How to send a newsletter? Where to begin?
We will be posting a series of articles that will provide you with easy tips to start sending a newsletter to your customers.
Tip #1: Purchase or subscribe to an email marketing system. There are plenty out there. I don't endorse one before the other. Invest time to research one that fits your budget and business needs. Constant Contact is popular among my clients. You can do a 60-day trial period with Constant Contact before committing to their service. The system is easy to learn and they provide beautiful templates for all industries and occasions. Sending a newsletter through an email service is much more successful then sending a newsletter through your own email system. You want to use a system that can bypass the SPAM and virus securities that prevent mailings from reaching your customers.
Email software makes it easy for you to do targeted mailings. As you build your list of readers, you can categorize them into different groups. This allows you to tailor the content of your newsletters by your customer types.
You want to be able to review your newsletter STATS. This is a measurement of your reader’s response to each mailing. You will see how many readers clicked through the newsletter. How many hit the delete button before opening the newsletter. Did they forward it to a friend? Or the almighty wish, did the newsletter encourage someone to take action? Systems also keep track of bounce-backed emails. Becoming familiar with your STATS and trends that develop will help you build a better newsletter. For example, you may learn that your readers prefer information about dieting or weight loss instead of vitamin supplements based on their response to your newsletter STATS.
When shopping for a system, look to see how many customer emails you can log without having to upgrade or incur fees. You want a system that is appropriate for your size list and gives you room to grow.
I prefer the web-based services. You don't use space on your server and you will get the security to protect your most important business asset for internet marketing... your customer contact list.
Tip # 1 Quick Summary: Purchase or subscribe to an email marketing system. Find one that fits for your budget and business needs. Web-based products are my preference. Take advantage of the trial offerings. Avoid sending newsletters through your own computer email system...mailings will be junked before ever reaching your customer's inbox.
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