An e-newsletter is a great way to remain top-of-mind with current and past customers while converting “warm” prospects into paying customers. Even though I have a blog and a well-optimized Website, I still receive calls that begin this way, “Hi Dianna. I’ve been getting your newsletter for a while now and would like to talk to you about a project.”
What do you need to develop a successful newsletter that makes your phone ring? Consider the following five essentials:
1. Set a regular publishing schedule . . . and stick to it!
Patricia Fripp, a renowned speaker said, “It’s not your customers’ job to remember who you are.” With an e-newsletter, they won’t forget you – but only if you publish on a regular basis. If you publish infrequently, people won’t remember you when they have a project, and they’ll be more likely to delete your newsletter, or report it as spam, when it does come in.
2. Build your mailing list.
You’ll quickly grow your subscription list if you follow these simple strategies:
- Add a subscription form to every page of your Website – not just the home page.
- Offer an incentive to subscribers – for example, a free e-book or report.
- Add your newsletter URL to your e-mail signature and to the boilerplate of your press releases and articles. Heck, I added an entire *page* promoting my e-newsletter to my latest e-book.
3. Offer high-value content.
Offer relevant fresh content that includes your original slant on things – and that showcases your expertise and passion. One thing I’ve done over the years is not write about copywriting, which I consider pretty boring. Instead, I write about events in the business world, I interview other B2B experts, and I even include personal stories if they’re marketing related. I received dozens of responses, for example, when I wrote a humorous article about trying to order from IKEA’s Website.
4. Offer your newsletter content for reprint to other media.
Since 2000, I’ve let anyone who asks reprint my newsletter articles – as long as they include my name and a link back to my site. It’s easy to get others to reprint your content. Simply add a few sentences to your newsletter boilerplate explaining your content is available and how people can reprint it. (Just today I received the Machine Design e-newsletter from Penton Media. The newsletter had links to two of my articles plus my e-book.) In addition to getting exposure – and looking like a real expert – you also build inbound links, which helps your Website rank higher in the search engines.
5. Include a call to action.
It’s ok to promote your services in your e-newsletter; however, I usually include my “sales pitch” at the end of the newsletter, *after* the useful content. Make sure your call to action includes your email address, Website URL, and your phone number – and make sure they’re easy to see. I purposely make my phone number in a big bold font so that it stands out.
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Dianna Huff is a B2B marketing communications consultant and copywriter. She’s also the author of the e-book, “36 Ways to Grow Your E-Newsletter Subscriber List,” which can be found at: http://www.dhcommunications.com/grow-your-list.htm.
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Dianna, thanks for writing this. I actually just launched a newsletter, so this is quite timely for me. One of the issues I struggle with is that a lot of my subscribers are fellow writers themselves and aren’t necessarily in a position to hire me for writing projects (though it does help if they ever need to refer another writer). Any tips on dealing with that?
Susan,
I have a number of writers, too. You have to work hard to build your list with the people who will hire you. Make sure your Website (or blog) is optimized so that people looking for your writing services will find it. (That is why I advise putting a subscription form on each page of your site.) Offer a report your target audience will find useful, not other writers. Ditto for your newsletter content.
Each time you meet a prospective client, ask if you can add him or her to list. Each time someone inquires about your services, ask if you can add them to your list.
Thanks, Dianna!
Diana,
I just wanted to add a few more points that will add detail to your advice:
1. You can add subscription box to blog, too, not just websites. The wordpress plugin that allows you to do this escapes my mind at the moment, but I know it’s possible.
2. About high-value content: Reflect what’s going on today. Current news and how it relates to your target reader usually equals high value.
3. In your link to your site, let your anchor text be the keyword phrase you want to rank for. The anchor text is the clickable text, usually written in blue lettering.