Newsletters: Now More Than Ever
Posted: 02/17/16
By Richard Rutigliano, PriMedia Inc.
With all the buzz these days about social media and driving website traffic, it is easy to overlook one tried and true marketing tool that is ideal for many businesses: the humble company newsletter. When used correctly, the printed newsletter remains an extremely effective tool for customer retention and cross-selling.
The cost of newsletter publishing has scared off some businesses in the past, but it is time to re-examine the true costs in light of today’s content marketing priorities. Much of the expense of newsletters is in content development. By repurposing newsletter articles as website content, blog posts, sponsored Facebook posts and e-mail blasts, you extend the value and effectively reduce the real cost of the newsletter publishing.
Furthermore, the quality of your content matters a lot in 2016, so an approach of creating excellent content once and then tweaking it for different channels will increase return on investment. Consider the various deliverables that you need from a newsletter and how quality affects them.
- Relationship building: Many companies are doing more for their customers and clients. Smart and informative articles in the company newsletter raise awareness and promote the value of a broader relationship.
- Website promotion: As businesses improve their websites, they need to reap the benefits by driving traffic there. Highlight your website and other online assets in the newsletter so customers will take advantage and appreciate you more than ever.
- Customer reviews: Companies need great online reviews. Use the newsletter to talk up the value you deliver and encourage customers to write you up in testimonials and online reviews.
- Recruitment: A newsletter that represents the company will work well in customer recruitment campaigns. Order extra copies and use them for outreach.
Newsletters can help you in so many ways, and the trick is to truly support your company’s unique goals. Follow these four steps, and you’ll publish newsletters that deliver the results you want.
- Identify your goals and plan accordingly. Talk with your agency and formulate a content plan that provides maximum support for current goals. Identify the customer actions you want, and focus your content on driving those results.
- Promote your company values proactively. Many companies mistakenly think that doing good work is enough, but that is simply untrue. Don't overlook the “soft deliverables,” such as helping customers appreciate what a great company you are.
- Break the mold. Work with your agency to create a bold, purposeful newsletter that really makes a point.
- Mind your tone. Consumers are showing a decided preference for straightforwardness. Don't pull back from promoting new products and services, but be careful to cater to evolving tastes by drawing a clear line between information and promotion. Consider grouping promotional articles on one page labeled “Company Promotions” or “Products (or Services) to Consider.”
High-quality content has a place in every marketing plan, as does a high-quality newsletter. Merge the two in 2016 to give your sales team the support it needs while maximizing the value of your marketing spend.
If you’re looking to take your business to new heights this year, PriMedia is ready to help. Please give me a call at 800-796-3342 or email me at rrutigliano@primediany.com.
