Imagine a low-cost e-marketing tool that your customers look forward to receiving, reminds them of who you are and what you do, supports your web site and search engine efforts, and has results that can be measured almost instantly. Sound good to you?
I'm talking about an E-Newsletter, which is simply the best e-marketing tool that you're not using.
What's so great about E-Newsletters? Well for starters, businesses that regularly send E-Newsletters typically have higher customer retention rates, better name recognition, and gain a competitive advantage over businesses that do not regularly send E-Newsletters.
So why are small businesses seemingly hesitant about sending E-Newsletters to their customers and prospects? It could be that they lack the staff (or confidence) to write articles, or maybe the time commitment required to make E-Newsletters a regular marketing activity seems too big. Although these are valid concerns, they are small in comparison to the benefits gained by implementing this highly successful e-marketing tool. To help your business take advantage of this invaluable web strategy, try these tips:
1. If you're not comfortable writing your own articles, try using free, syndicated articles from sources such as goarticles.com or ezinearticles.com (two sites where Biz Talk articles are syndicated as well). All you have to do is include the author's resource info at the end of the article, and you can reprint it in your E-Newsletter at no cost. You can search for articles by subject, title, or author to find articles that would be valuable and interesting to your own readers.
2. Include a section in your E-Newsletter that highlights your company's value proposition or showcases something special about your business. Change this section each month to include a special offer or announcement.
3. Add each E-Newsletter issue to your web site, and make sure you include links with good anchor text back to the other pages on your site. Consider creating a newsletter archive or adding each issue to your "What's New" page.
4. Avoid using your E-Newsletter as a sales pitch. Instead, focus on providing your readers with useful information that reinforces a positive image of your company and helps establish you as an expert in your industry.
5. Be consistent in sending out each issue. Sending E-Newsletters sporadically can cause a disconnect with your customers and may instead only remind them that they haven't received an E-Newsletter from you in a long time. Put your E-Newsletter on your marketing schedule and then stick to it.
After your E-Newsletter has been sent out, be sure to review the results of your campaign in the stats tracking section of your listserv service. Take note of which topics receive clicks, and which topics don't seem to generate much interest from your readers. After several months of watching your stats, you will probably see patterns emerge that can help you fine-tune your E-Newsletter content to better match your readers' needs and interests.
So in building a strong web strategy for your small business, don't forget to include E-Newsletters as a way to reach your customers and prospects on a regular basis with a welcome addition to their inboxes.
I'm talking about an E-Newsletter, which is simply the best e-marketing tool that you're not using.
What's so great about E-Newsletters? Well for starters, businesses that regularly send E-Newsletters typically have higher customer retention rates, better name recognition, and gain a competitive advantage over businesses that do not regularly send E-Newsletters.
So why are small businesses seemingly hesitant about sending E-Newsletters to their customers and prospects? It could be that they lack the staff (or confidence) to write articles, or maybe the time commitment required to make E-Newsletters a regular marketing activity seems too big. Although these are valid concerns, they are small in comparison to the benefits gained by implementing this highly successful e-marketing tool. To help your business take advantage of this invaluable web strategy, try these tips:
1. If you're not comfortable writing your own articles, try using free, syndicated articles from sources such as goarticles.com or ezinearticles.com (two sites where Biz Talk articles are syndicated as well). All you have to do is include the author's resource info at the end of the article, and you can reprint it in your E-Newsletter at no cost. You can search for articles by subject, title, or author to find articles that would be valuable and interesting to your own readers.
2. Include a section in your E-Newsletter that highlights your company's value proposition or showcases something special about your business. Change this section each month to include a special offer or announcement.
3. Add each E-Newsletter issue to your web site, and make sure you include links with good anchor text back to the other pages on your site. Consider creating a newsletter archive or adding each issue to your "What's New" page.
4. Avoid using your E-Newsletter as a sales pitch. Instead, focus on providing your readers with useful information that reinforces a positive image of your company and helps establish you as an expert in your industry.
5. Be consistent in sending out each issue. Sending E-Newsletters sporadically can cause a disconnect with your customers and may instead only remind them that they haven't received an E-Newsletter from you in a long time. Put your E-Newsletter on your marketing schedule and then stick to it.
After your E-Newsletter has been sent out, be sure to review the results of your campaign in the stats tracking section of your listserv service. Take note of which topics receive clicks, and which topics don't seem to generate much interest from your readers. After several months of watching your stats, you will probably see patterns emerge that can help you fine-tune your E-Newsletter content to better match your readers' needs and interests.
So in building a strong web strategy for your small business, don't forget to include E-Newsletters as a way to reach your customers and prospects on a regular basis with a welcome addition to their inboxes.
Lauren Hobson, President and CEO of Five Sparrows, has over 15 years experience in small business technology writing, marketing, and web design and development. Her articles reach 3,500+ readers every month, making it the most widely read small business publication of its kind in Michigan.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lauren_Hobson
