7 tips on how to achieve better newsletter results
With only 6 percent of people who “like” your Facebook page seeing your posts in their News Feeds (unless you pay) and this number shrinking, here is why e-newsletters and email marketing could be your next favourite promotional tool.
The number one reason why newsletters are effective is because they remind you to build your marketing GOLD. What is this marketing GOLD?
Your email list.
You can’t control Facebook and it’s costly to play. Plus you don’t own anything on Facebook. You do though own your email list – so treat it like the pot of gold that it is.
Here’s 3 reasons why:
- Low cost – when you collect an email address, add it to your list and use it keep in touch with your customers and prospects – no expense (just time) until you build up your database.
- High effect – the average open rate for emails is 22 percent by your customers and qualified leads – compared with 6 percent reach to Facebook fans who may not even be your target market.
- Low risk – you own your email list and no-one else controls it – it’s yours. You control your message, the timing of when it’s received and who sees it.
So, now you know why newsletters work – here’s 7 ways they could work for you:
1/ Generate sales leads
2/ Increase traffic to your website
3/ Communicate your promotional messages
4/ Tell people about your product or service
5/ Connect with your customers and prospects – get them to like you
6/ Build loyalty with your target market – gain their trust
7/ Boost your credibility – get them to respect you
Tips To Create A Newsletter:
Be helpful – your content must be useful or it won’t get read. Yes, it’s easier to write the promotional stuff you want people to know about, but think about it from your audience’s point of view if you want them to read it.
Tell stories – start with your story and your clients’ stories. As a wise friend told me: “Your story needs to connect with others so they can feel you.”
People don’t buy what you do – they buy why you do it! Start writing the words “I believe…” – then fill in the blanks to explain why you do what you do.
Be regular – commit to how often you will send your Newsletter and tell your audience. This creates expectation and trust. Stick to your schedule if you want your email marketing to work.
Use your own voice – write like you speak. Record yourself talking your content, then transcribe it. Your voice needs to show up in your writing so people recognise you as being authentic.
Use strong calls to action – ask your readers to do something specific. Tell them to click here and why. Use hyperlinks to your website. Ask them to reply to your email and why.
Write good subject lines – when MailChimp analysed more than 40 million emails sent by their users, they found the secret formula for subject lines:
Don’t write ‘sales-y’ – anything that even hints of spam gets thrown away immediately. Just describe the subject of your email. For instance – “(Your business name) Newsletter – April 2014”
Test before you send – it’s important to send a test email to check the formatting and layout of your email before you send it to your list. Some email marketing programs let you run an inbox inspection if you have lots of graphics so you can check how your email will appear in various email programs, browsers and on mobile devices.
Yes, newsletters and email marketing can be time consuming, but done right, they could be your number one marketing tool.
Remember to measure your results by checking your email marketing reports and your website analytics to see which links in your email worked best to drive traffic to your website. In the end, it’s about getting you more leads and sales.
Drop me a line if you would like to discuss your marketing needs. mike@golfindustrycentral.com.au We also provide Facebook support.
