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

Keep Your Paragraphs Short and Don’t Overstate Your Point

If you break up a single paragraph, say, 11 lines long into approximately three separate paragraphs, the chunk of text won’t look so impassable when the reader gives it his or her first quick glance (and it will be quick, so don’t scare them away by making it look like they need the mental readiness for “War and Peace”).

While you want your paragraphs short and sweet, they also most flow nicely into one another. If you express a simple idea in one paragraph, as well as one thought per sentence, there is no need to find alternate ways to say the same thing. A common practice is to make a point then restate it in someone else’s words. In a newsletter, space is tight, your writing should be, too.

Suggested Editorial Content

Internal and external newsletters serve different purposes. Providing a good mix of articles from the topics listed below will ensure your newsletter is a hit with employees, clients or customers.

Message from the president (editor, sales manager, etc.)
Profile training programs
Company activities articles and photos
Community involvement and awards/volunteer opportunities
Focus column on departments
Company history
Calendar of industry events in your region or across the country
Ongoing glossary of industry terms
Descriptions of career paths and internships in your field
Company appearances at trade shows/conventions
Non-competing resource list
Spotlight articles on associations that represent your industry
Environmental or recycling changes made by your firm
Profile of a subscriber or partner
Profile of a customer
Profile new employees or new departments
Behind the scenes spotlight
Resource list, i.e. Web sites, white papers or training opportunities
“Winner Circle” to recognize the success of customers
Industry trends spotlighting something new
Reader survey with subscribers input posted in subsequent issues
Conference coverage reporting noteworthy conference sessions
Testimonials from customers
Quiz game or trivia game with prizes awarded for correct answer
Editorials on the state of the industry from “big names” in the field
Technological updates in your field
Books by and about your field
Cartoons or customized comic strips

Newsletters — Get Results and Get Through the Gatekeeper

Improve Your Results with the Eight Secrets of Successful Marketing Newsletters

An effective marketing newsletter generates a positive response from readers, enhances your organization's image and, above all, boosts your organization's bottom line.

To ensure that your publication accomplishes all three goals, follow these basic guidelines:

Educate and Inform
Provide readers with information that helps them make sound decisions. Talk is cheap — education has value.

Avoid Fluff and Nonsense
Factual information wins customers' confidence and respect, which in turn encourages repeat business. Yet each fact you include should support your newsletter's underlying marketing goal.

Emphasize the Benefits to Your Readers
Readers will care more about the information in your newsletter when they see a benefit. For example, stories about how specific customers save money or solve difficult problems will move readers more than simply reporting that a new feature "is more cost effective" or describing the increased stress tolerance of a new manufacturing device. Including a photo of a customer will help readers identify with the message even more.

Target Features to Reader Interests
In addition to increasing the publication's appeal, such features help build credibility for your newsletter by demonstrating a willingness to address "hot topics" or immediate concerns. You can identify appropriate topics by asking salespeople what objections they encounter most frequently, listing concerns that customers have expressed, and reading letters to the editor in other industry publications.

Practice Moderation with Personnel Stories
A photo and a couple of paragraphs will help readers "get to know" the people who make up your organization. After that, you're probably wasting space that would be better devoted to information that is more practical.

Create Designs and Layouts Appropriate for Your Industry
Above all, make sure your newsletter is accurate and easy to read. Remember, you're trying to convey information effectively, not create an artistic masterpiece.

Don't Combine Your Marketing and In-House Newsletters to Hold Down Budget
Just as a "man can't serve two masters," a newsletter can't effectively accomplish two such different goals. If you can't afford both types of newsletters, just do the marketing publication. When your marketing newsletter succeeds, you'll probably get the money you need for the internal version.

Defining Your External Publication Needs

Newsletters serve vital functions that set them apart from other forms of marketing or advertising. Because they’re perceived as news, external and internal newsletters are cost-effective tools that can help you strengthen and advance your company’s communication goals. Following are some questions to help you get started by defining your external publication needs.

What are the goals of this newsletter?

What will the newsletter promote?

What features and benefits will influence the reader?

How and where do you find new customers now?

How do you retain customers?

How does your competition approach marketing? What competitive advantages exist?

What department will be involved in creating the newsletter?

What approvals are required for articles and regular columns?

Who will take responsibility for final sign off of your newsletter?