Everyone
should develop a 10 touch plan to stay in contact with their clients on a
regular basis. The easiest way to do this is through an ezine or electronic
newsletter.
This is a great way to share information, promote your products, and get feedback from your most important customers. Here are some pointers to creating a successful newsletter.
1.Have a Theme.
The largest pitfall to developing an effective newsletter is the lack of a theme. When creating newsletters on a regular basis, select a unique theme every month that appeals to your audience. Once you have identified a theme, be sure that your newsletter content focuses on that specific theme throughout its content. With my newsletter, I have a number of themes to suit my different audiences; sales, technology, speaking and motivation.
2. Allow for Easy Reading and Archiving
The first few seconds are your most important so make them count. Use big, bold headlines, and article descriptions, providing links to the full article or related content areas. Also, make it easy for subscribers to read back issues and put a link to the archive on your blogs and websites.
3. Use Graphics.
Producing a newsletter that's wall-to-wall text will not be able to keep the interest of even your most savvy reader. Include photographs and videos where possible. This will break up those large blocks of content and increase your newsletter's appeal. Make sure your graphics include links to the articles or products they reference as Internet browsers tend to click on pictures or graphics presented online.
4. Include Product or Service Information.
Internet users are very comfortable with product promotion especially when receiving free information or content. I always try to give a great deal of content as well as many free resources – take a look in the links section. Products or services that are closely aligned with the theme of your newsletter can be ideal. As a rule of thumb, keep the number of products you promote to three or less.
5. Be Viral.
Never assume that the person reading your newsletter signed up for it directly. In fact, you should encourage your readers to forward the newsletter to others who may be interested in the content you're providing. Make it easy for new users to sign up through a link in each edition of your newsletter. When users forward a copy to a friend, they can easily subscribe.
6. Place all your newsletter articles on your blog
This will attract a new audience who will pick up the articles from the internet, subscribe to your newsletter and eventually buy your products or services.
This is a great way to share information, promote your products, and get feedback from your most important customers. Here are some pointers to creating a successful newsletter.
1.Have a Theme.
The largest pitfall to developing an effective newsletter is the lack of a theme. When creating newsletters on a regular basis, select a unique theme every month that appeals to your audience. Once you have identified a theme, be sure that your newsletter content focuses on that specific theme throughout its content. With my newsletter, I have a number of themes to suit my different audiences; sales, technology, speaking and motivation.
2. Allow for Easy Reading and Archiving
The first few seconds are your most important so make them count. Use big, bold headlines, and article descriptions, providing links to the full article or related content areas. Also, make it easy for subscribers to read back issues and put a link to the archive on your blogs and websites.
3. Use Graphics.
Producing a newsletter that's wall-to-wall text will not be able to keep the interest of even your most savvy reader. Include photographs and videos where possible. This will break up those large blocks of content and increase your newsletter's appeal. Make sure your graphics include links to the articles or products they reference as Internet browsers tend to click on pictures or graphics presented online.
4. Include Product or Service Information.
Internet users are very comfortable with product promotion especially when receiving free information or content. I always try to give a great deal of content as well as many free resources – take a look in the links section. Products or services that are closely aligned with the theme of your newsletter can be ideal. As a rule of thumb, keep the number of products you promote to three or less.
5. Be Viral.
Never assume that the person reading your newsletter signed up for it directly. In fact, you should encourage your readers to forward the newsletter to others who may be interested in the content you're providing. Make it easy for new users to sign up through a link in each edition of your newsletter. When users forward a copy to a friend, they can easily subscribe.
6. Place all your newsletter articles on your blog
This will attract a new audience who will pick up the articles from the internet, subscribe to your newsletter and eventually buy your products or services.
7. Ping your Blog
I use a website http://www.pingomatic.com to ping my blog, this is, in effect getting the message to most of the blog directories that I have new articles on my blog for viewing.
8. Submit your Newsletter to the top directories
This will find subscribers who are interested in your subject and encourage them to sign up. Here are some to consider:
Ezine Articles - http://my.ezinearticles.com/
I use a website http://www.pingomatic.com to ping my blog, this is, in effect getting the message to most of the blog directories that I have new articles on my blog for viewing.
8. Submit your Newsletter to the top directories
This will find subscribers who are interested in your subject and encourage them to sign up. Here are some to consider:
Ezine Articles - http://my.ezinearticles.com/
Go Articles - http://goarticles.com/
Largearticle - http://largearticle.com/
Articlebase - http://www.articlesbase.com/
9. Have a second, short newsletter
I noticed that many of my CEO clients were too busy to read my normal long newsletter. I then produced a second newsletter with only five or six links to the newsletter articles now on my blog. This increased readership by 33%.
10. Promote your newsletter everywhere.
Promote your newsletter on your website, blogs, vlogs, articles and videos. I promote my newsletter on some of my YouTube videos and this has resulted in 10,000 new subscribers in the past year.
11. Find the right software for your newsletter.
I have two lists, my ‘A’ list which is people that I know or those who have seen me speak. For them I use Constant Contact and for my ‘B ‘ list which is subscribers from all over the world that I have never met, I use Infacta Groupmail.
Frank Furness CSP CFP TOT is a professional speaker and trainer specialising in financial services sales and sales management. He has educated, entertained and inspired audiences in 53 countries. His publications and sales CDs have been sold globally. For more information or to sign up for the free ‘Sales Tips & Ideas’ newsletter, email frank@frankfurness.com and for resources take a look at http://www.frankfurness.com and http://www.technologytoolsforbusiness.com
Articlebase - http://www.articlesbase.com/
9. Have a second, short newsletter
I noticed that many of my CEO clients were too busy to read my normal long newsletter. I then produced a second newsletter with only five or six links to the newsletter articles now on my blog. This increased readership by 33%.
10. Promote your newsletter everywhere.
Promote your newsletter on your website, blogs, vlogs, articles and videos. I promote my newsletter on some of my YouTube videos and this has resulted in 10,000 new subscribers in the past year.
11. Find the right software for your newsletter.
I have two lists, my ‘A’ list which is people that I know or those who have seen me speak. For them I use Constant Contact and for my ‘B ‘ list which is subscribers from all over the world that I have never met, I use Infacta Groupmail.
Frank Furness CSP CFP TOT is a professional speaker and trainer specialising in financial services sales and sales management. He has educated, entertained and inspired audiences in 53 countries. His publications and sales CDs have been sold globally. For more information or to sign up for the free ‘Sales Tips & Ideas’ newsletter, email frank@frankfurness.com and for resources take a look at http://www.frankfurness.com and http://www.technologytoolsforbusiness.com
NOTE: You're welcome to
"reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and
unaltered (including the "about the author" info at the end), and you
send a copy of your reprint to frank@frankfurness.com Take a look at other
articles, free software and e-Books at http://www.frankfurness.com/
