By Amanda Bala
Maybe your business has a company newsletter, or maybe you are considering starting one. Well, the questions that should always be foremost in your mind are; why is it necessary to have a newsletter? What benefits are there to having one? What constitutes a good newsletter? Finally, what should be included in your newsletter? In this article, we will discuss why newsletters are necessary and how they can benefit your company. In our next entry, we will cover how to make your newsletter stand out and be informative as well as aesthetically pleasing to your readers.
There are many reasons and benefits to having a company newsletter. A newsletter is a great way to keep in touch with your existing clientele. It keeps you in front of them. It is six times more costly to make a sale to a new customer than to an already existing one. By using a newsletter you can focus your marketing on customers you already have. Even if you are not doing business with them at the moment, it is a constant reminder that you are still there. Then, the next time they are looking for expertise in your area, you will be the one they think of.
Newsletters are also good because you can put coupons or offers into the newsletter. This can entice your clients to do repeat business with you. Or, they may see an offer that they feel would benefit someone they know and pass it along. However, you do want to be careful in this area. Do not fill your newsletter full of too many offers and deals. You are not looking for a hard sell. Nothing will turn clients off faster than reading “act now or lose out” on every page.
Newsletters are also helpful because they give your company a voice, a persona that clients and readers can connect to. It makes you more approachable and relatable. You want to fill it full of interesting happenings in your company and your industry. Be sure to keep readers apprised of fast breaking news and success stories of both your company and your clients. However, do tread lightly when speaking of your successes. It is fine to toot your own horn a bit, but do not make it so that your newsletter is only full of highlights of business success. People eventually will start to think, “So, what? How does this help me?”
In the end, it is ultimately up to you if you want to start a company newsletter. You have to weigh the benefits you may receive to the time and money that you will put putting into the newsletter. If printed newsletters are too expensive, consider an e-mail newsletter sent to people who subscribe at your web site. Either way, a newsletter can be a useful tool to help your business.