Give it a Shot: Tips for Creating an Effective E-Newsletter Program

This article is sponsored by VerticalResponse, a direct marketing self-service provider and proud supporter of the OfficeArrow community.

The economy and the recent holiday season encouraged many small business leaders to test out email marketing at the end of 2008. After all, it's simple, affordable and trackable. Maybe you started out with a "thank you for your business" message or you enticed customers with offers for repeat business and referrals. Either way, we know that the idea of creating a consistent e-newsletter on a monthly basis seems daunting.

Well fear not, you can put a surprisingly compelling newsletter together with a small amount of information. In a recent Extreme Email Makeover session that VerticalResponse hosted, we found that many customers are putting too many offers together in one email and calling them newsletters. The result: nothing stands out, it isn't clear to the customer what action they should take, and over time, recipients stop opening the emails.

A great e-newsletter can be created with very basic information that is readily available. The key is a balance of information and offers (remember the 'what's in it for me' factor). Each newsletter should have a minimum of 3 topic areas and no more than 5, unless you have an established readership and a great layout that is proven to support additional content that won't overwhelm.

Easy E-newsletter Content Topics:

1. A Message from the Expert: A short communication from you to your audience or an introduction that drives recipients to your blog for a feature length article. Consider offering 5 Ways to Improve X in 2009. Include the first 2 tips in your newsletter and link to the full story on your blog for the full list.

2. Customer Testimonial: A simple quote, a measurable result achieved, or link to a video testimonial hosted on YouTube.

3. An Offer: Do you have a white paper, discount, or current promotion to announce?

4. Event Schedule: Link to the event page on your website or directly to an industry event you plan to attend.

5. Quick Fact: What's the most popular selling product last month? What do your customers view as the greatest challenge to their business next year? Gather important insights and facts with a simple online survey tool and share results in each issue.

The final challenge is committing to frequency so that your audience will come to expect your newsletters. Write your first 3 issues at the same time. Line up 3 customer quotes, 3 notable events worth covering, and 3 facts to share from a single survey. Remember, this month's event can become next month's main article. That's a formula for successful newsletters.

Measuring Your Success:

So, how do you gauge your success? How do you know that you've created an effective e-newsletter program?

One of the most common questions in our VerticalResponse Marketing Lounge is: "What's average?" What people really want to know is "what's a ‘good' open, click, bounce rate?"

Everyone wants to compare their results to the average and validate if their campaign results are "good". There are benchmark metrics for all email statistics, but they vary widely by industry, list size, and various other company characteristics. You need to compare apples to apples and not get caught up in the comparison game. Instead, focus your energy on a few of our favorite things:

1. Grow a Great List: Create an opt-in form today and start using it. Take the time to build your list the right way, mail to it regularly and provide relevant content. A great list doesn't happen overnight, but the results from one will provide you a solid Return on Investment (ROI) time and time again. For more helpful tips on building your list, check out our previous article on the topic: Build Your Email List in 3 Easy Steps.

2. Put it to the Test: Test your subject line, test your offer, test the time of day you send your campaign. A simple tweak in your email campaign could squeeze in some additional clicks, opens or even added revenue!

3. Make it Personal: If you have an opt-in form, then you can use personalization to include items like your clients name in the email. "Hello Kim" is so much nicer than "Hello Valued Customer". And you can kick it up a notch by adding in other information you've collected, like birthdays or last item purchased. It's a great way to build the relationship with your customers.

Watch your business grow with email marketing! With VerticalResponse, you can create emails in minutes, no technical experience required. Choose from over 300 designs, type your copy, select your recipients and send...it's that easy! Sign up for a free account today and receive 250 free emails just for being an OfficeArrow member.

For more information on creating effective e-newsletters and measuring success, visit the experts at VerticalResponse.