A lot of people I talk to about developing a company newsletter express the concern that nobody is going to actually read it. And they have a good point. Not everybody who receives your newsletter is going to be waiting breathlessly for its arrival every month.

But you do have some control over that, and the first piece to put into place is around quality. Are you putting together a strong newsletter that people might want to read? A newsletter must be consistently produced, value-driven, and focused on the needs and interests of your customers; it must also include calls to action so readers are clear about opportunities for finding out more about your company’s products and services. A call to action (CTA) might be anything from “download our free checklist” to “call our sales hotline to book your free half-hour consultation.”

Email Marketing and Newsletters

You’re probably already receiving e-newsletters from some of the companies with which you do business. I’ve heard more than my fair share of clients complain that they don’t read all of those newsletters that arrive in their inbox. And there’s a whole other conversation we could have about Outlook and spam filters. I don’t read all of those newsletters either. But they show up regularly and they bring those companies’ names directly to my computer where I will see them at one point or another. Just the name. Even if I don’t read the newsletter, I’m reminded of the company. Every now and then I open one of those newsletters. Every now and then I click on an article and end up on that company’s website. I might not buy anything at that point. But the process will continue repeating. And after a while, if I have identified a need or if the company whose newsletters I’m receiving can identify one for me, I just might start a conversation. In fact, I have done that before. And ended up making a purchase. But it didn’t happen overnight.

Bear in mind that if someone is really not interested in a company that is sending them newsletters, they will unsubscribe. And so will the people you are not here to serve. The ones who aren’t all that bothered by your newsletter, or who just might be interested Some Day, are going to cheerfully delete the emails unopened, and stay on your emailing list. They are at least showing, by their behaviour, that they are not averse to communicating with you.

Would you like to know more about how a newsletter might help your business generate more leads and support customer retention? I invite you to contact me at susan@crossmancommunications.com and let’s talk about the possibilities!