We have many things we can consider when deciding how to market our company and get our message in front of our clients and prospects, but one of the best ways is with a newsletter. A simple but effective tool that not only keeps your existing clients informed and entertained but also provides your prospects the opportunity to see who you are and what you do while building credibility.
Many businesses seem to avoid newsletters as a marketing tool or as a way to communicate with their prospects. They consider the amount of effort it takes to develop the content and distribute them as a major obstacle. In doing so they miss a great chance to utilize one of the most effective tools available to present their company’s message. Click here to see a digital version of our current newsletter.
Here are 3 ideas to consider when developing a company newsletter that will help ensure a successful marketing program.
Educate, Inform, and Entertain.
The content of your newsletter should accomplish all 3 of these elements. The information should have value to your readers and provide them with useful ideas that they and their businesses can benefit from. It should be helpful to them and solve a problem or answer a question. Keep it interesting and entertaining so that they not only learn something but also enjoy the experience. Humor is a strong tool in marketing and, done properly, can greatly increase the impact of your message. Keep your newsletter professional but don’t forget to allow your clients and your prospects to smile a little as they navigate through the content.
Determine the frequency of your newsletter to help you develop a schedule and plan topics you want to cover. We recommend a minimum of once per quarter to maintain the effectiveness of the newsletter as a marketing tool.
Getting all this information can be the most difficult part of developing your newsletter but there are many ways to gather content that is relevant and interesting. Utilize people within your organization who are knowledgeable and assign them topics. Give them a deadline for when they need to have it in and follow up to keep them on schedule. Look for experts within your industry. Vendors and suppliers can sometimes provide articles of interest that may be useful to your clients or prospects. You can also work with an agency that can help research and develop content for you.
You don’t have to develop and print thousands of newsletters each time to have them enhance your marketing efforts. Consider printing smaller quantities to include in your collateral material, and sales presentations and to hand out at trade shows to your prospects.
