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Plan an E-Mail Marketing Newsletter
The upside of e-mail marketing is that it’s a low-cost and convenient way for companies to communicate with their current customers and reach out to potential new ones. The downside of e-mail marketing is the fine line businesses walk between e-mails that customers have agreed to receive (opted in) and spam.
To increase the effectiveness of your e-mail marketing campaign, make the center of your strategy adding value to your target audience. Do this by providing them with pertinent and free advice. Online newsletters (e-newsletters) are one of the easiest and most effective ways of accomplishing this. Useful information always grabs attention, and increases the likelihood that your e-newsletter will be forwarded on to others not yet on your mailing list.
To create an interesting and dynamic e-newsletter, use a Web-based software service (such as iContact or Constant Contact) to turn your humble words and graphics into a snappy-looking HTML document. In other words, your e-mail looks like a Web page when viewed by the recipient. To help develop your newsletter strategy, take some time to think about what you want to accomplish.
What is the purpose of your newsletter?
• Is it primarily a way of staying in touch with your current customers?
• Will you use it to offer new products/services to existing clients?
• Do you want it to be passed on so that you can generate new customers?
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Who is your audience?
• Do you want to reach senior managers, decisionmakers, product users, lost clients, new clients?
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What will make your audience want to read it?
• Will it offer up-to-date industry-specific information?
• Will it provide special offers on your products/services?
• What will it have that they cannot get elsewhere?
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How frequently will you publish?
• Weekly, monthly, quarterly?
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From where will your mailing list come?
• Will it be existing clients, identified potential clients, or every e-mail address you have on file?
• Will you purchase a mailing list?
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What is the name of your e-newsletter?
• Does it communicate your purpose?
• Is it catchy and memorable?
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What kind of image do you want to present?
• Formal, relaxed, fun, serious?
• Will it match your Website in style and design?
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