Just wanted to quickly let our customers know that starting Jan. 1, 2010, eNewsletterSolutions has merged with PCS online solutions. We now can offer web hosting, email services, ecommerce, website design and development, online marketing and Web 2.0 solutions, and virtual assistant services.
One of the most overlooked reasons why many small businesses and organizations fail at email newsletter marketing is because they can’t consistently create interesting and informative newsletter content month after month. While most email newsletter marketing obstacles can be minimized by outsourcing — deliverability issues, list building, creating templates, campaign reporting, keeping up with the latest best email practices — content creation remains a challenge because it’s time consuming.
So, unless you have someone on staff, who can research, write and edit your stories, and find and edit your images, your email newsletter is unlikely to succeed. And, if you think simply cutting and pasting your sales copy or product sheets into a template is going to work, think again. People want value. They want fun, interesting and educational information. If your subscriber feels you’ve just wasted his or her time, your email newsletter will not be well received. Following are some resources to help your email newsletter marketing efforts pay off:
Free Articles — There are many sources for free articles on a wide range of topics, from computers and dating to self improvement and weight loss, and everything in-between. The quality of the writing varies, so be sure to compare a few. The good part is most of these sources are free. The bad part is you have to credit the author with their biography and links. Depending on your overall goals, this may not work for your email newsletter. Two good examples include ArticlesBase and ArticlesFactory. While there are a few free sources that do not require credit, it will likely take you hours to find the right article.
Free Pictures – A few interesting images can really help your email newsletter stand out. There are hundreds of sites that provide free stock images. But, once again, most of them want you to credit the photographer and link back to them. But, there are some truly free ones, such as MorgueFile. In most cases it’s worth spending a buck or two to get the images you want without having to credit anyone. Both stockxpert and dreamtime have a good selection.
Freelancers — You can hire a freelance writer on sites like Elance at a fairly competitive rate. This is a good solution if you need articles on topics specific to your industry. The good news is you’ll get what you want; the bad news is it can easily cost you $50 to $500.
Email Newsletter Services — This type of service usually combines the technical aspects of email newsletter marketing, such as emailing, subscriber management and campaign reporting, with content creation and management. This is an excellent email newsletter solution for organizations on a tight budget, with prices from $30 to $50 on the low end to $1,500-plus on the high end. Topics range from A to Z.
Research, writing, producing and sending an email newsletter can be fun. But, how much fun do you think it will be after 18 months? Because so many small business owners have to multitask, email marketing often falls on the wayside because of time limitations. But, to have success, you have to produce and deliver a quality product consistently, and hopefully these ideas will help you succeed.
Email marketing has become such a generic term that it conjures up different things to different people. Some people might imagine a catalog of new products from their favorite hobby store, while others might think of a cool postcard they received from a local nightclub announcing the season’s entertainment lineup. Regardless of what type of email marketing you use, the one thing you must avoid is being perceived as spam. You do this by making sure your message always offers value – something that informs, entertains or educates the reader – and leaves them feeling satisfied. Following are seven popular types of email marketing.
1.) Email Postcards – These are short email announcements, usually with a graphic or two, that get right to the point. The layout is simple and the message is clear. They are commonly used to inform subscribers of special offers, new products and upcoming events. An example would be a “just listed’ postcard from a realtor informing potential buyers of a home that just came on the market.
2.) Email Catalogs - As the name implies, catalog emails are electronic versions of print catalogs, though it will usually only list or promote a small sampling of the products available. There are usually dozens of pictures with short descriptions and links underneath encouraging the reader to click the link to learn more and purchase. A common example of catalog marketing is a computer retailer showcasing an inventory of their hottest products.
3.) Email Press Releases – While this email marketing format generally targets media contacts, it is still widely used by businesses and organizations to reach other subscribers as well. If an organization has grown a sizeable emailing list, email press releases are a natural way to get the word out. A good example of this would be an animal shelter in an urban area that emails announcements regarding “pets available for adoption.” With a little writing and one click, the marketer can instantly deliver the release to hundreds, even thousands, of media contacts and pet lovers.
4.) Email Newsletters – Also known as an eNewsletter, this form of email marketing is very popular. The goal of an email newsletter campaign is to help a business or organization build a stronger relationship with its clients, prospects or membership group. The idea behind a good email newsletter is to deliver relevant content that subscribers will find informative, educational, or entertaining. A popular example would be a travel agency that provides a monthly eNewsletter to its clientele with a feature article on a hot travel spot, a sidebar with some travel tips, a testimonial with lots of pictures from a happy customer who just returned from a dream trip, and possibly some short narratives and pictures promoting the company’s featured vacation packages.
5.) Email Surveys – This format is newer than the others, but it works well for many purposes. It is exactly what it sounds like — a questionnaire where the recipient answers some questions and submits it. An example would be a city science center or local gym that wants to learn more about its member’s needs and desires. They send a survey, learn more about their members, and maybe offer a prize or free admission in return.
6.) Email Invitations - Similar to an email postcard, however, the theme is all about “inviting” you to some special event. It usually has a festive theme. For example, a restaurant might invite you to a special Italian night dinner to introduce you to some of its newest Italian dishes.
7.) Coupons - Simply a discount or special offer by email in an effort to garner new business, increase sales or encourage repeat business. Need I say more?
Each of these email marketing formats has its own unique advantages (and disadvantages), and it will take some experimenting to find out which ones your recipients respond well to. The best marketers will continuously test their campaigns to determine what their subscribers like and dislike, whether they want to receive daily, weekly or monthly emails and their preferences regarding format. Some will like short postcards, while others will soak up a lengthier newsletter. Some will still want plain text emails. It’s up to you to find out what they want – and then give it to them.
To learn more about email newsletter marketing – and how to use it to promote your organization – download my free Email Marketing Package.
Paul C. Stokes is the founder of eNewsletterSolutions, an email newsletter service provider that has been successfully helping thousands of businesses and non-profit organizations incorporate email newsletters into their internet marketing strategy since 2004.
Even though email marketing has been around for more than a decade, you might be surprised to learn how many people still don’t know what it is. According to Wikipedia, “E-mail marketing is a form of direct marketing which uses electronic mail as a means of communicating commercial or fundraising messages to an audience.”
While this is technically accurate, email marketing encompasses much more than that. Email marketing refers to sending emails with the goal of enhancing the relationship between a business and its past and current customers; emailing recipients to promote buyer loyalty and repeat business; emailing with the intention of obtaining new customers or persuading current patrons to buy something ; and adding advertisements to emails sent by other businesses or organization to their customers. Of course, there are many variations.
Some advantages of email marketing include ease-of-use, low-cost distribution, short delivery time, sophisticated tracking and response metrics, the large number of email users, it’s green (paper-free), and the ability to generate repeat and referral business automatically and cost effectively.
Some disadvantages include spam filters and bulk folders, deliverability issues, competing with the sheer amount of email that some people receive on a daily basis, and distinguishing themselves between legitimate and spam email marketing, and the constant battle to make the marketing emails worth reading.
Today’s savvy email marketers are aware of the pros and cons of email marketing and utilize various campaign reporting tools to analyze open rates, unsubscribes, clicks, bounces, purchases, and more. In addition, they employ permission-based marketing, also known as opt-in marketing, and always abide by the CAN-SPAM Act regulations to achieve better results.
A bad example of email marketing would be an email advertisement offering a special deal on lawn services, and the recipient lives in a condo. This basically wastes the receiver’s time. A prudent email marketer knows his audience and only sends them something they’ll value. Sure, they may fall short once in a while, but overall the emails are worth reading. As soon as the emails start becoming burdensome rather than rewarding, the recipient will quickly click the unsubscribe button.
A good example of email marketing would be an email newsletter that goes out to new home owners with home improvement and maintenance tips, special offers on furniture, window treatments, lawn care products or paint, and other information a new home owner would likely find useful. If the recipient finds the email newsletter informative, educational, or just fun, they’ll likely stay a subscriber and continue to receive the company’s messages. It doesn’t get any better than that in the marketing world!
In short, if you like the email messages you’re getting, that’s email marketing. If you despise the email you’re getting, that’s spam (at least in the recipient’s mind).
Categories: Email Marketing, Email Newsletters, Uncategorized | 
Tags: ecommerce, email, hosting, marketing, online, pcs, solutions, web | 
No Comments »
Recent Comments