Weekly Tip

Are Your Newsletters Really Newsletters?

Joel Rosenblatt, A/V Marketing Consultants

I’m endlessly fascinated that the majority of manufacturers’ and ESPs (Electronic System Professionals’) newsletters are more internally directed than written with their target audience in mind. Take a hard look at the ones you’ve created or received. Are many of the articles rehashed press release stuff, blatant or semi-blatant advertising copy and/or chest pounding? “Look at his stupendous thing that we make” manufacturers blare, “It’s gonna make your life perfect”. “Oh, and here’s another thing we sell that’ll make your dog’s life perfect too!”

ESPs don’t create as many newsletters as manufacturers but with the advent of services like Constant Contact, iContact, VerticalResponse and others it’s pretty easy to start an e-mail communications program. These programs can be economical and very effective. But in order to be effective they should be created primarily with the audience’s interest in mind. Here are some tips:

1. A newsletter should actually contain news! And it should be news that’s of interest to the reader, not twelve announcements about your latest products or achievements.
   
2. If you’re a manufacturer your newsletter contents should be of value to your customers; it should educate, entertain and offer them the opportunity to truly benefit from reading it.
   
3. If you’re an ESP, the newsletter should help your current and potential clients understand the value add that you bring to the party. And it should speak to them about the wonder, enjoyment and benefits that the products and services you offer can bring to their lives.
   
4. Newsletters should be written in language that the audience can readily understand. Skip the acronyms and indecipherable technical jargon.
   
5. Look at newsletters as a long term marketing exercise, Don’t expect instant gratification.
   
6. Send newsletters out regularly, but not too frequently. And don’t make them too long and involved. You don’t want to annoy’em, you want to inform them and keep your company “top of mind”.

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