memorable impression on their clients.
But remember, the focus of your newsletter is to tell, not sell. If you produce a well-written, nicely designed newsletter that informs your readers on a regular basis, the sales will follow naturally.
