Dana on Marketing Messages: E-newsletter Success Secrets

If I weren't such an active e-mail marketer, I wouldn't be able to write about it for anyone else. My e-mail marketing tips from the past 15 years can help you succeed at it as well, as long as you're willing to do the work and commit to it for the long haul.

How am I defining e-mail marketing? For this column, I'm writing about one specific product: a regular e-mail newsletter that you send out to customers, prospects and anyone else who's interested enough in hearing what you have to say.

Since 1999, when I started out on my own, I have published a weekly "Print Tips" e-newsletter. Week in and out, I write and distribute my "Tips" every Monday. I use Constant Contact (though there are many terrific e-mail management services out there) to handle the distribution.

An e-mail newsletter fit my needs because I couldn't afford printing and mailing hard-copy newsletters. It was important for me, as a new business owner, to spread the word that I knew about 1) the printing industry and 2) how to write.

An e-mail newsletter has helped me grow my business and can do the same for you. Here are some tips I wish I'd had all those years ago.

Why Bother with E-mail Marketing?

Presumably, you have a good customer database. Add to that another list of prospects, "dormant" customers, suppliers and other thought leaders in your target market. This is a terrific start for a regular e-mail campaign that will help shine a light on your company: its specialties, uniqueness, people and personality.

An e-mail newsletter is an excellent marketing channel for printers. It can supplement your print campaign, your social media activity, your in-person sales calls, your telephone conversations with customers and prospects, your customer events and any other marketing efforts you have going on.

The primary reason why a printer should bother doing an e-mail newsletter is because it gets your name in front of customers and prospects on a regular basis. Provided your content is solid (informational and well-written; not promotional and cheesy) and relevant to your list, you're providing terrific value.

A second reason why you should use this tool is because it's unobtrusive. It's the opposite of a cold call (which I hate). People opt-in to your list—they're asking to be on it, or giving you permission to send it, which is the first big step. Once you crack the content code and deliver interesting information that your readers look forward to, you'll find that your e-mail gets saved, forwarded and much anticipated. Over time, you'll become a trusted resource. People will hire you and refer others to you. If that's not a measure of success, I'm a monkey's uncle.

Here's another reason to do a regular e-mail campaign: It's perfect for sharing big announcements, hosting contests and featuring new services from time to time. Readers who look forward to good information from you will not mind bits of promotional content placed around the main article—like sprinkles on a cake.

Sending an e-newsletter is a lot cheaper than sending a printed one. Is this heresy? Maybe, but it's the truth. If you can afford to send both, by all means, go for it. Added benefits of an electronic version of your newsletter are these: they can be shared with a click of a button. Hyperlinks can be accessed and tracked. With services like Constant Contact, you can see who opened an e-mail, who clicked on which links, who forwarded an issue, who opted in—and who opted out. That's a whole lot of intelligence right there.

Focus on the Steak, Not the Sizzle

You'll be immediately tempted to write e-newsletter copy that sells your company. Don't. Respect the intelligence and the time commitment of your readers. They can visit your Website and see everything you offer. Use the newsletter to spread your insights on one topic per issue. Educate them. Don't condescend. Don't badmouth competitors. Your copy can be surprisingly short (a few hundred words) and should always have a visual to accompany it.

Most of the e-newsletter real estate should be given to one article. Your e-newsletter isn't a VW Beetle into which you're cramming 42 clowns. Keep the content short enough to be read within five minutes. Sales-heavy content is a turn off; you'll lose subscribers.

E-newsletter Mechanics: Helpful Tips

Believe me when I tell you that I made plenty of mistakes with my own newsletter over the years. I've learned that it's important to get feedback from readers, correct problems, improve technical glitches and constantly aim for excellence in your material. Think fresh ideas, establishing one voice, reflecting your audience and even targeting your e-newsletter, if possible.

Unless you're a lean, mean writing machine, don't do what I do and send out a weekly newsletter. It's a huge amount of work. Monthly will do just fine for most printing firms. Surely you can come up with 12 topics a year.

Have the design of your e-newsletter mirror your Website. It needs to have your branded look and feel. Sometimes I think of my weekly newsletter as my traveling Website. My real Website is my home base, ready to be explored by newsletter readers just itching to learn more about what I do.

Test your e-newsletter on all major platforms and devices before going public—Mac, PC, tablets, smartphones, the works. You will be judged by the readability and overall layout.

Have a standard subject line for your monthly e-mail. For the first few years I included the date of my e-newsletter, but it wasn't until a reader suggested I include the subject itself (so he could file them away and find them easily when needed) that I did just that.

Make sure you offer ways for readers to share your e-newsletter. "Forward to a friend" is the most obvious one. Also, add links to your social media channels (Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook come to mind). With Constant Contact, you can set up these "shares" when you schedule your newsletter distribution. Easy as pie.

E-newsletter Is a Gift That Keeps on Giving

Maybe the best secret of all is this: your e-newsletter is just the beginning of a content marketing machine. You write it once to e-mail to your list (always opt-in, remember). Next, you upload it to a section on your Website. I have mine under a Print Tips section and always add a teaser from the new Tip to my home page each week. Post it as links to all social media channels.

Consider doing a series of e-newsletters on one topic. For example, if you're a specialty graphics firm, you might write several issues on vehicle or building wraps. After the series is complete, bundle them up into an e-book, which you can then give away on your Website and through social media. E-newsletters have long tails. Write an issue and repurpose it wherever your audiences may be reading.

Develop interesting content, solicit and collect feedback, and listen to your readers. Sending a regular e-mail newsletter is an excellent way to establish your company as an expert in your field and spread the word about the good you do—to an audience that needs your services. PI

About the Author

Long regarded as a print buyer expert and trade writer, Margie Dana launched a new business as a marketing communications strategist with a specialty in printing and print buying. She's as comfortable working in social media as she is in traditional media, and now she's on a mission to help clients build customer communities through carefully crafted content. Dana was the producer of the annual Print & Media Conference. Although she's exited the event business, she is still publishing her Print Tips newsletter each week. For more details and to sign up for her newsletter and marketing blog, visit www.margiedana.com.