One of the most powerful ways of building your business is through a free newsletter. Your visitors will rarely buy on their first visit to your website, so it is important to capture their email addresses. Offering a free newsletter is an effective way to do this.
In order to make this tool effective there are a few points to be considered. Firstly you will need to make a quality newsletter. 75% of the online newsletters are mere advertising machines. Do not fall into this trap as you will not build a strong database of subscribers like this. It is not worth jeopardizing quality for a few dollars. If you want to do more advertising you can build and announcement list. Here are a few points to make your newsletter a valuable tool.
Quality content is what will keep your readers interested
and cut unsubscribes to a minimum. An original info article on a hot topic is always a winner. You can add a tips section and a question and answers section.
Be careful not to make your newsletter a mere advertising machine. Do not treat your subscribers like dollar bills. A good ratio is 4 ads per issue and Solo ads not more than 2 per week. Always put your diclaimer that you will be showing 3rd party ads ect in your welcome letter, so that your subscribers are aware that they can expect ads when they subscribed to your newsletter.
Always send out your newsletter regularly. If it is a weekly newsletter, send out your publication on a specific day and do not skip editions. Regular publishing tells your readers that you are reliable and will help them buy services/products from you in the future. You will get a better open rate when you publish on a recurring basis.
Personalization is a nice touch for your newsletter. When your readers see that you have addressed their publication with their name they have a good feeling about you and your publication. Statistics show that there is a much higher ratio of sales from newsletters and ads that are personalized.
Treat your subscribers like the VIPs they are. Just because they joined your publication for free do not just think of your readers as dollar bills. Build relationships with them. Answer all their questions however small or strange within 24-48 hours. Keep a messenger open for communication. Always encourage your readers to contribute to the newsletter with questions and little pieces of information and even articles. Over time you will build a solid readership who will over time become your loyal long-term customers. This does not happen over night sometimes it can take as long as a year other times just a couple of months before your readers buy from you. Always include an ad for a small but useful tool or product within your newsletter to "break the ice" and build up confidence.
Include a survey within your newsletter or send one out periodically so that you are always in tune with your readers' needs and what they want to hear about. Go to related forums within your field to find "hot topics" to write your article on. Put an eye catching subject line for your newsletter to encourage readers to open and read it.
Present your newsletter well. A good clean clear layout appeals to readers and will keep them reading. Be consistent in your layout your subscribers will like this. It brands your newsletter in their eyes so that they remember your publication and helps them become regular readers.
How to send your newsletter-Tools you will need to publish and send:
A good autoresponder is a must. It is critical to the success of your publication to automate list management and sending your newsletter out to your readers. A good autoresponder will do both. Here is how you will set one up.
A good word processor is another must for your newsletter. Microsoft word or word pad can help you produce a goo formatted newsletter. It will also help you correct spelling and grammar errors. It is critical to your credibility as a newsletter publisher to be sure your publication is free from spelling and grammatical errors.
Ready to go:
Now you have everything set up be sure to drive highly targeted traffic to your site. Remember those who do not buy first time may still sign up for your newsletter. By this means you have a chance to build a relationship with them through your publication and make them your life long customer. Make your newsletter the heart of your business build your list with care and you will ensure the continued growth and profit for your business.
Author: Constantin Chersin
I was born in September 20, 1955 in Romania, and I am a Romanian citizen. Married, 2 beautiful daughters 18 and 20 years.
I graduated Faculty of Automatics in 1983 becoming a System Engineer, with a full degree. I worked in Ultra Sonic and High Frequency Power Supply Converter research institute in Bucharest, Romania until 1990.
After the fall of Ceausescu's regime, I have worked in sales since 1994. I now run my own company FOX I.E. in Romania. Starting in 1997 my company has dedicated its whole efforts to internet software activity.
In 2003 I founded my own US based corporation IT PRO VISION, Inc. Both companies have their own websites at
FOX SOFTWARE and IT PRO VISION, Inc.
More articles can be found at http://marketing.itprovision.net.