Carrigan provides an excellent article about using email newsletters as a marketing tool, and here I'll highlight his tips for using this cost effective tool to build customer relationships. Commentary will be interspersed as appropriate.
Facts and strategies about using email to build credibility:
E-mail costs less to deliver than other written communications tool. With the lower cost (over print direct marketing) more can be invested in customer segmentation, copywriting, and content production. This however doesn't mean you can send it more frequently or even be haphazard in your testing.
E-mail can be used for customer acquisition, but it's more useful to stay in touch with existing customers. With issues of SPAM and people generally overwhelmed with email messages, communicating with existing customers providing something of value works best. Focus on the receiver of the message.
E-mail can contribute to relationship value in a customers mind. The more useful your email message the greater credibility the customer attributes to the sender. With credibility comes trust. Carrigan goes into more detail about structuring your message.
E-mail produces results comparable to other marketing methods on-line and off. E-mail had been used and found effective for customer retention by a higher percentage of marketing executives than any other on-line or offline medium. Balance your customer communications along all mediums testing your results to know what works best for your company.
Newsletters via email contribute to customer retention. With a newsletter you can demonstrate credibility while providing a customer information they need to be more profitable in their own business. Focus on value to the customer and you increase trust in your brand.
Facts and strategies about using newsletters as a marketing tool:
A concise newsletter communicates your expertise, brand, and dependability. By providing news of value to the reader, you present your ability to serve them while establishing your brand in their mind. It's very important to deliver your publication on time and with accuracy, it reflects on your abilities to perform.
Let your newsletter provide a step off for other parts of your website. Deliver real value to readers and link to parts of your website that are appropriate to the content. This simplifies your readers search while introducing products, services, or additional details that may be of interest to your reader.
Focus on real problems and challenges faced by your target audience. Show your reader you can solve real problems in their business an they are more likely to continue the relationship with your organization. Help them use what they have already purchased better, and demonstrate the benefits of your products with relevant stories.
Keep newsletters focused respecting the time of your reader. Knowing your customers get a lot of email already, it's important to focus on specific solutions in a short message. If more details are necessary to go beyond the main point, then link to that information on your website.
Get the readers permission to send your message to them. Never send email to someone who you don't specifically have permission to mail, this will ruin your credibility. Start with your house list (those to whom you have an existing business relationship), and move through other lists available to your company. Send a simple invitation offering your newsletters, then require their specific opt-in before you send the publication regularly.
Limit marketing and sales pitches to a small part of your newsletter. Build trust and credibility first, keep marketing and sales pitches small because most customers don't want to receive them regularly. Focus on valuable content that readers deem valuable.
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