EDITORIAL | MARKETING
DEAR, JOHN, YOUR NEWSLETTER
STINKS!
STEPHANIE DALE
Managing Partner DMC Advertising Group
Do you ever wish you could say that to the numerous email newsletters that flood your inbox?
Usually they are the ones that are completely irrelevant to your business or your interests( they are so boring they could be used as sleep medication). I can guarantee you probably take the polite quiet option of clicking on the delete button- the author has no idea that you have been completely underwhelmed by their communication.
The last thing you want, when preparing your own company e-newsletter, is to fall into this category. I understand your situation, you are under pressure to write some form of on-going communication so you fall back on the tried and true formula of providing information about your products and services and general company updates. You feel that this should be sufficient to meet the needs of your subscribers, or, at the very least, have the task ticked off your‘ to do’ list for another month.
Sadly, your communication ends up being bland and generic, often with irrelevant material sent out to a database that has been compiled without any planned segmentation or thought. And the result? Exactly as you would expect- below par, disappointing click through rates, little or no engagement and a high rate of unsubscribes.
What impact is this having on your reputation in the marketplace? How are your subscribers feeling about your relationship with them? Quite possibly you are inadvertently creating a negative result that can be avoided with some careful forethought.
There are, however, some fabulous success stories; newsletters that are eagerly awaited on an almost daily basis. The question is, what separates the triumphs from the tragedies? How do you ensure your email newsletter is successful?
Before we even try to define the answer to this elusive question, let’ s first determine exactly what an email newsletter is, and what it definitely is not.
An email newsletter is a communication tool that informs, educates, provides latest product and services news, industry updates, or general company information. It should include a variety of content, such as surveys, educational information about your product range, service or industry, promotions, case studies and other offers.
Conversely, an email newsletter must not be a brash bold selling tool designed solely to promote your current sale or promotion, a summary of content you’ ve previously published, a lead generating tool( although leads may develop as a side effect), or a transactional email providing order information or prompting a customer to complete a purchase.
These emails serve a completely different purpose and, although important elements in your communication tool kit, they should not be confused with a newsletter style communication – the two are completely separate.
So, now we have that straight, let’ s look at why you should send a newsletter and how it can benefit your business goals.
We’ ve all been in the same position— the challenge of how to generate more leads, increase sales and maintain customer engagement. We sit with our teams endlessly discussing the pros and cons of various options. And then suddenly, someone has a light bulb moment;‘ let’ s do an email newsletter!’
You look around, everybody is looking at you and you realise it’ s up to you – you are the chosen one. The proverbial monkey has been passed to your unknowing shoulders and now it’ s your responsibility to research content and ensure that it is a brilliantly written piece of marketing magic that has the readers flocking to your door.
Even though email newsletters are one of the most common types of emails to send, they are actually one of the hardest to produce effectively. There is so much to consider. You need a mix of different types of content about different parts of your business- a variety of elements that will grab the attention of different types of subscribers. And, you need to do it quickly and effectively with a good call to action.
Don’ t be put off, this certainly doesn’ t mean you should be daunted about doing them. When your newsletter is well researched and well written it takes on a life of its own and will create a greater sign up rate, which inevitably means more opportunity to increase business. Once the relationship is established, you have an open door with which to communicate with your subscribers, to engage with them in a meaningful and relevant manner, to treat them as individuals not just a mass database of names and email addresses.
One thing to be aware of, however, is that not everyone needs a newsletter. In fact, most people will actively avoid reading newsletters – they are time poor and treat unessential emails with disdain and a cursory click of the delete button. Perhaps you don’ t have the time or resources to devote to the creation of a worthwhile communication tool either. Or, your newsletter might be brilliantly successful and act as an important part of your marketing strategy.
Here’ s how to determine if you should have a newsletter:
For more information, contact Stephanie Dale on 02 9912 4400, email sdale @ dmcadvertisinggroup. com. au or visit www. dmcadvertisinggroup. com. au
10 Winter 2017