Ignore the effectiveness of a newsletter at your peril. On average, email marketing drives a Return on Investment (ROI) of $36 for every dollar spent, higher than any other channel, according to Litmus, an email marketing company. Newsletters are a powerful and effective marketing tool that helps you attract and retain customers, members, employees, business partners, and donors. Timely and compelling content propels your brand, reputation, and customer satisfaction. It’s also useful for facilitating change.
A core benefit of a company newsletter is to keep your brand unobtrusively in front of potential audiences. Everyone is busy, and unless you make an ongoing effort to retain customers’ attention, sales and renewals of your products and services can suffer. Unlike social media which can easily be overlooked and has a weak relational link, your newsletters are more likely to be seen and acted upon. Recipients must ignore, delete/discard or read, and they’re easy to share with others, which can lead to new business.
Here is the first of five surefire strategies for maximizing your newsletter’s effectiveness:
#1 - Identify the ways you delight constituents and define newsletter objectives
Your company may have grown organically over the years. However, you might look around and notice that competition is beginning to encroach on your territory. Don’t sit back passively! Use a newsletter to tell your story, demonstrate your expertise, and remind existing and potential customers of the services you offer.
If your current newsletter isn’t generating results, or if you are just thinking about establishing a company newsletter, brainstorm internally about your organization’s mission and strengths:
How can a newsletter advance your mission?
What sets you apart from the competition?
What unique value, benefits, and services do you offer?
The answers to these questions will help you identify potential topics, but before you proceed, also determine the goals you want to achieve. These might include:
Attracting new customers/employees
Retaining existing customers/employees
Highlighting new services
Establishing your brand as a thought leader
Adding followers on social media
Driving traffic to your website
Improving your employees' experience
Answering common questions
Promoting upcoming events
Increasing awareness of underused benefits or services
Providing organization and industry updates
Example:
The mission of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission is to provide quality healthcare benefits at reasonable costs. As Communications Director, I developed and produced the For Your Benefit newsletter for eligible employees and retirees. In keeping with the publication’s title, the newsletter helped members navigate their benefits and take charge of their health. The corresponding potential topics were infinite, and it was difficult to winnow the list down for each issue.
Check back for strategy #2 of 5 for getting the most from your newsletter every time.
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
Cynthia McGrath helps businesses connect with their employees and customers through strategic marketing communications.
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