Electronic Newsletters: A Powerful Marketing Tool

by copywriter and marketing coach Chris Marlow

If you are interested in pushing a regular e-newsletter to your
customers and prospects, there are some copy and design rules to
know about. Here is a short list of some of the most important
elements of a successful e-newsletter:

Sell with the subject line. The first thing your recipients see is the
subject line. If it doesn’t intrigue them, they may not open your e-newsletter.
Make it hot. It’s also important to personalize your e-newsletter.
Adding personalization to the subject line can be powerful,
as in “Lori, this newsletter contains your VIP invitation”.

Use a good table of contents. Let people know what’s in your
newsletter instead of making them scroll down for the content. And be
sure to make the table of contents the first thing they see. Many
online newsletters make the mistake of showing the masthead first (or
worse, a banner ad).

Offer excellent original content. The reason online newsletters
have become so pervasive is that people crave information they can
use. You build value (and brand) among your audience by providing
excellent content. Relevant content is the hallmark of the successful
online newsletter.

Employ “contextual selling”. Want to find out if your recipient is
ready to move into your sales stream? Write an intriguing article about
your product or service and include a link to a Web-based “landing
page” or microsite that offers more information. On that Web page or
site you can collect their information and schedule them for follow-up.
One study showed that contextual selling generated results that were
up to 68 percent stronger than links outside the context of useful
information.

Produce versions in HTML and text. From a logistics standpoint, it’s
important to offer both HTML and text-only because not all servers will
accept HTML. When a server rejects an HTML version, sniffer
technology corrects the “bounce back” by immediately sending a textonly
version.

Employ viral tactics. You can quickly build a high-quality opt-in
database by using viral tactics. By asking current subscribers to “refer
a friend,” you can add dramatically to your list of marketable names
and e-mail addresses and build an online database quickly.

Provide easy unsubscribe instructions. Always give subscribers
the opportunity to “opt out” of further mailings. And always include
your contact information.

Other things to remember are to send your e-newsletter on a regular
basis, so it can do its job of building brand and relationships. Mail on
Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays for B2B online newsletters.
And keep articles short. More than anything, focus on content. Fresh,
original content that the reader finds useful is the key to retaining
and building readership — and to reaping the subsequent benefits of
relationship-building and sales.

Chris Marlow, all rights reserved

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