Issuing an Online Newsletter

If your are searching for a powerful marketing vehicle that can, in one gesture, amass a customer base, sustain contact with clients, and promote your products while establishing your online credibility, look no further than the online newsletter. The newsletter is one of the most effective promotional tools in your e-marketing mix and it costs little - or nothing - to implement. But keep one rule in mind: a newsletter should be about news. There are already too many e-publications out there that are low on content and high on pitch - and that defeats the very point.

This means that a company newsletter should contain compelling industry information and breaking news rather than shameless self-promotion. If your newsletter looks professional, is engaging, explores fascinating industry topics, and is possibly entertaining at the same time, then you are representing your company as a reputable and attentive source of information. Show your expertise and integrity. Though the initial yield is intangible, the long-term profit won't be.

If you must have an overt marketing agenda, resist overwhelming subscribers with too much of it: any promotional materials should be tastefully, subtly, and strategically couched in your letter. Here, be creative and discretely tie your news items back to your products and promotions. You can do this by providing relevant links that respect your customer's ability to choose. Remember, the point of a newsletter is to build trust and strengthen contact with your customers - and to fortify their perception of your competence and leadership. If your product delivers excellence, your subscribers will remember you when it comes time to choose an online merchant.

Though a newsletter costs basically nothings to put out, when it comes to investing time, make sure you don't skimp. A newsletter can be a double edge sword. A poorly written one - or one that is focused exclusively on pitch - does little to bolster company image. In fact, a newsletter that emulates junk mail is simply bad PR, and feeble writing always sends the wrong message. Stay heavy on the content, make sure the writing is strong, and by all means avoid filler.

Next, regularity and promptness are almost as important as quality; if your newsletter shows up sporadically, unpredictably, then you might be telling subscribers that your company is disorganized, or that your resources are scattered. It does not matter whether you launch it daily, weekly, or bi-monthly, just make sure it dispatched on schedule.

To enlist subscribers, provide visitors to your site with an opportunity to add their name to your mailing list. Better yet, advertise your newsletter as an important source of industry news and information, or let your customers know that you just want to keep them informed of company developments and product promotions. Always reassure them that e-mail addresses will be kept confidential and that they will not overwhelmed by mail as a result of subscribing.

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The following articles discuss the marketing benefits of e-newsletters and offer clear solutions for launching a quality publication.

TipsZone.com - If you want to promote your website in newsletters, TipsZone.com provides a great index of reputable e-commerce newsletters that can give your e-business exposure.

The Power of E-mail Marketing This article documents the advantages of electronic newsletters and e-mail discussion lists.

Signature Files: The Ugly Stepchild of Promotional Strategies A discussion of signature files as a sub-component of e-mail promotion activities.

Building Your Online Fan Club Ways to establish a solid customer base while informing you clients.

Using HTML Newsletters to Your Advantage This article discusses the advantages of HTML in creating enticing, even website-independent newsletters.

Trailblazing PR's Newest Frontier - Why content-rich e-newsletters and e-zines can reap huge PR profits.

Launching an Email Newsletter Initial advice and some important launch-tips for publishing an e-newsletter.

Build an Email Newsletter to Build Relationships Solutions for providing a high-quality, reliable newsletter.

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