Unleash the power of your newsletter

My coworkers and I don’t speak much until about 11 a.m. When we come in each morning, we each sit down at our desks, put our headphones on, and start working, so it noticed something was off yesterday when I walked in to a low buzz around the office. There was a lot of commotion for a Monday morning. There were a couple groups huddled around cubicles and conversations trailing down the hall. I thought my coworkers were just more awake than me, but then I realized, they were reading the company newsletter.

The hot topics of conversation were a funny photo of someone in accounting, caught off-guard at our Memorial Day picnic; a profile of a new marketing employee with tidbits no one knew about her life outside the office; and a new baby from development to be oohed over.

I realized there is always a buzz through our office on the day the monthly newsletter comes out. This doesn’t happen with emails. A couple people may reply with a quick comment to an email, but no one crowds around desks to discuss it. It is inside a stationary screen, and therefore doesn’t produce the same community atmosphere.

People actually read newsletters

The bottom line is that people read this monthly newsletter. Then talk about it. The information gets through to them and sticks with them because of the interaction involved. These newsletters give power to the message. They make people stop and take a look.

This goes beyond employee newsletters though. The same could be applied to any client or customer newsletters as well. They are a great way to get information to customers. Printing newsletters is actually pretty inexpensive, and when you take the results into account, well worth the investment.

Email is easily dismissed

An article I read recently in Forbes reported that media that consumers can touch and feel resonates and touches more emotions than those of the digital variety.

This means that sometimes, creating a quality printed piece is necessary when the information needs to be seen and remembered. Doesn’t it make sense when you think about it though?

Email is something people check quickly. They might only have the length of the parking lot as they walk to their car, or the time until the stoplight turns green. They scan for the ones they want, and move on. Messages can easily be missed or forgotten. With mobile, this becomes an even bigger issue. Few people take the time to read emails in depth.

A newsletter, whether it’s handed out or mailed, must be physically handled. The recipient holds it in their hands and sees it. This is already closer than an email gets you. Make that newsletter high quality with an inviting finish, eye-catching graphics and headlines, and quality content, and they will be reading it before you know it.

Make your newsletter more powerful

Keep a few things in mind while writing a client newsletter and you can see some great results.

1. Focus on your customers, not your company.

Don’t assume your customers love and need your company. They probably don’t think they do. You must convince them that they need your company and its offerings. Throwing all your products at them is not the purpose of a newsletter. This is a turnoff for most clients. You need to understand them first, and then you can get them to understand what they need from you.

2. Content, believe it or not, makes the whole difference.

Think of content in a way that people can use in their real lives. This means the content should be engaging enough that the client gets hooked on to it instantly. When the content is useful and enticing, your newsletter will have a more genuine feel. If they like the first part, they’ll keep reading. The more time they spend reading it, the more the chances they will take action afterwards. Make it genuine. If readers see through hype, the newsletter’s credibility will fall.

3. Consistency is vital.

When you promise to send your customer a periodic newsletter, stick to your word. Think of options, and make use of holidays and seasonality. Every newsletter will remind them that you are there. In most cases, sending out monthly newsletters is very effective. After a while, they will start expecting it.

4. At the end of the day, newsletters are an important marketing tool.

Keep experimenting. Use contests to get people hooked, include offers, and free coupons or gift cards. Include names of satisfied customers and their testimonials that speak well of your company. Just make sure that you offer them something that is exciting and enticing.

Make your content is strong and interesting and your newsletter will stand out from the crowd. Don’t expect instant results though. This form of marketing is long term, so customer relations must be built over a period of time.