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Conventional thinking says a newsletter is a good way to keep your name in
front of prospects and customers. Why do it?
Simple--because newsletters work. They have a proven track record for keeping you and your audience in touch, for
establishing and maintaining your credibility, and for publicizing your organization to your community. There are hundreds of
thousands of newsletters published on every imaginable subject each year.
There has never been a better time to develop your company newsletter. The business market of the twentieth century is
shifting. You can profit from that shift if you understand and exploit the differences between you and your competitors. You can
position yourself to make quick decisions and adjustments when opportunities surface, tap niches that are not profitable for
bigger players, and get to know and grow your customers in ways that large businesses cannot. Marketing materials such as
brochures, newsletters, and the like, can play a particularly significant role in your success. They can save you countless
hours breaking the ice with prospects, telling and retelling your story, filling in the details, and following up with customers.
Techniques for grabbing attention, for confidently presenting the compelling benefits of an idea, a product, or a service can be
accomplished easily by publishing a newsletter. How you ask a prospect to take a specific action in their own self interest,
can either be a "hard sell" or a "soft sell". The soft sell says "Welcome, come look around. Get a feel for who we are and how
we can help you." A soft sell for example, might present an overall view of your service, where a hard sell would list specific
items and sale prices. A hard sell hopes to initiate a sale with one time exposure to the message, while a soft sell hopes to
cultivate a customer over a series of repeated exposures. So why wouldn't you opt for the hard sell all the time? Wouldn't you
spend less money for more action? Not necessarily. A hard sell might move a particular product or service but it does not
necessarily create long-term customers.
The most difficult part about beginning a newsletter is knowing where to start. There are basic steps for creating most
newsletters: you set a goal, choose the size and layout, compose your message and choose how you will distribute it and
how often, create a design, proof, and reproduce the final project in quantity.
Follow your marketing blueprint. Your newsletter should define your objective, speak to your target audience, position your
product or service, be informative and attractive, and establish a relationship with your customers. Your print materials should
be a reflection of these.
Collect and study examples. In preparing to write your newsletter, gather and study the newsletters produced by your
competitors and others. What do you like about it? How do they distribute them and how often? What details do they include?
How can you improve on it?
Craft a benefits-oriented message. Don’t waste space listing features or trying to convince the reader how wonderful your
organization is. Instead, focus on the customer—explain and demonstrate how they will benefit by working with you.
Rough-out design ideas. The first idea is rarely the best. Most designers sketch variations of projects in miniature with
headlines, boxes to represent text, and stick illustrations. Wait for a day or two and use a fresh perspective to determine which
ideas work and which don’t.
Review the production process. Consult us before you create your artwork to see if what you have in mind is doable and
affordable. We will help you make your newsletter the most economical and effective marketing piece.
Edit and re-edit. To gauge the success of a work in progress, get the reaction of several people who know nothing about your
business. Have someone proofread your copy. Have someone critique the design. Make changes and review it until you are
satisfied.
On one thing, the experts agree—follow-up is the single most important and least used marketing strategy. A promotional
newsletter featuring trade news, customer success stories, and information about your products or services is an excellent
way to establish and grow your relationship with customers. And that afterall, is why you are in business.
front of prospects and customers. Why do it?
Simple--because newsletters work. They have a proven track record for keeping you and your audience in touch, for
establishing and maintaining your credibility, and for publicizing your organization to your community. There are hundreds of
thousands of newsletters published on every imaginable subject each year.
There has never been a better time to develop your company newsletter. The business market of the twentieth century is
shifting. You can profit from that shift if you understand and exploit the differences between you and your competitors. You can
position yourself to make quick decisions and adjustments when opportunities surface, tap niches that are not profitable for
bigger players, and get to know and grow your customers in ways that large businesses cannot. Marketing materials such as
brochures, newsletters, and the like, can play a particularly significant role in your success. They can save you countless
hours breaking the ice with prospects, telling and retelling your story, filling in the details, and following up with customers.
Techniques for grabbing attention, for confidently presenting the compelling benefits of an idea, a product, or a service can be
accomplished easily by publishing a newsletter. How you ask a prospect to take a specific action in their own self interest,
can either be a "hard sell" or a "soft sell". The soft sell says "Welcome, come look around. Get a feel for who we are and how
we can help you." A soft sell for example, might present an overall view of your service, where a hard sell would list specific
items and sale prices. A hard sell hopes to initiate a sale with one time exposure to the message, while a soft sell hopes to
cultivate a customer over a series of repeated exposures. So why wouldn't you opt for the hard sell all the time? Wouldn't you
spend less money for more action? Not necessarily. A hard sell might move a particular product or service but it does not
necessarily create long-term customers.
The most difficult part about beginning a newsletter is knowing where to start. There are basic steps for creating most
newsletters: you set a goal, choose the size and layout, compose your message and choose how you will distribute it and
how often, create a design, proof, and reproduce the final project in quantity.
Follow your marketing blueprint. Your newsletter should define your objective, speak to your target audience, position your
product or service, be informative and attractive, and establish a relationship with your customers. Your print materials should
be a reflection of these.
Collect and study examples. In preparing to write your newsletter, gather and study the newsletters produced by your
competitors and others. What do you like about it? How do they distribute them and how often? What details do they include?
How can you improve on it?
Craft a benefits-oriented message. Don’t waste space listing features or trying to convince the reader how wonderful your
organization is. Instead, focus on the customer—explain and demonstrate how they will benefit by working with you.
Rough-out design ideas. The first idea is rarely the best. Most designers sketch variations of projects in miniature with
headlines, boxes to represent text, and stick illustrations. Wait for a day or two and use a fresh perspective to determine which
ideas work and which don’t.
Review the production process. Consult us before you create your artwork to see if what you have in mind is doable and
affordable. We will help you make your newsletter the most economical and effective marketing piece.
Edit and re-edit. To gauge the success of a work in progress, get the reaction of several people who know nothing about your
business. Have someone proofread your copy. Have someone critique the design. Make changes and review it until you are
satisfied.
On one thing, the experts agree—follow-up is the single most important and least used marketing strategy. A promotional
newsletter featuring trade news, customer success stories, and information about your products or services is an excellent
way to establish and grow your relationship with customers. And that afterall, is why you are in business.