There are so many marketing tools to choose from. It can be difficult to know which will work best for your business. However, a weekly e-mail newsletter is an effective and easy marketing tool for any woman in business online.
Here are a few reasons why you will benefit from publishing a weekly e-mail newsletter of your own.
* Sending out an e-mail newsletter is inexpensive. There are no printing or mailing costs associated with contacting prospects via e-mail. You will need to use a newsletter management program to send out your newsletter, but you can look for one within your price range. Newsletter management programs allow subscribers to manage their own subscriptions, so you don’t need to pay anyone for that service. Some even offer templates for you to use so you won’t need to hire a designer either.
* You can track your marketing. You can only improve that which you measure. Many newsletter management programs offer tracking so you can see how many of your subscribers are opening your newsletter. You can also see which links in your newsletter they’re clicking on. This will tell you what it is about your newsletter that interests your readers the most, and you can make the appropriate changes. Over time you’ll know your ideal clients so intimately well they’ll wonder how you manage to stay one step ahead of them all the time.
* You are marketing to people who are interested in what you sell. Your subscribers signed up for your newsletter because they were interested in the information you offer. They have raised their hand to say YES! I want more. This makes it easier for you to build a relationship with them and convert them into paid customers.
* Your subscribers will become familiar with your products or service. It’s said that people need to hear about your product or service at least seven times before they will think about purchasing it. If you send out a weekly newsletter, that’s a great way to tell them about your product, over and over again. Remember to include helpful information as well, so they won’t feel like you’re sending them a sales pitch every time.
* You will become a reliable resource, not just a salesperson. Did you catch that? When you build relationships with a community if subscribers who WANT to hear from you it shifts the focus from selling to informing. When you regularly publish helpful information in your newsletter, you become a trusted expert. Your subscribers come to know you as a valuable resource they can rely on for advice. This means they will be more likely to purchase from you when they’re ready.
* You will build relationships with your community. People buy from people they know, like and trust. When your subscribers hear from you on a regular basis, you will become familiar to them. They will feel like they know you and get to like you. Because you’re consistently providing good information, they will come to trust you. When they’re ready to purchase, everything will be in place for them to buy from you.
An e-mail newsletter is a great marketing tool that any business owner can use. Not only is it simple to manage, it will help you turn more of your prospects into customers.
I stopped doing newsletters about 2 years ago because they were a LOT of work to do and the return was very little. Now I just send emails out to my list as if I was writing to my sister. I find it much more personal. I have a much better response rate and people feel more like they know me as a person…which is much better than an anonymous company who is sending a blanket email out to everyone without any heart to it. Just works better for me…With some businesses newsletters will work better.
Tracy
Hi Tracy, thanks so much for sharing your experience. This is inspiration for me to share a part II on this email newsletter topic because I also approach my email newsletters much the same as you – especially for my Gina Bell Inc site. I personally don’t resonate with the traditional html template approach. I still consider it an email newsletter process – delivered with a non-traditional spin
I will be trying something new for IAWBO though – not an html template eZine but an ezine blog site. Will share the journey as that unfolds too. Oh, and I just wanted to add that I too experience a MUCH better response with the letter to a friend email approach. ~ Gina xo
I have a weekly ezine and I love it! I speak to my list as if I were writing to my best friend, no need to be formal, and I do HTML to keep in line with my branding,(and it’s really pretty and more valuable in my opinion –just my opinion). It’s the perfect way to connect with my list, add value and let people know what’s coming up.
I’ve gotten countless emails from readers appreciating my weekly efforts and it’s a great way to NOT overload my list with daily emails…I just let them know everything in the eZine with a couple of follow up reminders for larger promotions or specials.
I think they’re great, especially if you’re just starting out and need a reason to connect with your list, grow trust and rapport and gain visibility.
Hi Kimberly, thanks for popping in
Your comments reminded me WHY the html-style didn’t work for me he he. I felt SO restricted by the structure and allocating/creating the content always felt like a job to me even when my VA managed the “template” part of the process. Sometimes it’s a personality thing or how we individually approach it. You are an implementer Kim and I do agree that the html ezine is huge brand supporter 
Thanks for the reminder that an html approach doesn’t have to be formal. For me, whatever the approach or style – consistency is the key and, having a strategy – whatever that may be – is better than none at all. xo