Five Do's & Don'ts Using E-newsletters to Drive Sales

Five dos and don'ts of using newsletters to drive sales for your business
When done right, e-newsletters have the potential to do great things for your business.
Done incorrectly, newsletters can also turn off a lot of potential customers and do more harm than good.
So, how does one end up in the first category, as opposed to the latter?

1. Do have a clear idea of what the newsletter is supposed to accomplish.
• If you want people to buy your products or services, be sure to include valuable coupons in the communication you send out,
• Provide a clear call to action.
• Feature customer testimonials and product reviews that highlight some of your best products.

2. Do know whom you're e-mailing.
• Take your subscriber list and put them into different categories - the idea is to enable you to target specific customers with whom the message will resonate.
• Make sure you review your list, and send the announcement only to the people who are really going to care.
• Don't ever buy lists or subscribe people without their knowledge or permission, and include a way to opt out at the bottom of every newsletter.
• Don't be a spammer - the absolute worst thing you can do with your newsletter is give people the impression that you're just spamming them – tell users what the e-newsletter is about and let them opt-in.

3. Do make sure that your newsletter provides some value,
• Send out newsletters once a month instead of weekly. If you have a new and exciting development - alert readers to it,
• Linking to your Web site will also generate more traffic, which is great if you have ads up that pay per impression
• Since people usually scan e-mails pretty quickly, place the most pertinent information at the top instead of burying it somewhere at the bottom.

4. Don't overlook the importance of design. And Remember the KISS, Keep It Short & Sweet
• The most effective newsletters have a clean and simple design to them, and the fewer the words, the more likely people are to finish reading an article.
• Keep the colors to a minimum….use only one or two to make the text stand out.
• Use easy-to-read fonts like Arial, Times or Verdana, which are universally accepted by most e-mail programs.
• If you think something should really stand out, put it in bold.

5. Do consider professional help, and remember ROI

• With advanced analytics that can include detailed tracking information (forwards, opens and click-throughs), the pros can help you to figure out what works best for you and appeals to your customers the most.
• Seeking the help of a professional may cost you money – however when you consider the potential revenue – it may be worth the initial expense.


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