Category Archives: Email Newsletters

What Makes A Newsletter Campaign Work?

November 5th, 2008

Our recent entries discuss the importance of having a business newsletter. In the modern business arena, newsletters keep you connected with clients and prospects. Providing useful information makes you a valuable resource people trust. Newsletters can also be shared, making it easier for others to spread the word about your services.

So what makes a newsletter campaign work? There are several ways to make your newsletter more effective so it stands out from the competition

Provide valuable content. Plenty of competitors use the same tired, reworked content. Make sure your newsletter provides fresh content people won’t find elsewhere.

Use a structured, easy-to-follow format. Cluttered newsletters are difficult to follow. Links should be locatable and working. Avoid using oversize images that take extra time to download. Clients will read your newsletters if they can quickly peruse them for valuable information.

Avoid capitalization, exclamation points and puffery. Newsletters with excessive capitalization and exclamation points look unprofessional. Steer clear of puffery and false claims that may challenge your legitimacy.

Use a compelling subject line. Summarize your newsletter with a catch phrase in the subject line. Ways to grab attention include asking a question, establishing a need and creating mystery.

Present pertinent information right away. The beginning of your newsletter should summarize its contents. Pertinent facts should be presented immediately to draw your readers’ attention.

Include a call to action in your newsletter. Your newsletter should provide a call to action for clients to answer, such as clicking a link or requesting additional information. Make it easy for readers to take action.

If all this seems overwhelming, there are professional newsletter services that can do all the work for you. Developing an effective newsletter equals greater credibility and profits in today’s competitive business world.

Can Newsletters Make A Major Impact On Your Bottom Line?

November 3rd, 2008

We discussed the importance of having a business newsletter in our previous blog entry. From keeping in touch to sharing your overall vision, a newsletter reminds people you exist by offering useful information after they visit your website. But do newsletters make an impact on your bottom line?

The Facts

Let’s consider a few recent statistics about newsletters and email campaigns.

Forrester reports that in 2008, so far more than 250 billion dollars in business to business spending in the United States was influenced or driven by email.
The Direct Magazine annual forecast survey revealed email was a top marketing medium for direct marketers with 72 percent sending it to customers, 50 percent sending it to prospects and 55 percent ready to increase their budgets for email marketing ‘“ which must mean it’s getting results.
Datran found 80 percent of marketers feel email is the strongest media performer with a higher return on your investment than search.

Can Spam

Are you free from the CAN-SPAM Act because you have a legitimate contact list? Developing a contact list through your newsletter means the people receiving it have a legitimate interest in your business. While this minimizes the possibility of sending spam, there are other ways your email and newsletter can be problematic:

Don’t use a misleading headline.
Subject lines should not be deceptive.
Newsletters must always provide an opt-out method to recipients.
Identify the newsletter as advertising and include a legitimate postal address.

Most people are online not just for business but for shopping, paying bills, searching and doing research. Receiving informational newsletters is an easy way to be updated in just moments. The convenience of opening your reliable newsletters rather than searching around makes you a valuable resource to clients and potential customers. As more businesses develop newsletters, people will expect them from legitimate resources. Prove your credibility and don’t be left behind by the competition by sending your own newsletter.

Why Does Your Business Need A Newsletter?

October 30th, 2008

Most websites offer visitors an opportunity to subscribe to their newsletter. By clicking on a link and providing their email address, readers can receive the latest industry news and updates. What is the purpose of a newsletter and why does your business need one?

Gather Contact Information

Gathering contact information is the most obvious reason for having visitors subscribe to your newsletter. By offering free updates, you get the opportunity to get contact information from visitors to your website. Without the option to sign up for a newsletter, you lose the chance to turn a visitor into a contact. Make sure your website discusses your privacy policy. People will not provide their basic contact information unless they feel reassured you won’t be sharing it with anyone else. Sending out a newsletter helps you to legitimately build your database for future promotional efforts.

Keep In Touch

Without spending endless time, money and resources, a newsletter helps you stay in touch with all your contacts. Instead of writing letters, making telephone calls or getting in touch with people individually, you can send a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly newsletters to keep your business name in front of your contacts.

Become A Valuable Resource

Your newsletters should provide pertinent, compelling information your contacts will not readily find elsewhere. By offering interesting, enlightening content in your newsletters, you will become a valuable resource to your clients. Clients who value your newsletter are more likely to do business with you.

Gain Credibility

Once your newsletters are considered a valuable resource, you gain credibility in your industry. Clients and other professionals will turn to you for advice and updates. You may even gain additional profits by writing your own ebook and blog to provide additional information.

Build Relationships

Some clients know what they want right away and take advantage of your offerings during their first or second visit to your website. Other clients prefer to research their options and review various companies. Sending a newsletter builds relationships. As potential clients peruse other websites, they may forget about your business. When they receive your newsletter, it reminds them you are still in the game.

Share Your Vision

A newsletter can be shared with others. Encourage your readers to forward copies of your newsletter to friends, family and business associates who may also be interested in what you provide.

A business newsletter can turn website visitors into profitable clients.

Websites With A Clear Call To Action

October 28th, 2008

Last week we discussed the importance of having a website that calls visitors to action. Navigable websites with clear, valuable content deliver results. We presented Wendy Zoller’s real estate website as an example showing all the necessary elements for success.

Recently we published a website for Commercial Property Professionals, a company offering commercial real estate solutions. Unlike a residential real estate website, this commercial site has a crisp, professional feeling that relates to other businesses immediately. Instead of a photo of a residential home or business proprietor, there is a small screen shot of a building across the top. The main page features an easily navigable logo with options for landlord representation, tenant representation and investment brokerage and consulting. Visitors can easily click on these links to find what they want right away.

The top link on the website is the company’s mission statement and values, proving their commitment to providing outstanding service. At the bottom of the links along the left side, the company address and telephone number is clearly listed for added credibility. To get direct telephone numbers, fax numbers and faces to go with the business, visitors click on a link for team members. A link to market reports offers additional valuable resources to visitors with just two clicks. The contact link makes it simple to get in touch with someone at CP Professionals right away so visitors can TAKE ACTION.

We also published a website for consulting engineers, LeBlanc Welch. Their home page includes engineering photos along the bottom with clear statements about how the company faces challenges and offers solutions. The answer to the question, ‘Why LeBlanc Welch?’ is easily found as the first link on along the left side of the home page. Visitors are brought to a page that outlines LeBlanc Welch’s plan to define, design and deliver, proving the company’s credibility and commitment to a vision.

Additional links are simple to find along the left side of the LeBlanc Welch website. Visitors click links to find out the services and markets available, along with the projects LeBlanc Welch is working on. Visitors can find out ‘What’s New’ in the company by clicking a link. It is simple for visitors to TAKE ACTION by clicking the contact link offering a physical address, telephone number, fax number and email addresses.

Navigable, eye-catching websites with clear links and useful information give your visitors a reason to TAKE ACTION. If your visitors fail to TAKE ACTION right away, don’t despair. Capture their email addresses so they can get receive your newsletter for the latest industry updates. Our next blog entries will discuss the importance of a compelling newsletters to build trust, relationships and profits.

How To Get Your Web Visitors To Take Action

October 24th, 2008

In our last blog entry, we discussed the importance of getting prospective clients to TAKE ACTION. To get in the game, you need a professional online presence with a well-designed website and a blog on a platform such as WordPress. But how do you stay in the game and get people to do what you want?

Although we offered an example of a real estate business website in our last entry, all types of businesses can take advantage of the following simple techniques to call visitors into action:

Avoid the long and winding road. Have a navigable website so visitors can easily find the what they want and pay you. If customers cannot easily locate what they need and find a secure payment method, you will lose them.

Give them what they want. We all think we have something important to say, but is it relevant to your visitors? Research your target market so you know what they want. If you give visitors what they want, they will come back for more.

Put yourself out there. Don’t be a mysterious, faceless business that lacks credibility. Provide contact information on your website, including a telephone number and physical address. Post testimonials from other satisfied clients. If you service high end clients, get permission to include their logo and/or testimonial on your website. Post photos of key business players. Offer money-back guarantees when applicable. Show you are taking security measures to protect the privacy all data shared on the website.

The only constant is change. Your website is always a ‘work in progress’. Use effective visuals to draw visitors’ attention to important information. Change your headlines, move around page elements and experiment to see what get the best results.

Get fresh. Update your content regularly. Ask visitors to provide their email address to get free email newsletters and updates. Provide valuable resources. Your visitors won’t come back unless you give them a good reason to. Each time visitors return, they are more likely to take action.

Get real. Bring your business, website and blog to life. Let everyone know about the real people who make the business happen. Talk to your clients in a friendly, upbeat way they can clearly understand. Don’t talk down to your visitors or become overly familiar. Keep your tone light, personable and informative.

Get to know SEO. Using Search Engine Optimized (SEO) content makes your website and blog rank higher on the search engines. SEO content includes relevant keywords so it’s easier for visitors to find you.

Time is of the essence. Encourage the buyer to take action sooner rather than later. Offer discounts for visitors who act right away. Discuss market developments and how the buyer is at a greater advantage if they buy now, before everyone else does.

Testimonials

“The team at Southern Web Group made our company’s transition from a standard website into a custom professional site so easy. We had delayed upgrading our site for three years because it was outside our comfort zone and the folks at Southern Web Group made the transition a smooth one. I would recommend Southern Web Group to any company looking for professional web presence.”

Marcie Doize
Sagamore Properties

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