By Dan DelMain
Are you a business owner looking for a new and profitable marketing opportunity? Many business owners (especially B2B service providers) find new business comes from referrals and previous clients. One of the best, easiest and most profitable ways to keep in touch with old clients and referral partners is through an email newsletter.
Why Email Newsletters?
- Connect and strengthen relationships with your most satisfied clients — the people most likely to recommend you to their network and leave 5-star reviews.
- Share company news. When you update your website, post a blog, or announce a new service, a newsletter is a great way to increase awareness and get traffic to your website
- Maintain partnerships. Newsletters are a great way to keep in touch with your strategic partners and industry connections, both of whom are great sources of referrals.
- Email newsletters are profitable. When done right, they are easy (and inexpensive) to write and send.
Best Practices For Email Newsletters
1. Send Thoughtfully and Only to the Right People
Don’t send emails to people who don’t want to receive them. At best it’s annoying and at worst you’ll lose an otherwise enthusiastic fan. Focus on the quality of your email list, not the size of the list. Many email services require that recipients “opt-in” meaning that they actively agreed to be part of your mailing list.
2. Use the Right Email Newsletter Service
I always recommend MailChimp, because it’s…
- Easy to use, even for novices
- Got great reporting tools and metrics
- Free if you have under 2,000 emails in your list
3. DRY – Don’t Repeat Yourself! Create a template!
Always keep DRY in mind. Don’t Repeat Yourself! This tip extends beyond email marketing. Any time you can avoid making more work for yourself, take it! When it comes to email marketing, create an easy to use template that you can update with a new message each month. Make sure your template uses:
- Company logo colors, branding, and fonts
- Underlined links or buttons that are easy to see and click
- Links to main social media profiles
4. Always Have a Goal For Each Newsletter
Don’t send newsletters just to send them. Think strategically and always have an important piece of news to share or a topic to promote, including:
- Upcoming company events
- New finished projects or exciting news from your clients
- New blog posts or service offerings
- Interesting industry news or advice
As a rule of thumb, don’t directly promote your business in every newsletter.
