The recession has created difficult times for many small businesses and nonprofits. Their revenues are down, but at the same time they need to spend money to attract customers or clients. This marketing dilemma has made the benefits of e-newsletters more appealing than ever before.
If you own a small business or run a nonprofit, you should consider those benefits. What are the benefits of e-newsletters? Here are just a few:
- E-newsletters target an already receptive audience. Because the law stipulates that recipients must subscribe to the online newsletters, yours goes to people who are already interested in your products or message.
- E-newsletters let you increase revenues within your existing customer base. You can create discount coupons for your subscribers or target subgroups of subscribers with special offers tailored just for them.
- Because subscribers often forward their newsletters to friends, they can turn those friends into new customers or clients without your spending an extra cent to reach them.
- You can measure the effectiveness of each issue you send by seeing statistics such as how many people opened it and how many forwarded it.
- Online newsletters let you keep in touch with your customers.
- E-newsletters are less expensive and quicker to create, revise, and publish than printed newsletters.
- By clicking a link in the online newsletter, subscribers can go directly to your website to examine or order a product.
To be most effective, though, you should publish your e-newsletter regularly — perhaps monthly or quarterly.
Newsletter Content
Many people assume that e-newsletters are just about discounts and special offers. But they’re wrong. To be most effective, newsletter content must offer “added value” as well. That is, subscribers should learn something from what they read. Believe it or not, “added value,” will increase the popularity of your online newsletter and also increase sales.
What is “added value”? Here’s an example: Let’s say you own a high-end women’s clothing boutique. You could write a short article about one of the designers whose products you carry. Or you could talk about a recent fashion trend — which you just happen to carry. This content will keep the reader interested and make her want to open the next issue. These articles also will motivate subscribers to check out and buy your merchandise.
If your subscribers like what they read, they also will forward the e-newsletter to their friends as well.
Freelance Newsletter Writers
Effective newsletter writing is a skill. Not every small business owner or nonprofit director has that skill. And if they do have it, they might be too busy growing their business to use it on an e-newsletter. Many also don’t have a skilled newsletter writer on staff, either. Or if they do, the writer might be too busy with other projects.
If you don’t have the skill, time, or staff to devote to an e-newsletter, you can hire a freelance newsletter writer such as Dan Lutts, the Writer for All Seasons.
Besides writing content, Dan can provide other services connected with e-newsletters as well, such as:
- Designing a newsletter template
- Inserting the text and graphics into the issue
- Publishing the issue on third-party servers dedicated to broadcasting e-newsletters
- Maintaining your subscriber list
- Providing feedback on the effectiveness of each issue you send out
Dan also can make sure that your subscriber list follows the law.
If you’re interested, contact Dan today.
