TOP 10 Reasons You Should Have a Newsletter

Happy clients and satisfied customers convey that message to their friends and business associates, and that presents a good image for YOU. Because newsletters generally are read by many more people than just those who initially receive them, your good image will be widespread.

A newsletter:

1) Is the most effective, most attractive way of getting your message to your current and potential clients.

2) Provides valuable information about your business and services.

3) Are relevant, timely and welcome, and remind your clients that you are concerned about their interests.

4) Restate the benefits your clients receive by doing business with you.

5) Are a dignified subtle way to promote your business.

6) Give your clients and prospects the opportunity to find out what they may want to know via Q & A columns.

7) Are a good way to introduce new services and products to current and potential clients.

8) Are a welcome handout at meetings and seminars.

9) Are not canned and impersonal and perceived as junk mail.

AND

10) Demonstrate the performance, reliability and consistency of YOU and your company.

Stationary versus Stationery

When something is standing still, it’s stationary. That piece of paper you write a letter on is stationery.


Let the “E” in “stationery” remind you of “envelope.”

Download Our Proofreaders Marks

Proofreading Marks

The Value of a Custom Publication

Traditional advertising promotes a brand. Custom media campaigns take brand building a step further by creating an emotional connection between a company and their customer.

“A 2005 Custom Publishing Council study conducted by Roper Public Affairs found that 85% of all consumers said that they would rather get information through an interesting collection of articles than through an ad. And 75% feel that custom publications show a company’s interest in building good relationships with them.”

Promo Magazine, January 2007

VALUE AND BENEFITS OF A NEWSLETTER:

• Increases name recognition

• Promotes customer loyalty and increases referrals

• Creates an opportunity for a company or organization to make existing clients aware of additional products and/or services

• Generates continual feedback from the customer through an open dialogue

PRINTED NEWSLETTERS:

• Get through the “gate-keeper”

• Have a high retention rate based on perceived value – do not get discarded (newsletters are perceived as news not advertising)

• Newsletters get passed on to an average of 2 to 3 people

• Usually, the newsletter has the highest readership in terms of content versus other marketing material

ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTERS:

• Properly executed – electronic newsletters will get through spam filters

• HTML newsletter will be read based on an effective design and layout with articles of perceived value

• If prepared and delivered on a timely basis the newsletter will realize an increased readership rating

“Custom publishing marries the marketing ambitions of a company with the information needs of its target audience. This occurs through the delivery of editorial content — via print, Internet, and other media — so intrinsically valuable that it moves the recipient’s behavior in a desired direction.”

-Custom Publishing Council

Increase Your Readership

Dear Big Client,

I reviewed the statistics you sent me for your newsletter and put together some ideas that might help to increase readership.

Your e-Newsletter is a way to show what you can truly offer as a professional in your field, not just sell a service or product. Your e-Newsletter shows that you are a source of information on new trends and an expert in your field.

A newsletter is not just about measuring the ROI of every issue. Nor should a newsletter even be expected to pay for itself with every issue. The role of the newsletter is to engage your readers and hold their attention for years to come. When you interact with your readers, you have a huge impact on their loyalty and the amount of attention they give your publication. There are also a number of ways you can introduce interactive elements to your newsletter.

The return on this investment comes when a newsletter recipient needs to make a purchase. He or she will have options to choose from. And if he or she has been reading your newsletter for months or even years, then you have an advantage.

Satisfied newsletter subscribers are more likely to choose your company, simply because you have held their attention and built confidence and trust in your products or services. You become the obvious or even the only choice.

Once you have built a list of thousands or tens of thousands of subscribers, you will have created a remarkable asset. That is to say, you will have tens of thousands of highly qualified prospects who trust you, listen to you and are willing to follow your advice and recommendations.

• Make your list 100% opt-in with a sign up form on your Web site. When you have a newsletter, it’s tempting to choose tactics that will grow your list as fast as possible. However, the long-term results of such a tactic are almost always negative.

• Include surveys in each issue. Not everyone will participate, but many will. And be sure to share the results in your next issue. People will look forward to reading about the results. Over time you will find the survey results will teach you a great deal about your readers and their core interests. It is a good way to get feedback and to steer your publication forward in a direction that is of interest to your most engaged readers.

• Invite readers to ask questions. The “ask the expert” feature is one used successfully in many newsletters. Invite people to send in their questions, but also make it clear you can answer only one or two questions per issue. People will understand that. One thing you can be sure about: Everyone who sends in a question will open and read the next issue. Also, every one of your subscribers will appreciate that you have taken the time to answer the question and that you are really there — a living, breathing human being.

E-newsletters build relationships over time. While promotional e-mails are designed to solicit immediate responses, the unique strength of a newsletter is its ability to address a growing list of interested customers and prospects over a period of years. While newsletters can certainly include links, which might lead to immediate sales, the editorial content of a good newsletter is created with a view to retaining your subscribers’ attention and loyalty over the long term.

The primary responsibility and purpose of a newsletter is to retain the attention of this growing group of subscribers and to position your company as the expert they can trust most when it comes to making a purchase.

Much like a branding campaign, this long-term focus can make it tricky to measure the precise return on investment. But many organizations have found it’s more than worth the time and energy it takes to produce it.

Call if you want to discuss any of the topics in more detail.

Cassie Maher

Vice President, The Newsletter Factory

770-955-1600 ext. 101

25 Reasons Why You Should Have a Newsletter

 Newsletters:


1. Greatly enhance your image and reputation.

2. A newsletter is the most effective, most attractive way of getting your message to your current and potential clients.

3. Provide valuable information about your business and your services.

4. Are relevant, timely and welcome, and remind your clients that you are concerned about their interests.

5. Re-state the benefits your clients receive by doing business with you.

6. Are a very dignified, subtle way to promote your business.

7. Present a professional, winning image to current and potential clients.

8. Demonstrate the permanence, reliability and consistency of YOU and your company.

9. Display your willingness to serve others.

10. Reward clients by featuring stories about them.

11. Are a good way to introduce new staff, services and products to current and potential clients.

12. Say something good about you on a regular and frequent basis.

13. Give YOU added exposure, thereby increasing your chances for new business.

14. Are not canned and impersonal like junk mail.

15. Are a welcome handout at meetings and seminars.

16. Present YOU in the best possible light to clients and prospects.

17. Educate your clients in a non-threatening way.

18. Improve relations with You and your clients.

19. Motivate clients and prospects by rewarding them for achievements, such as client or prospect of the month.

20. Feature client activities both on and off the job, promoting a happy atmosphere.

21. Give your clients and prospects the opportunity to find out what they may want to know via Question & Answer columns.

22. Promote camaraderie among your clients and prospects.

23. Showcase awards that you or A FEATURED CLIENT, or individual, has won.

24. A great way to present informal news about changes in legislation, etc. to your clients and prospects

AND ONE MORE REASON ...

NEWSLETTERS GIVE YOU GOOD COMMUNITY PR

Happy clients and satisfied customers convey that message to their friends and business associates, and that presents a good image for YOU. Because newsletters generally are read by many more people than just those who initially receive them, your good image will be widespread.

Maximize Your Sales Efforts Through the 3 Steps of Relationship Selling

While sales are the lifeline of any business, the best sales approach during any economy does not involve a complex or abstract theory, but is based on the concept of simply doing right by your customers and proving that you are their ally in solving their problems. Relationship selling is the means of developing this bond and is built on a three-step process of knowing you, liking you and then trusting you.

“People don’t buy from companies, they buy from people — people they trust,” said Ken Hilderhoff, president of Premier Marketing Resources. “Relationship selling begins with the first contact. Potential clients first have to know you, then they have to like you. Only if you accomplish the first two steps will you have the opportunity to gain their trust.”

Potential clients make the decision of wanting to get to know you pretty quickly – in about 10 seconds. Just think of your last cold call — the response you received after your introduction line probably gave you the indication of whether or not that person wanted to hear more about your product or service.

Part of the getting to know and like you process involves demonstrating your trustworthy character and letting your clients know that they mean more to you than just the sale at hand. By really listening to their needs and offering products or services tailored to those needs, you’ll build their confidence in you as a caring and trusted resource for solving their problems.

A solution-oriented approach to selling, relationship selling adds to your overall value proposition. And the value you bring to the relationship will ultimately make the difference in your future with the client.

Pave the Road to Future Sales with Your Reputation and Reliability

Relationship selling is a long-term investment in your company’s future. While you may not always make a sale right away, the nurturing that you do now will make for an easier sale down the road, and also repeat business and referrals. Relationship selling is a two-way association in which your reputation will be working for you nonstop.

Once the prospect has become a client, follow up after each sale to make sure the client is happy with the product or service. Not only will it help you solve problems in their early stage, it will also provide an opportunity to determine any additional needs they may have.

Maintaining the relationship in between sales is critical, and each contact should not involve a sales attempt. Foster goodwill through regular contact by providing clients with tickets to sporting events or concerts, or simply take them out to lunch occasionally.

Although your company may be not be the least expensive option in your area of expertise, offering a product or service based on the principles of relationship selling will make you the best value.