Using Email Newsletters to Your Advantage, Part Two: Determine Your Goals

• Posted: May 20, 2010 by Stacey Abler/ Last modified: May 13, 2010

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Let me say right off the bat that a newsletter is not needed for every type of business. Some simply won’t have enough or the right kind of news to share with their customers. However, those businesses are few and far between. Let’s look at some common goals for developing a newsletter.

1. Increase Your Business

That is a rather obvious reason, don’t you think? While this is the underlying reason for almost every thing we do in customer relations and it should always be on the radar, it shouldn’t be your primary goal. Most customers (and potential customers) do not appreciate a hard sell. Unless it happens to be a coupon code for a discount, your newsletter should deliver value to your customers. If it is done right, it will add value to your business and your bottom line.

2. Stay Fresh in the Customer’s Mind

An email newsletter can be an excellent way to stay in touch with your customer base on a regular basis. In addition, it is generally much less expensive than a direct mail newsletter that is printed in full color. Sending a newsletter out on schedule can keep your business in front of the customer. As many in the advertising business know, the more exposures to a business that a customer has, the more likely they are to act on those exposures. However, it is also very important that while staying fresh in their mind, you are also known for delivering content that is useful to them. While seeing your name in their inbox may have minimal impact, actually reading through your newsletter will have more.

3. Teach Them About Your Business

Some businesses are more technical in nature and can use their newsletter as a learning tool. This is true for a range of businesses from medical professionals to web hosting companies. Do not assume that the customer knows every thing there is to know about your business and the services that you offer. Your newsletter can be used as a vehicle to educate your customer base about new services, different ways to use your services or even ways to optimize their current services with you.

4. Deliver Information about Specials, Sales and Coupons

The immediacy of an email newsletter campaign enables you to communicate last minute specials, sales and coupons with your customer base. If it is nearing the end of the month and sales figures are a little off, a quick email campaign advertising a coupon or special deal good only for the next 48 hours can bring in needed sales. This can be especially effective if it is advertised that this special or coupon is for newsletter patrons only. It delivers the value they are seeking and reinforces their decision to allow you into their email inbox.

5. Direct Traffic to Your Website or Blog

An email newsletter is more beneficial than a paper newsletter in one other important aspect – it allows you to include links. These links can be embedded throughout the newsletter to direct customers to a certain aspect of your site, a new product launch, a recent blog post or any thing else your little business heart desires. What’s more is that with the proper email campaign software, you can track how often the link was followed. This can give you insight into what the customers are interested in and help to tailor future communications with them.

Email newsletters provide an additional level of interaction with your customer base. They should certainly be a part of your overall marketing campaign. Stay tuned for the next part in our series – Choose an Email Newsletter Program.

Don’t miss the first part in the series – Developing a Business Email List.

Related posts:

1. Using Email Newsletters to Your Advantage, Part Five: Tips and Tricks
2. Using Email Newsletters to Your Advantage, Part Four: Choose Your Email Newsletter Content
3. Using Email Newsletters to Your Advantage, Part One: Develop a Business Email List
4. Using Email Newsletters to Your Advantage, Part Three: Choose an Email Newsletter Program