Customer Newsletters are a very cost-effective way of staying in touch with your client base. They allow you to relay news about your company, promote a community atmosphere, and create further interest in your products or services.
There is a right way and a wrong way to create a newsletter. If you do it right, the newsletter should produce new leads and result in further conversions. If you do it wrong, it will be seen as uninteresting at best and an annoyance at worst. In fact, if your newsletter doesn’t offer some sort of value to the customer, readers will likely unsubscribe from your mailing list.
Creating Good Newsletter Content
Here are some basic do’s and don’ts for writing articles contained in your Customer Newsletter:
• Do write articles that are informative and interesting.
• Don’t simply include information about how great your company and its products are, it should never be one long advertisement.
• Do write about a topic in a way that you can include a subtle call to action.
• Don’t add fluff such as quote of the day or a recipe.
• Do include news about your company that promotes a specific benefit to the customer.
• Don’t talk about things such as your “Employee of the Month” which few readers will be interested in, unless you can make it relate to how this improves customer service.
• Do talk about your customers (with their permission).
• Do highlight achievements of your company and its employees.
• Do give helpful tips related to your company’s offerings, this establishes authority while giving away good information.
Generating Sales Leads
Obviously the point of your newsletter is to encourage sales.
Make sure you give readers an easy way to share the information in the newsletter, such as a clickable “forward to your friends” button as well as a link at the bottom that connects to a subscription form on your website.
You might consider offering an extra freebie to any new subscribers, such as a short ebook, pamphlet, or discount offer. When the newsletter is forwarded by a friend or acquaintance, new readers are more likely to subscribe, and visit your site to buy your products or services.
Testimonials from satisfied customers are another great way to persuade others to make a purchase. You might post a case study showing the positive impact your company made on a particular client with a quote from their chief executive.
You may also want to include an article about a specific product that customers are raving about. Short customer quotes sprinkled amongst the articles is also very effective at sending a positive message. Don’t have lots of customer testimonials you can use? Send your existing database a feedback form or survey to encourage comments.
After you’ve created the ideal company newsletter, distribute it as widely as possible. The more customers and potential clients you can reach, the better your conversion rate and the more effective tool your Customer Newsletter becomes.
Have a most outstanding day.
Sean RasmussenAussie Internet Marketing
www.AussieSEO.com 2010
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{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Sean,
I don’t have any experience with writing a customer newsletter. I know I’ll need to write one soon so I’ve been keeping a collection of the ones I do like. I find that it’s an easy way to pick up tips and ideas.
My favourite customer newsletters are the ones that actually address my by name. Also, would you add social bookmarking icons to the bottom of the newsletter to make it easy to share?
Jazz Salinger´s last blog ..Learn and Earn Competition – This is It
A newsletter is probably not the ideal content to add to social bookmarking sites Jazz, being able to share with friends etc is fine
Hi Sean
I have developed a customer newsletter which has a maximum of 2 pages and the information dovetails with the information on my blog. I am setting it up in readiness for my ebook launch.
I have kept the information short and sweet, like on going serials so that customers will want to read ‘what comes next’, however the information I give them they can use or act upon now and is quick and easy to read.
I am very grateful for this article and check list. I can now go through it and tweak my newsletter before it is distributed. Thankyou very much.
Elly Wilson´s last blog ..
This is one thing I’ve never but I assume that writing a customer newsletter is going to be a task in my future. This article contains an excellent list of do and don’t tips. Some of the don’t are ones that I would never have thought of.
Thanks Sean for your excellent articles.
Don White´s last blog ..New Ireton Data
Hi Sean,
Thank-you for this excellent article on the do’s and don’t’s to writing a customer newsletter.
Sending a customer newsletter is a great way to keep in touch with customers. At the same time it introduces them to anything new the company has, a product or services.
Giving customers an opportunity to forward my newsletter on to their friends is ideal. Is there a way we can offer an incentive for them to do this, Sean?
Jill Brown´s last blog ..Couples Marry at Common Law
Thanks for these tips on writing a customer newsletter. I actually started writing newsletters but actually did a few of your don’t s above. So its good to have these pointed out to me. Also I have trouble doing this on a regular basis. How often do you suggest to send out a newsletter?
Jackie Stenhouse´s last blog ..Anxiety Separation in Children
Once per week at a maximum is usually the best option, possibly once per fortnight. Any more than this could lead to people unsubscribing, but you do want to keep some form of regular contact as well.
Great tips Sean – especially about leaving out the good ‘ol company cheat beating
It’s better to use Customer Newsletters to provide real information to your subscribers. Maybe a great offer or beneficial tips just for them without flogging your affiliate products.
Cemil´s last blog ..Squidoo PLR Articles Released