|
|
| Information |
|
|
Five Ways to Energize Your Newsletter
Whether distributed via e-mail or printed and snail-mailed, newsletters are a great way for a business or an organization to keep in touch with employees, customers, prospects or association members in a cost-effective manner. The trick, however, is to come up with a strategy to keep readers engaged and the publication's production and editorial adjustments in line with current budgets. Here are five tactics that you can you can use to make your current newsletter more engaging and a must-read for your intended recipients. And while these strategies also work well for printed newsletters, we're going to focus on electronic newsletters because they offer the most opportunity for generating fast feedback from readers. Incorporating even one of these tips will help ensure that your e-newsletter increases in value from the recipient's point of view. 1. Boost interactivity through surveys Raising interactivity is a sure, winning bet if your goal is to engage your readers and generate a reason for them to anticipate the next issue. This step is also the most obvious answer to the question "How do I know what my readers want to read about?" It's one of the great fallacies of the publishing business that the editors or publishers feel they always know more about what their readers need to know than the readers themselves. In truth, anything that's created in a vacuum by a roomful of editors and reporters is probably going to (ahem) suck in terms of achieving the goal of delivering engaging stories. Newsletter editors have a responsibility to get out there and see what feature in the last issue got readers talking, what kinds of topics readers look forward to seeing in the publication and how they feel about being able to communicate those desires. 2. Poll your readers to uncover the best delivery method for their needs. In a similar vein, efforts that ensure that your newsletter read are often thwarted simply because the readers do not receive the newsletter in a format they feel is appropriate. In terms of e-letters, for example, one recipient's e-mail client (Outlook, Outlook Express, Eudora, Entourage or Mail) may be set to not receive HTML files, while another's e-mail client may be set to send all HTML-based e-mail to the junk mail folder. The point is, you need to know the methods by which you will have the best chance of getting your e-newsletter before the most number of recipient eyes. If that means sending out a text version as well as an HTML version, so be it. But you won't know the answer to that question until you ask them the question. 3. Have the newsletter available in a variety of formats... and ALWAYS in archive form on the Web. On the slim chance that one of your subscribers was left off the distribution list for the last issue, it's imperative to have the information available through your website. Beyond driving traffic, these archives serve as a reference point for current customers or members and also can be used as a selling tool aimed at prospects ("See what type of creative thinking we've come up with! Visit our website and check out our latest e-newsletter!") Additionally, you should consider: downloadable PDFs of the newsletter; a dedicated page for visitors to view the current e-newsletter; and a way for readers to forward their issue to a friend to take full advantage of viral marketing opportunities. 4. Plan your editorial budget to include a combination of fresh, breaking information as well as a stockpile of evergreens. The people who put together newsletters of any type are often under the gun when it comes to developing material for the next issue. This can lead to mediocre, under-reported, bland stories being published since the time and attention they required could not be given. One way to alleviate that pressure - and reduce production headaches - is to plan editorial budgets well in advance that include ready-to-drop stories that can be appropriate for at least two issues down the road. This type of planning will give writers and editors more time to concentrate on developing the must-read pieces your readers expect. And, of course, those will be the stories that your readers told you they wanted to see from your surveys. Right? 5. Reassess the newsletter's role within your organization and set a mandate to boost that role. If your company only sees a newsletter only as a way to promote upcoming events or provide pictures of new products before the new catalog ships, you might want to consider discussing other roles the publication could play in the overall strategy of the organization. A consulting or law firm could use an e-newsletter to provide perspectives on new consumer trends or recently passed legislation or court rulings. A retailer might consider an e-newsletter as a loyalty-building tool, providing sneak peeks at upcoming goods or services along with special coupons distributed only for newsletter recipients. And a manufacturing company could pass along ideas that boosted efficiencies in a plant in Dubuque to employees in its plant in Tampa through an internal e-newsletter. This raises the value of the publication in the executive ranks as well as among readers, which could become valuable at budget-setting time. The flexibility that newsletters in general - and e-newsletters in particular - offer is undeniable in terms of distributing your company's or association's messages to the proper audience. The trick is to carefully manage how well the material in the newsletter matches with the needs of the readers, improve the level of interactivity with the reader, make sure the newsletter is available to the widest appropriate audience and has an important strategic role within the company or association. If these goals can be met, you can be assured that your readers will eagerly anticipate the next issue more so than the last. Chris Scott heads Hodge Media Group, the custom publishing arm of Hodge Communications, Inc. Hodge specializes in strategic public relations and marketing communications for businesses, entrepreneurs and professional associations. Formerly an award-winning journalist, Scott brings over 20 years of experience to client engagements. Subscribe today to Communic@te our free bimonthly e-newsletter and get a free special report: "Using Buzz To Create a Groundswell For Your Business." Visit http://www.hodgecommunications.com
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news JCDecaux in talks for News Outdoor Group in Russia (AP via Yahoo! News) French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux SA said Thursday it is negotiating to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. JCDecaux and News Corp. in talks to combine outdoor ad groups (International Herald Tribune) The News Corp. chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, has recently expressed nervousness about investments in Russia, where News Outdoor generated the bulk of its revenue last year. News Corp tightens grip on Premiere with new CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Rupert Murdoch tightened his grip on German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere by appointing News Corp executive Mark Williams as CEO in a move to get the company back on track. News Corp says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) News Corp. executive Mark Williams has taken over as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere in an interim capacity, News Corp. said after the move led to renewed takeover speculation. News Corp. says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Mark Williams, a News Corp. executive named late on Wednesday as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere, has taken over in an interim capacity, a News Corp. spokeswoman said on Thursday. United shares climb after news debacle (UPI) CHICAGO, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- A computer program assigning dates to news stories was partly to blame for a sell-off of United Airlines stock Monday, a Google spokesman said. Column: Palin's Nomination Good News Even For Democrats In Alaska (CBS News) So, John McCain picked Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Let me just say, wow. That's not exactly what I repeatedly shouted out when I first heard the news, but it's close enough for publication. Like everyone else, my astonished reaction wasn't due to the event itself being inconceivable - I've heard pundits debating the likelihood of a McCain / Palin ticket for months. JCDecaux in talks for News Outdoor Group in Russia (San Francisco Chronicle) French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux SA said Thursday it is negotiating to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. In a statement, the global seller of outdoor advertising said it was in exclusive talks with Rupert... Premiere CEO Is Replaced by News Corp.'s Williams (Update2) (Bloomberg.com) Sept. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Premiere AG , the German pay- television company partly owned by News Corp., said Chief Executive Officer Michael Boernicke is being replaced by a senior News Corp. executive. News Corp exec becomes chief of Germany's Premiere (Reuters via Yahoo! News) News Corp's chief financial officer for Europe and Asia has been named chief executive of German pay television group Premiere, following the resignation of Michael Boernicke, Premiere said on Wednesday. Site: news - Google News New Voices in Congress Will Change the Tone of the Democratic Majority - New York Times
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for ezine marketing New E-book Details How to Increase Sales Using Proven B-to-B MarCom Strategies (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) Free e-book outlines how marketers can use simple business-to-business marketing communications strategies for increasing sales leads. Expertus and Training Industry, Inc. Research Indicates That Customer Training Is Growing Faster Than Employee Training (Marketwire via Yahoo! Finance) Expertus, a global leader in helping companies fuel business growth by maximizing the value of training investments, and Training Industry, Inc. (www.trainingindustry.com), an objective and trusted expert on the marketplace for learning, today announced the release of the findings from their joint August 2008 study, Optimizing Customer Training. Site: ezine marketing - Google News Ezine article marketing - Meadow Free Press
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Fishing For Ezine Subscribers The Bible tells the tale of the fishermen who were just not catching a thing. Jesus came along and told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, which they did. Ezine Promotion, The Three Forgotten Tactics If you are like most ezine publishers you want more ideas that work. But hold on a minute what about all the key strategies that you have overlooked?1 Teamwork:Hook up with a fellow publisher who does not compete directlywith you. The Power of Newsletters When discussing the possibility of creating a newsletter for one of my clients, he asked me, "How will a newsletter help me get sales?""Great question," I replied. Here's how:A newsletter is a form of contact, just like a phone call, visit or direct mail postcard. Uncover 8 Secrets To Gaining More Ezine Subscribers Now! If you've just started publishing your own ezine then you'll soon discover that getting visitors to subscribe to your ezine is not as easy as you might think. If you already publish your own ezine, it is likely you have already discovered this. Improve Your Online Network With A Powerful Ezine Many online business owners and marketers use a variety of tools to make their business successful. Good strategies include maintaining a web site, publishing an ezine, joining affiliate programs, advertising on other people's ezines, and much, much more. 13 Ways To A Build A List Of Readers Of Your Ezine If you have an ezine or online newsletter you want to send it to potential customers. In order to send it you need a list of people who want to receive it. The News About Newsletters "A newsletter is the paring knife of communication tools. It seems simple and is easy to take for granted. Market Your Ezine Properly, So You Grab Every Visitor To Your Website When marketing ezines, most people use sign-up forms or pop-up forms on a current website. This may not be new to most people, but here's another spin on it. Three Ways You can Use the Ezines to Increase Your Sales ***1. FIRST PROMOTIONAL METHOD: Write ezine articles and submit to ezine publishers-Writing ezine articles is one of the three best promotional methods that I'd ever know. Top Seven Ways to Promote your Ezine Your ezine builds customer confidence and trust when you give free tips, articles, and resources. Clients and customers buy only when they trust you. How To Create Your Very Own Client Newsletter Using newsletters for business development improves your sales and marketing efficiency because they: Improve your prospecting by being more focused and personal than a newspaper ad; Generate referrals Ask your clients if there's anyone they can suggest who would appreciate receiving your newsletter, as it's much easier for someone to suggest an addition to your newsletter mailing list than to flat out give you a name to call; Build walls around present clients A newsletter keeps competitors away by repeatedly reminding your clients of your continued interest in them;Recover lost clients Many lost clients would like to revive their relationship with you, but don't know how, so add a personal note to a newsletter, and mail it to them; Enhance other practice-building techniques For example, when contacting a client you might mention something from a past issue that's applicable to his situation, and in seminars, speeches and client meetings, use appropriate issues of your newsletter as handouts or to explain certain points.Think of your client newsletter as an education tool, as well. 10 Benefits Of Submitting Your Articles To Ezines 1. You'll brand your web site, business and yourself bysubmitting articles to ezines. Five Ways to Energize Your Newsletter Whether distributed via e-mail or printed and snail-mailed, newsletters are a great way for a business or an organization to keep in touch with employees, customers, prospects or association members in a cost-effective manner. The trick, however, is to come up with a strategy to keep readers engaged and the publication's production and editorial adjustments in line with current budgets. Ezine As A Viral Marketing Tool A very popular method of marketing ezines and newsletters is bymaking them viral. If your newsletter contains information ofvalue, such as tips, hints, news or tutorials, you'll find thatsubscribers will forward it on to others. How Your Advice Column Can Build Loyal Readers Last year while researching a book on memorable speeches and essays, I stumbled across an ageless writing technique that continues to captivate readers.Advice articles first appeared several hundred years ago. How to Grow Your Ezine Subscriber List Your ezine subscriber list is a very valuable group. They are interested in your product of service. Article Marketing 202 -- Creating a Viral Lead-Generating Machine There is a simple system for creating a viral lead-generating machine. You can follow this system whether you have been marketing for years or for one day. The Secret Truth About Writing Great Sales Copy. Did you know that most people find it difficult to write sales copy that works?You see there is this idea that sales is all about lies and that you have to be really tricky and clever with words to sell your product.This is absolute bollocks. How To Write Your Newsletter So how do you set about writing your own newsletter?The first thing you need to do is decide on a topic that you are interested in and your potential customers would also like to know more about. Then all you need to do is decide if you have enough knowledge on that subject to write confidently about it, and if you don't, there are ways around that too. Grow Your Business with a Newsletter You find a Web site or receive an email about an online store with cool products that you'd like to order, but not right now. Either you file the email or bookmark the Web site.
|
| Home | Site Map | Resource Links |
