Ask the Experts: Using Email Newsletters Part 1

Q: I have started gathering email addresses of clients and potential customers and I know that sending email newsletters can be a very successful way of marketing. There's so much to think about though (content, design, email software providers) and I'm worried about the negative impact if I get it wrong. Where do I begin?

Producing regular email newsletters has always been a good use of marketing budgets as you can use them to share worthwhile information and expertise with your customers and prospects. A newsletter keeps your name in front of those looking to buy, building loyalty and trust.

Despite the social media bandwagon, an email newsletter remains a highly visible and cost effective way to build awareness about what you do. It helps develop those all-important business relationships by talking directly to customers via their inbox and providing a distinctly personal customer experience.

What’s involved

An email newsletter is essentially a direct marketing tool delivered electronically. It can be as simple as a plain text email with a couple of news items or helpful tips for your readers, or a branded HTML email. This features more extensive content – a lead article, say, supported by two shorter pieces, listings (of any upcoming events or previous articles), reminders of your services and pictures.

Let’s focus on the first two format options, text and HTML. Here’s a quick comparison:

Text-based newsletters:

• Simple to put together
• More personal in look and tone (just like a normal email)
• Display consistently no matter what program is used to open them
• Lack visual impact

HTML newsletters:

• More content presentation options
• Use images and colour for better visual appeal
• Enable brand consistency across your marketing
• Deliver tracking and usage statistics

Sign-up

To ensure your newsletter is delivered successfully you’ll need to sign up to a hosted email marketing program. This will handle your mailing list (and any changes to it) as well as ensuring your efforts conform to current email legislation and best practice.

Don’t be tempted to use your everyday email client instead – it’s not designed to manage subscriber preferences (an anti-spam essential) nor will it track open rates.

And, unless you have the time to schedule individual emails to maybe hundreds of recipients, it will send them all at once – which could see you blacklisted as a spammer. Hardly the result you’re looking for!