E-Mail Newsletter: What's In It For You?

                                                                                         

There are four key benefits of publishing an e-mail newsletter.

1. Build a Relationship

This is the most important reason: Business is about relationships.

Whatever business you're in, it's important to build strong, trusted, valued relationships with the people who matter. By staying in regular, consistent communication with your clients and prospects (with their permission), you're building your relationship with them. An e-mail newsletter allows you to do that cost-effectively, easily and non-intrusively.

Most people won't trust you immediately - especially on the Internet. If they're coming to your Web site for the first time, start a relationship with them. Your newsletter does that.

For those who are already in relationship with you - including your current clients - the newsletter continues and strengthens that relationship.

2. Stay "Front of Mind"

The second reason is related: Most people won't buy from you on their first contact.

Dan Kennedy, one of the world's leading direct marketers, describes this as one of the best-kept secrets in marketing: One-time marketing almost never works.

In other words, most people who buy from you will do so on the third, fourth, fifth, sixth, contact with you - maybe even more. So if you market to them once, and it doesn't work, and you give up, you're losing most of your potential business. The customers are there, they just haven't yet moved from "interested" to "ready to buy".

Your newsletter helps. When they are ready to buy, you're there in front of them. If you publish every two weeks (which is what I recommend), somewhere in the last two weeks, they would have heard from you. It might seem almost magical to them! They're thinking about buying something and, sure enough, you pop up in their in-box with exactly what they require.

Don't underestimate this benefit. It's especially true when you're selling big ticket items or things that aren't impulse purchases.

For example, if you're a consultant or a professional speaker, you might come into contact with many people through the course of a month. But most of them aren't ready to book you as a speaker, to attend a training course, or to hire you as a consultant. When are they going to be ready? You don't know. But if you stay in touch with them, giving them value regularly, when they are ready, there's a good chance they'll think of you first.

As another example, consider real estate. Most real estate agents make their money from commissions on selling houses. However, most of the people they meet aren't ready to sell their house ... yet. Again, you don't know when they will be ready, but you can be there when they are.

3. Lead with Value

More and more people are no longer buying purely on price or on the quality of your product or service. Instead, they're buying the value that you offer. So the more you can be seen as an expert who offers value, the more likely that they are to buy from you.

After all, if you require heart surgery, you're not going to say, "Get me the cheapest heart surgeon around"!

A good e-mail newsletter delivers value. It demonstrates expertise. It builds trust. It establishes credibility. It positions you as an authority.

4. Express Your Ideas

The first three benefits are all about the client and the customer. The fourth is about you.

If you are an expert - for example, a professional speaker, trainer, consultant, coach, or author - an e-mail newsletter helps you to create your content. It forces you to put into written form the ideas in your head and the principles that you've been teaching.

For example, if you've been planning to write a book, start by writing it as a newsletter. It's a fast and effective way to get your material written and tested in the marketplace before it gets published in print.

Similarly, if you've got a vague idea in your head, give yourself the challenge of writing a newsletter article about it. This will force you to get clear.

My first book Secrets of Internet Business Success started life as an e-mail newsletter. I wrote myself an outline (in effect, the Table of Contents) and then set myself the task of writing about one idea every week. I asked for readers' comments on each newsletter, and used that feedback to improve the material. It gave me discipline, kept me focused, and improved the value of the published book.

About the author:
Gihan Perera is the author of "The Seven Fatal Mistakes That Most Web Site Owners Make - And How To Avoid Them" and "Spin: Turn One Idea Into Hundreds of Information Products". Visit http://GihanPerera.com and get your complimentary copies now.

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