Junk mail. SPAM. We all know about these pesky e-newsletters and email blasts that show up uninvited in our inboxes. Most recipients simply hit delete, a few may actually unsubscribe to the e-newsletter they never subscribed to and sometimes a handful may even blacklist or report this SPAM to the "authorities." And while inboxes everywhere are being stuffed with unsolicited information, there is no question that value-driven, permission-based email is important - and it should be part of your marketing mix. A Merkle report showed that 50 percent of respondents of a survey said they had bought something based on a permission email message. Another 50 percent said that a company that "does a good job with email" can have influence over their buying decisions. Without permission, however, 32 percent said they stopped doing business with at least one company because of their own "rules" about email.
So once you've encouraged your customers and prospects to opt-in to your database to receive e-newsletters, then what? How are you going to not only tempt them to read further, but to take action? E-newsletters are great for disseminating information, but without a carefully thought-out plan that creates cause and effect for each newsletter "story," you will quickly fall short of reaching your goals and return on investment. It's easy to tempt your customers and leads with information, but how do you convert them into a sale or other action?
Here are some tips on creating effective e-newsletters that add results to your bottom line:
- Quality not quantity: E-newsletters are meant to be read quickly and are often times "skimmed" by the reader for valuable information. Create three to four entries for your newsletter and keep the content and copy short and to the point, just two or three sentences that give them the flavor of your information. Add in graphics and photos that directly relate to the story for those who are more visual thinkers. Remember that you are trying to tease your customer with information and inspire them to take action. If you give away the store in the e-newsletter, your readers will simply read and delete and nothing more.
- Use compelling headlines. Readers will skim your enewsletter so tempt them with intriguing headlines and give them a reason to read it from beginning to end. Use action verbs in your headlines (e.g., gain, uncover, lead, change, improve). Pose questions. Cite startling statistics like "A simple change to your email can drive 100% increase in your open rate."
- Lead them to your website: Each entry should include a direct link to your website, but not simply your homepage. If a customer is engaged in a story in your e-newsletter, directing them to your homepage will ultimately be very frustrating. Imagine being told to go to a new coffee shop without receiving directions. Would you take the time to figure out how to get there? Maybe not. But if someone handed you simple directions that guided you directly there, you'd go - perhaps again and again. The same holds true for your e-newsletters. After you've supplied a bit of information, provide a link directly to the location on your website where customers can find out more about a particular product, special deal, download a free white paper, or place an order.
- Intertwine selling and giving: While you ultimately want your customers and prospects to purchase your products and services, e-newsletters also provide a medium to position you as a forward-thinker and thought-leader. Are you aware of new trends on the horizon that your competitors don't know about yet? Do you have simple tricks that your customers can use with their end-users to better sell products and services? Leading your customers to informational sections of your website helps to reinforce their perception of you as the one with the insight and the answers, the "go to" guru to whom they'll return time and time again.
- Build valuable relationships: Utilize your e-newsletter to develop existing and new relationships with customers. Make your e-newsletter interactive and invite people to email you directly with comments, thoughts and problems. Provide a forum where customers can submit questions and challenges. Then post your solutions on your website and in your next e-newsletter. Invite customers to engage in your blog and establish an online community. Better yet, solicit articles from your customers for inclusion in future editions. By using ideas and articles from your customers, vendors and partners, you create even more credibility for your newsletter (and it doesn't just become self-promotion). It also encourages your recipients to think about what's important to them as well.
- Finding the right balance: Creating a timeline and a simple production schedule based on upcoming events, product releases, service contracts and the like helps to determine how often and when to email your e-newsletters. Rule of thumb is about every other week but at a minimum at least once a month. Don't send out e-newsletters for the sake of sending - if you don't have anything new or innovative to say, hold off until you do. Avoid Mondays and Fridays for delivery as well. Statistics show that Tuesday through Thursday mid-morning or mid-afternoon are the most fruitful times to hit "send."
Creating e-newsletters doesn't have to include perfect prose or award-winning graphic design. At the end of the day, the newsletters that people read and/or keep are the ones that provide useful information and a desire to want and to learn more. By creating a two-prong approach to your e-newsletters, you'll not only see measurable open and click-through rates, but also an increase of traffic to your website where customers can learn more, or even better, complete a transaction.
A dedicated marketing professional, Michelle Kabele has been helping technology companies develop award-winning channel partner programs and marketing strategies for over 10 years. Michelle has worked extensively with small businesses throughout North America.
Michelle has an MBA from the J.L. Kellogg Graduate School of Management (Evanston, Ill.)
ไม่มีความคิดเห็น:
แสดงความคิดเห็น