Email marketing: Making the most of your opt-in email newsletter

Envelope

Publishing a simple opt-in email newsletter (or ezine) as little as once a month is guaranteed to help you increase sales. Follow these email marketing tips to maximise the impact of your newsletter.

Unless you continually follow up with clients and prospects, they'll soon forget about you. But it is near impossible to phone or write to each and every one of them every week.

However, a properly implemented opt-in email newsletter (or ezine) achieves the same goal — keeping you in their minds in an unobtrusive way. This constant contact makes these recipients more likely to think of you when they need a product or service like yours. It can help to turn prospects into customers and customers into repeat sales.

If your opt-in email newsletter contains useful, quality articles and tips, your readers will be very likely to pass it on to friends and colleagues. This is called 'viral marketing'.

Most ezine publishers begin with only a few dozen subscribers who are their clients and associates. But after several months, you can have thousands of readers on your list, thanks to viral marketing mixed with some promotional legwork.

But with the proliferation of SPAM and the spam legislation introduced in Australia and the US in 2004, it is important not to misuse email marketing or purchase illegitimate bulk email lists.

Bad news about your business email marketing practices will spread much faster than good news.

Here's how to make the most of your opt-in email newsletter:

Credibly and subtly promote your products or services

Instead of blowing your own trumpet and simply saying how great your business is, an ezine lets you show how great you are by sharing your expertise through tips, case studies or client testimonials. You're avoiding simple bragging, and are instead offering useful information that demonstrates your knowledge.

Position yourself as an expert in your field

By showcasing your knowledge and skills, you're likely to attract more and better clients. And by sharing what you know well, you're saying "Hey, I really know my stuff! I'm an expert."

Capture the email addresses of your website visitors

This is one of the most important benefits: If I visit your site today but aren't ready to buy from you, you’re likely to have lost me forever when I click away. But if you invite me to sign up for your free newsletter that features helpful information on the topic at hand, I'll be happy to sign up.

Now you've got me to market to, over and over, as long as you continue to give me the practical content you promised. I'll get to learn all about your services and products while you gain my trust. This is especially powerful because statistics show that consumers don't usually purchase a product or service until after they've seen multiple messages about it!

Before you get started with your own opt-in email newsletter, ask yourself the following questions:

What is the PURPOSE of your newsletter?

Who is it for?

How frequently will you send it?

Will all content be in the email body or will you simply provide hooks back to your website?

Will all subscribers receive the same or personalised content?

Will you make the current issue available on your web site?

Will you make an archive of past issues available on your site?

Melissa Norfolk is an Internet expert who speaks to business, school and community groups about online marketing, email newsletters, effective use of the Internet, finding what you need online and Internet safety.

5 comments | Add your own

Hi Im Segal and i like Flying Solo!!! Andrew from Melbourne
I'd love to have my own Opt-In service, but have no idea what to put in a newsletter.
There's also the issue of finding a reputable Opt-In provider Helen from NSW
I completely agree about it being an un-obtrusive thing. I have just started our own newletter (www.zulugraphics.com.au/newsletter.html) and though I was surprised by the inital amount of people who unsubscibed (we sent it out to all of our current customers), we recieved positive feedback from alot of them that they were happy to know us, they just didn't need our newsletter. Jess from Shortland, Newcastle
Hey Jess, I guess it's all about touching your demographic in ways they want information from you - they may be happy to receive a newsletter or just visit your site or receive an SMS from you. Take the list of opt-ins that you have and really maximise the opportunities there. I currently communicate to about 60,000 members who have opted in for our newsletter on a weekly basis (www.linkme.com.au) which represents less than 50% of our entire database. It would be a waste of money to email those who don't want to hear from you - so, we're happy to reach the ones who do! Good luck! Kathy from Melbourne
Kathy - I also don't worry about unsubscribes, as I prefer to know that my list is interested in hearing from me.
Helen - I run an Email Marketing service and one of the most beneficial things I suggest to business owners is to write down the first 8 topics for their newsletters. That may sound hard to do, but start thinking about your products, your services, unique aspects to your business and news in your industry. When you think like this you'll easily come up with the first 8 topics for your newsletters. Once you have the topics, then write a couple of paragraphs about each and you have your first newsletters! Newsletters don't need to be long or complicated. And whilst content is important, often just being regularly in front of your customers and in their minds is crucial.
If you would like to check out our service it's www.EmailMarketingSoftware.com.au - there are also plenty of options out there if you search online. The most important thing is to start building your email list and to send that first email! Luke from Sydney

5 comments | Add your own

Add Your comments

Preview comment

Name

Website *

Town / city and country

Email (never sold, displayed or given away)

* This will link your name to your site. So please avoid self promotion elsewhere! We delete spam, disrespectful or off-topic comments.