I usually learn through trial and
error, but I find it much more pleasant
to learn from someone else’s mistakes.
So I offer you these lessons learned
through personal experience.
- Craft a good subject line.
I can’t emphasize this enough.
Think about how you filter through
your e-mail. You decide whether to
read a message based on one line.
The subject line for my first
newsletter was, “Brook Group’s
January Newsletter.” I was so naïve.
Hardly anyone read it.
Next I tried the clever approach.
“Are you making the right
impression?” and “Feel like you’re
herding cats?” These got a slightly
higher open rate, but still
under-performed compared to the
straight-forward and explanatory
approach.
The highest open rates result
from subject lines that are
straight-forward and informative.
For example, “Marketing Resources.”
Tell people what’s inside.
- Make it worth their while.
Give your readers something
valuable. You know your audience.
Develop the newsletter for them.
Don’t approach it with what you want
them to know.
People love free resources. They
want fresh, new information. They
like to hear from experts. Boring
your readers will get you nothing
but the delete button.
Every expert proposes a different
theory on the length and type of
newsletter content. Personally, I’ve
found that people appreciate brevity
and substance.
Don’t forget your newsletter can
be more than just text and graphics.
I included a link to a podcast in my
last newsletter. I’m working on a
video to include in a future issue.
Use the technology out there. It
will improve your click-through
rates.
- Make it a gateway.
How do I judge the success of my
newsletter? By my click-though rate.
How many people did it bring to my
Web site?
Just as your Web site should be
an acquisition engine for new
customers, a newsletter should drive
people to your site. My newsletters
contain the first paragraph of an
article with a link to my site to
read the rest.
- Make two versions.
People generally receive e-mail
as text or HTML. Use both for your
newsletter, and let people choose
which one they want to receive.
Assuming that your recipients want
one format or the other is bound to
alienate some of them.
- Use “opt-in” lists.
A cardinal newsletter rule is,
only send your newsletter to people
who ask for it. And now for
“Confessions of a Wayward Marketer.”
I don’t practice what I preach on
this one. My newsletter isn’t just
about being a resource. It’s a
gentle reminder that we’re still in
business.
It’s also a “soft sell” of our
services. I send it to everyone in
my address book, from old clients to
new prospects. This substantially
lowers my open rate, but it gets our
brand out into the world.
- Plan ahead.
My job responsibilities include
more than just sending out a
newsletter. I admit I’ve thrown one
together at the last minute. It took
me twice as long, though.
Like most things, by planning
ahead, you significantly reduce the
stress of the situation. I start
thinking about my newsletter three
months out.
By compiling ideas and writing a
little at a time, you ease the
dreaded writer’s block that hits the
week before release.
- Be consistent.
Newsletters take some
experimenting, but once you find a
format that works, stick with it.
Then, your readers know what to
expect and they can anticipate the
next issue. If you’ve found the
right style, your readers will look
forward to it.
- Be Yourself.
When I started writing
newsletters, I was afraid of my own
voice. It’s much safer to speak in
that dull corporate tone, but who
really wants to listen?
After subscribing to lots of
newsletters, I found that enjoyed
the ones with a personal flair. I
don’t mean write about your kid
starring in the school play, but
write like you’re actually speaking
to someone.
Leave the “marketese” and
“corp-speak” to the sales brochures.
Make your newsletter genuine. In
this new age of “conversational
marketing,” we are engaging in a
dialogue with our customers. They’ll
appreciate you being real.
Kari Freudenberger is the Marketing
Manager for Brook Group, a full-service
Web design firm near Washington, DC.
Visit
http://www.brookgroup.com for more
information about Brook Group's Internet
Marketing services.
