You can use them to share information, give tips and offers.

But generating great content on a regular basis can seem like a daunting task. But it doesn’t have to be. All you need is:

• A great looking template
• A simple process to write content-rich material that can be repeated again and again

The template you use should reflect your business image. Something in line with your website’s design would be ideal. Just make sure it’s a clean, unfussy design that won’t detract from the information it contains.

But what about the simple process I mentioned? Well, below is an example to show how easy it can be to write your newsletter when you have a system in place.

Newsletter writing process

This 5 step writing process is a great way to kick start the creative process every month. The number of topics you pick will determine the length of your newsletter.

1. Choose 3 topics for the main body of your newsletter
2. Choose 3 topics for your side bar
3. Interview industry experts or research a specific topic
4. Write and edit your articles
5. Proofread your newsletter

1. Main topics

These articles will make up the body of your newsletter. You can choose as many topics as you like, but the more you have, the longer your newsletter will be.

They don’t have to be long articles (approximately 300 – 500 words) and can cover things that have happened in the news (or your industry) recently, what’s happening now and what’s coming up.

2. Side bar

The side bar is for quick bits of news so they’re not as in depth as the main topics you’ll write about.

It also gives you the opportunity to add regular pieces such as a book of the month, announcement of forthcoming events, tips, and offers.

3. Interviews and research

Conducting an interview or writing a research-based article can add real meat to your newsletter.

The interview would act like a magazine Q&A session. In it, you could get an expert’s insight into a particular hot topic that your readers are interested in.

The same can work for the research article. Find out what’s important to your readers and write about it. But make sure you include links to the external articles you used for your research so they can read around the subject if they want to.

4. The writing process

This is the part many people dread. But writing well rounded, interesting articles is easy.

Make sure you write in the second person (i.e. ‘you’) to instantly build rapport with your readers. As mentioned above, use hypertext links to direct your reader to more information. This will add value to them and show you really do understand your subject.

Another important feature within your newsletter is your call to action. It could be a link back to your website, an instruction to email for more information or a competition. If you want to make your newsletter marketing a two-way street, you must ask your reader to do something.

Of course, they can only get in touch if you include your contact details. Never hide away from your customers. As with your website copy, make sure your postal, email and phone details are easily available otherwise it looks as though you have something to hide.

The final part of the writing process involves leaving your newsletter alone. Put it to one side for a few days before reviewing the content to make sure it provides the messages you wanted.

5. Proofread

This is the final and most important part of the process.

The last thing you want to do is hit send only to find a glaring typo.

Putting the newsletter aside for a few days before reviewing it will help with the proofreading process. Ideally, you should get someone else to proof it for you. But, if that isn’t possible, giving yourself a few days grace before checking it through should help you spot any mistakes before you send it out.

Over to you

Done well, a regular newsletter can help build and cement relationships with your customers. By adding value and maintaining regular contact, your newsletter can encourage sales.

Do you send out a monthly newsletter?

Have you found it beneficial?

Do you have a process you follow each month like this one? Please leave a comment below and share your newsletter experiences with us.

They provide a way for you to keep in regular contact with your customers.

But what do you put in them?

Keeping your subscribers engaged and interested in your monthly mailings is essential. But how do you achieve that?

Timely

To ensure your content resonates with your reader, try to tie it in with topical events or seasonal subjects.

So in the summer months don’t start talking about Christmas!

By making your content relevant to what’s going on around you, you are showing your readers that you are a company that thinks – you’re not just emailing them to get them to buy. You will be providing timely and useful information.

Solving problems

Your newsletter shouldn’t just be about selling.

Adding an article that talks about ‘how to’ achieve something, how to solve a problem or one that offers general advice about something your readers are interested in, will add value to your relationship with them.

By offering this type of information they are more likely to remain subscribed to your newsletter. Plus talking about your field in this way will position you as an expert. So when they need help – guess who they’ll turn to?

Short and sweet

How long should your newsletter be?

It’s best to keep it short – no more than 400 words or so. That way you’ll keep your readers attention right to the end.

Send them something that goes on for eternity and they’ll delete it because they won’t have time to read it.

But it’s not only the length of your newsletter than should be short. By keeping your sentences and paragraphs short too, you’ll make it easier to read.

And of course, don’t forget your strong headline. If that, and the first couple of sentences don’t grab their attention, you would have lost them.

Link

OK, so you’re keeping your newsletters short but this month you want to talk about something in more detail because you feel it’s particularly important to your readers.

That’s where linking comes in; write a short piece outlining the main issues and then link out to more information. This could be a blog post or article you have written or an external news story.

This technique keeps your newsletter short and sweet and still provides your readers with the information they need.

Have fun

Your newsletter also has to be enjoyable to read.

That will not only come down to its content but also how it’s written.

Be human with your writing; conversational copy is far more readable than formal, staid language. Inject a bit of humour if you can and keep it light. Above all, let your personality shine through.

Newsletters are an amazing tool. They enable you to keep in regular contact with your customers and enhance that relationship by offering news, tips and offers.

Do you send out a regular newsletter? If so why not leave a comment below and tell us how you use it. You might have more tips for us all to follow.

You probably spend hours slaving over the content (or get a copywriter to slave away for you) to ensure your message is spot on, you’re offering your readers great information and, of course, the odd offer to encourage them to buy from you.

So what happens once it’s been sent?

If you just broadcast it, forget it and then move on to the next month’s issue you’re missing a HUGE opportunity.

Shall I tell you why?

Using your newsletters to boost your SEO

Let me tell you something about your newsletters.

You already have a strong subject line/header, your content will be SEO friendly (stands to reason as you’re writing about your company, products and services) and it’s original content.

So why not breathe life into your newsletter once it’s been sent rather than forgetting about it?

Placing it within your website will help your SEO no end because you’ll be feeding the Google Monster fresh, original content each and every month – yum.

Of course, you can’t just cut and paste the content into your website; you’ll need to make a few amendments such as:

• Create a new page for each newsletter, so you’ll be treating them like articles.
• Use links within the text (hyperlinks using your keywords) to point to other relevant information within your site or other articles.
• Remove any mentioned of forthcoming events etc. Unlike your newsletter which is transient, your new web page will be around for a long time to come.
• Take out any special offers for subscribers.
• Play around with the layout to make sure it looks attractive. Add sub headings, images and even video to enhance your message.

By repurposing the content in this way you’ll add volume to your website, boost your SEO and offer your readers some great information.

Regular contact with your customers (and prospective customers) is vital, which is why many businesses now produce a monthly (or at least regular) newsletter.

It is a great way to nurture relationships.

They can be used to convey great information, industry updates, special offers, announcements, helpful hints—anything that will add value to your customers.

By maintaining regular contact in this way you are ensuring your business name remains firmly lodged in their mind so when they are in need, it is you they will turn to.

The best way to develop your mailing list is to grow it organically—home grown will always bring in better results than a bought in list.

So how do you ensure you and your customers get the most out of your business relationship?

Well, here are 3 ways to ensure your newsletter works:

1. Opt-in

If you want someone to opt into your mailing list, you have to make it easy for them.

There’s no point in hiding your opt-in form so your reader has to search your entire website for it—because they won’t bother.

Make sure your sign-up box is highly visible, preferably on every page and simple to complete.

It would also be a good idea to quickly tell them what they can expect to receive from you, the frequency of your mailings, oh, and reassure them that you won’t share their details with anyone else.

2. Content

What you send out each month is critical.

Don’t make your content overly promotional and certainly don’t start with a sales pitch.

Kick off with a recommendation, article, or comment on industry news. Then enhance your relationship further by offering a hint or tip that your reader will find useful. Once you’ve given them something you can then bring in your offer or a case study to promote your products/services.

If you are unsure about how or what to write, it may be an idea to enlist the help of a freelance copywriter to write the content for you.

Just remember always give first and ask second.

3. Two way traffic

If you want your newsletter to enhance your relationship make sure it is easy for your reader to interact with you.

After reading your news they may want to get in touch so don’t use a “no-reply” email address. Make it simple for them.

The main thing to remember about using a regular newsletter to keep in touch with your customers is that it shouldn’t all be about selling.

Your newsletter should be used to add value to your relationship. Be generous with your information as this will develop trust and with trust comes sales.

Sending out a regular newsletter is a great way to market to your customers.

But not only that, they also offer a vital link between you and your customers. Regular content that adds value, will keep your customers loyal.

But how to do you go about increasing the number of newsletter subscribers you have? Well, here are a few suggestions to help you.

1. Show them

Signing up to a newsletter is often an unknown quantity for many people. They are handing over their email address to a complete stranger so to make the process less painful, show them what they’re going to get.

Set up a sample newsletter that they can click through to from your website. Of course, if you do this you will then have to ensure that all future editions of your newsletter are similar.

2. If all else fails, bribe

Bribery is perfectly acceptable. Make it worth their while. Offer them something for free – eBook, report, discount – whatever it is, it must be something of value.

3. Timing

When you ask for a sign up is very important. If you sell through your website, the prime opportunity is when they have just bought something from you.

Make good use of your ‘Thank you for ordering’ screen and make sure your opt-in box is in a prominent place. If you often incorporate offers in your newsletters tell them, if they’ve bought from you once, the chances are they will again.

4. Segmentation

If you offer a range of products or services, it would be best to offer different newsletters for different sections of your business. After all, not everyone is going to be interested in everything you sell. Plus if the content of the newsletter is tailored to their specific interests, they more likely to remain subscribed.

5. Pretty

Don’t just bang out any old newsletter. Make sure it is easy on the eye and looks professional. Also, before sending, check it in all email browsers. The last thing you want is for some recipients to receive a ‘broken’ email.

6. Great content

This is really the key to retaining your subscribers. Make sure every issue is packed with interesting and relevant copy that will reflect your readers’ interests.

7. Second chance

Even if you follow tips 1 to 6, you will still get some people unsubscribe. Firstly, don’t take it personally. Secondly, this is a great chance to convince them to stay.

When they get through to your unsubscribe page, offer them a change of frequency or ask them to select a more specific newsletter from your segmented list.

Are you a regular user of newsletters? If so, how do you make sure you keep your readers interested?

Sally Ormond – freelance copywriter

Producing a regular newsletter for your business is a great marketing tool.

Whether you write the content yourself or you hire a freelance copywriter, you must ensure the content is something your reader will want to read. If not, you’ll be buried under an avalanche of unsubscribers.

What makes a good newsletter?

This might sound obvious, but the clue is in the name – newsletter.

Yes, you’ve got it – news.

Tell them something they’ll be interesting in such as the latest industry news, tips that will be of use in their work, articles that are relevant to their industry etc.

This will help strengthen your relationship with your customers.

What makes a bad newsletter?

A newsletter that bangs on constantly about your achievements, your products and your services.

You walk a fine line because you’ll want your newsletter to generate business for you but you also want to build strong relationships.

How do I achieve the ultimate balance?

You provide information that is useful and relevant and within that copy you weave references to your products and services. Within this context they will appear as being of service to your reader rather than self-serving.

What kind of articles can I lead with?

It’s always a good idea to have a lead article for your newsletter. If you have too many subjects within one issue you’re reader may be left confused. Some great ideas for this are:

• Latest industry news
• Advice
• Analysis on a new topic or product
• How-to article
• Case studies because people love to read real life stories

Your additional material could be things like – product updates, news about upcoming events, general information or reminders and teasers for the next issue

Of course – the final thing to remember (as with all email communication) is to include an opt-out option.

In the business world a newsletter is a great tool to keep in touch with your customers to keep them informed with what’s happening in your world and, of course, keeping your name in their minds.

But there are so many companies out there who are getting it badly wrong. In my post about newsletter marketing I gave you some tips about how to use a newsletter. Sadly, many companies are using them as glorified adverts.

That is such a bad idea.

Your newsletter should give added value to your relationship with your client. Granted, that would mean once in a while you may want to convey a special offer or details of a new product. But do that only once in a while.

Adding value is all about reciprocity. Give information, share tips, bring them some news that will benefit them. By doing this regularly you will earn your clients’ trust. In return, they will be more likely to come to you when they need your services.

The temptation to write a newsletter thinly veiled as an advert is too much for some people. I came across this post recently by inbox marketer explaining that Good Newsletters Aren’t Brochures which has some useful tips on this exact point.

Q: What happens if your newsletters are just selling, selling, selling.

A: The recipients will unsubscribe, forget who you are and buy from your competitor who has been providing them useful hints and tips.

We all know the old adage that you have to make seven impressions on a prospect before they buy. We also all know that it doesn’t always happen because we are fickle creatures and we all have different motivations that make us part with our hard earned cash.

Ker…ching!

That is one of the best sounds when you’re in business.

Happy customers are customers who come back again and again and spread the word about your company. But how can you be sure they’ll  remember your name when they need your services again? Let’s face it, it could easily be a year or more and time does have a tendency to
erase the memory.

The answer is simple…

How effective is your newsletter?

I am assuming you send out a newsletter.

You do, don’t you?

If not, you’re missing a great marketing opportunity. Not only does your newsletter act as a reminder to your customers that you are there whenever they need you, but it also acts as a great sales tool.

Of course to get people to sign up for your newsletter you’ll need to offer them something. It could be anything from a free eBook to tips and advice. But whatever it is, it has to add value to the buyer-seller relationship.

Don’t become a one-trick pony

Don’t use your newsletter purely as a sales tool – that will just lead to a flood of unsubscribers. Use it as a way of adding value to your relationship with them:

1. Give tips and advice
2. Tell them about the other services you offer
3. Use it to convey special offers
4. Provide information they may find of interest

An offer perhaps once a quarter is enough, any more frequently than that and they’ll get fed up, unsubscribe or just stick you in the junk mail.

Of course, the biggest problem any business faces with this kind of marketing is finding the time. If your newsletter is going to be effective it needs to be regular. The odd intermittent issue will leave your readers wondering what’s going on. Of course, running a regular newsletter requires:

• Time
• Content
• A creative flare for putting it all together in aninteresting way

You may already have this covered by a member of staff, but if it is one of those jobs that is constantly pushed to the bottom of your ‘to-do’ pile, perhaps you should consider outsourcing and leaving someone else with the monthly headache.