Developing desirable newsletter content
Developing desirable newsletter content
When faced with composing a newsletter, some business owners believe they don’t have anything unique to say. They get writers block when they stare at a blank screen. They feel an e-newsletter has to be substantial and forma, but every business owner has something to say. It’s just the first page of the newsletter article that’s the hardest to get started.
- Decide what interests your audience. How do you go about finding out what your customers want to know?
- Look to your clients for topics. What do clients ask about when discussing business? What are the frequently asked questions? Offer valuable content to show your expertise and bring in revenue for their business.
- Observe what your customers read. The great thing about e-mail marketing is that everything is trackable. Once you get started with an e-newsletter, the reporting results will tell you who opened your newsletter and what action was taken.
- Ask for feedback. Provide your clients with a feedback link. What else would they like to learn about? It is not necessary to divulge your industry secrets and know-how in your e-newsletters. Offer free advice to bring people into your world and to convert readers into clients.
What you write about will depend on your business. Write about things people already know but need a refresher on and then leave them with something to think about. Teach them something. It is not necessary to be the world’s expert on a topic; just be your clients’ expert.
What things should you include in your newsletters?
Here are a few ideas:
- Features. Use a short feature. Tell a story. Use humor and keep it relevant to your business. Each feature should provide links to your website, where they can learn more about your company, products and services.
- Short items. Advice, Questions and Answers, Best Practices or useful information. If you are planning to use advertising, keep the ratio higher for articles and lower for advertising. Readers are interested in articles and will keep coming back for the information compared to the advertising ads
- Specials. Use your newsletter to offer special rates or services. Offer incentive for purchasing/signing a contract within a certain time frame.
- Industry updates. Talk about the latest regulation within your industry. This information will peak the interest of your readers and keep them coming back.
To stay ahead of the game, write down ideas when they come to you. Next time you sit down to work on a newsletter, the ideas will be waiting.