6 Reasons to Add an E-Newsletter to Your Marketing Mix in 2009
By Victoria Player
In the current economic downturn many small business owners are tightening their belts and looking for alternative low-cost, high return methods for marketing their businesses.
The good news is that effective marketing doesn’t have to cost the earth. In fact, I have found ezine publishing to be one of the most successful methods for marketing my business online. It is both cost effective and possibly one of the most powerful weapons in your small business marketing arsenal.
Here are 12 reasons why you should be adding an email newsletter to your marketing tool kit in the coming year. (More to come next week)!
1. Low Cost Method for Marketing Your Business
An email newsletter is both a simple and inexpensive tool for contacting your target market on a regular basis. Sending a weekly newsletter has cost me less than a daily newspaper or magazine and when I consider the strength of the relationships it builds it is definitely a good return on investment. Unlike traditional printed newsletters there are no printing or postage costs.
2. Grow a List of Your Ideal Clients to Market to Consistently
The key to successful marketing is telling people what you do repeatedly. It’s essential that you have a method for capturing the contact details of those that visit your website so that you can follow up with them later. When people sign up to your e-newsletter they are prequalifying themselves as being part of your target market and in doing they are also giving you express permission for you to contact them again.
3. Reach More People with Less Effort
I have found that investing a few hours each week to write my e-newsletter to be one of the most valuable business building tools I have used. Although it may seem a little time consuming initially it is definitely worth sticking with as the long-term results increase exponentially!
Gone are the days of trawling around in-person networking events and then having to follow up with each person individually. Now I’m able to simultaneously reach thousands of people from around the globe with the simple click of a button.
Are you publishing an email newsletter? If so, what effect is it having on your business? How is it affecting your relationship with your prospects, customers and clients? Please feel free to share you findings with our community below.
4. Build Credibility and Demonstrate your Expertise
How can you build credibility if you are new to your industry? What should you do if people aren’t buying your products and services? How can you break down the scepticism associated to buying a service? The answer is simple. Write an e-newsletter!
Products and services online are intangible. You can’t see them or experience them until they are purchased or demonstrated. By offering helpful tips and advice and sharing valuable information that demonstrates your knowledge and expertise you’re providing your readers with an opportunity to get to know you.
5. Develop Loyalty and Trust amongst your Readers
In the past few years I have published a section within my ezine in which I share snippets about my life. I share personal photos, tell my readers what I get up to or reveal the exciting new developments within my business. This has been by far the most powerful element of the relationship building process. It has allowed my readers to engage with me on a personal level and feel that they know me. It is often my personal tit-bits that people remember and associate with most. Having done some tracking I’ve also found that it’s one of the most popular sections. It gets some of the highest click-through rates.
6. Encourage Reader Commitment and Interaction
An e-newsletter gives people a reason to return to your website or blog again and again. Even if you have great content posted at your site it is very rare that people return a second time. Your newsletter acts as the basis for your online community. By providing links back to your blog, online forum or other social media services you help to develop a two-way dialogue which then builds further commitment from your readership community.
Are you publishing an email newsletter? If so, what effect is it having on your business? How is it affecting your relationship with your prospects and customers? Please feel free to share your comments and questions here!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Victoria Player works with coaches and other women entrepreneurs to reach MORE people, change MORE lives and create a better lifestyle for themselves and others by utilising email, information products and the Internet. To get your FREE audio training program packed full of practical how-to business building advice, visit www.VictoriaPlayer.com