But firstly, what is a Newsletter? Well it is as it seems a letter full of news related to you and your business!
Gone are the days when News was sent just via a blanked email approach ensuring that every email address was in the BCC area of the email, not in TO or CC fields! Who remembers sending email news out like that?
Now there are a number of online programs you can use to get your News out to your clients. The two top Newsletter platforms are:
Mailchimp
I love personally love Mailchimp with its easy to use drag and drop functionality and lots of applications which can be integrated into your use of Mailchimp. There is a free version and even the upgraded version is only $10 per month. I personally would recommend this to smaller business owners who can customise and brand their newsletter to market their business professionally.
Aweber
Although I do know a number of business owners who use Aweber, I personally have found this to be a lot more cumbersome and there is also no actual free version for you to use. However, Aweber also does integrate with a number of applications and does have some amazing landing pages you can create.
However, there are so many to choose from including Constant Contact, iContact, Campaign Monitor. You can see a greater list by clicking here:
http://www.capterra.com/email-marketing-software/
BUT I hear you ask yourself – why would I need to create another marketing channel – I already have my social media, my website and possibly your own blog!
Let me ask you – when you have a special offer or deal, or have started a new service or are offering a new product – how do you let everyone know about it?
The BIGGEST reason you need a Newsletter is – YOU NEED TO REACH EVERYONE! Yes, Everyone!
Remember not everyone is on Social Media and therefore they are probably not going to see your new product or realise that you now offer a service a potential client may be seeking!
You do however have email addresses and that means that you reach another level of potential customers to your special offer or new product/service.
Absolutely you should use your social media channels (ensuring that you do not oversell) to advise people of your discounts etc, and you should put details on your website.
Your Newsletter is another important (and sometimes under-used) marketing tool to send traffic back to your website and lead to bookings or sales.
Top 7 rules for your Newsletter!
- Never add people to your Newsletter lists without their consent. You can obtain this consent by asking when you meet with someone if they are happy to be on your newsletter list. If you do create a list and wish to send out to that list, without asking, then create a Double Opt-In initial email, or spell out clearly that you are happy for people to Unsubscribe.
- Always include your contact details and quick links so people can follow you on your social media, email you quickly and reach your website booking page. Always ensure the contact details in your email newsletter footer are up to date.
- Always use a snappy heading to engage the reader’s attention. Remember that your readers are probably receiving at least another 5 in the space of time when your email is sent.
- Use the space in the top area of a newsletter to grab attention to what is in your email. For example if you have a special offer lower in the email, tell the reader in the top of the email.
- Do not overload a Newsletter with text. Include images also remembering that some people are very visual!
- Don’t upset your clients and/or potential clients with too many newsletters. Ask them how many times they would be happy to receive news from you – for many it is once a month!
- Never send your newsletter on a Monday morning – everyone is just getting back into their weekly routines (business or personal). Tuesday mornings are generally the best time to send.
So will you be starting your Newsletter soon?
If you need help, please message me and let me know. I’d be happy to get you started.
©Hazel Theocharous
FB: @LearnGrowTransform
TW: @LGTtraining
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