Does Your Business Need a Newsletter

It costs less to cultivate existing customers than get new ones. A newsletter is a good way to show existing customers you care and can meet all their needs. The key to a successful newsletter for marketing is to concentrate on your customer, not your business.

Focus on information your customers want and need to know. What questions do your customers ask? An insurance agent might be asked how much insurance a customer needs A question a florist might hear is how to keep flowers fresh. A personal trainer might be asked how to eat to lose weight. The answer to each question is a newsletter article.

Avoid the hard sell. Your newsletter is a marketing tool, but don't hard sell your products and services. The objective is to provide valuable information so your customer comes back for more and begins to remember you when the customer needs what you have to offer.

Plan a stories 12 months ahead. You want customers to look forward to the newsletter, so plan on doing it for at least 12 months. Target stories to seasons and celebrations.

Get it right. Mistakes damage your credibility. Make sure everything is accurate, including grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. If you need help, hire a freelancer to edit your newsletter before you send it.

Remember the profile box. This is a section where you talk about your products and services. Who you are, what you offer, how to get in touch with you. Include your email and web addresses.

Paper or digital? Decide how you want to send your newsletter. Lots of companies are sending

electronic newsletters, so actually printing and mailing a paper newsletter can help you stand out in the crowd. If you go digital, you will need to research rules and laws regarding spam and privacy. The Can-SPAM Act of 2003 has rules for electronic newsletters. This law has many aspects, but generally, you:

·         Can send it only to people who have opted in or have indicated an interest in getting the

newsletter.

·         Cannot use email addresses from sources other than your own.

·         Must provide an easy option to unsubscribe and fulfill requests to unsubscribe within 10 days.

·         Must include your correct, physical address, your legitimate email address, a domain name, and an IP address.