E-mail or E-Newsletter?
It seems that many consumers, as well as marketers, have trouble distinguishing between a promotional/company email and an e-newsletter. The reason often being? Companies are not utilizing several important opportunities in online communication techniques that make an e-newsletter successful. The result? Often times the two become indistinguishable by the typical consumer and that special e-newsletter becomes “just another email.“
As Jeanniey Mullen from Clickz Network writes in “Email vs. E-Newsletters: Is There a Difference?“ there are several key points to remember if you want to make your e-newsletter successful. Her suggestions are listed below:
“Remain timely. Don’t call it ‘Tuesday News’ if you can’t send it every Tuesday. But do establish a scheduled delivery calendar.
Prioritize messages. What’s the key takeaway? Make it prominent, clear, and intriguing so people will click through for more information.
Reader relevancy is sacred. Use subscription centers and click-through activity to guide message content and context.
Speak with one voice. Content often comes from different sources; make sure the copy tone is consistent.
Follow up on downloads and polls. Failing to acknowledge reader interaction can be damaging. Sharing action-based results in future e-newsletters drives loyal readership.
Add customer service to your e-newsletter loop. Even information-focused content can wake a sleeping tiger. Ensure that your customer service department has copies of your e-newsletters and is ready to respond to reader questions.
Use your e-newsletter as a testing ground. A recent B2B case study focuses on a company that only collects e-mail addresses from its readers. It wanted to enhance its profile. By analyzing click-through activity for vertically focused offers, the company was able to determine the reader’s general position in the company and adjusted the future content appropriately.
A simple statement goes a long way. A B2C client of mine adds a simple statement at the top of every e-newsletter. New readers receive a thank-you for requesting the information. Ongoing subscribers are told their patronage is appreciated. It’s simple, effective, and powerful” (Clickz Network, July 2005).
Posted by MindComet on Jul. 11, 2005