Newsletter No no's

Newsletters are a popular marketing tool. Done well, they can be incredibly effective. Unfortunately, most people's efforts end up in the circular file before anyone has bothered to read it. Why? Because they committed too many newsletter no no's. If you're the editor-in-chief of your company's newsletter, be mindful to avoid these mistakes. MMG's is hot off the press.

No grand plan: Your newsletter needs to have a vision. Without it, it's just a hodge-podge of articles that has no continuity. It's hard to build reader loyalty without it. Make sure you identify your key audiences and what you're trying to get them to do/know.

Too much ego: Sure, your newsletter is a sales tool. But be careful that you don't toot your own horn to the point of arrogance. Celebrate your product/service's excellence but do it with case studies or client testimonials rather than in the first person.

Not providing value: We live in a "what's in it for me" society. Your newsletter is fighting for your audience's most precious asset - their time. So make it worthwhile. Give them new information or insights so they look forward to receiving your newsletter.

Inconsistency: Hitting deadlines is tough and to let them slide. But, if you promise a quarterly or monthly newsletter, then it needs to come out on time. Every time. What do you think it says about your business if you don't keep your promise on newsletter deadlines?

Lack of interaction: Give your readers a chance to talk back. An e-mail address, a contest, a bounce back card, a URL that solicits feedback. Make it a conversation rather than a monologue.

Newsletters are a lot of work. Make sure all the effort you put into your publication pays off. Avoid these newsletter no no's and you'll have loyal readers for life.

Want to read a little more?  Here are some good tips.  And a few more.

What newsletter do you always welcome into your e-mail in box?   What makes it a must read for you?

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Comments

[Janet Green]

Drew, excellent post!

The two most welcome newsletters I receive are: 1). In print, Edwards Graphic Arts (a local commercial printer) does a great job of summarizing news related to paper, printing and direct mail (including postal regulations). It's a short (1 page, 2 sided) pub, short articles well summarized, and I've frequently found good things to blog about. (May I share a link? Here's a sample of what I mean: http://www.marketingideablog.com/2007/04/20/uspsnews/ )

And 2). Via email, Kitchen Collage of Des Moines is far and away the best one I receive. Each issue is centered around a theme - TONS of helpful and interesting info, a bit of store promotion, etc. And visually attractive too. Just about perfect, IMHO.

Janet

[Lewis Green]

Drew,

I have been editor of or manager over a variety of newsletters, designed either for internal or external audiences. What you say is all true. But the most important is the quality of the writing that talks about the readers, not us. It discusses their interests, not ours. And it shows them in photos, not we posers.

Today, I no longer do a newsletter for my business (although I am the editor of the newsletter for the New England Chapter of IMC). Instead, I send out a monthly white paper offering content focused on growing businesses. The response far exceeds what I received when doing a newsletter.

[mindblob]

Excellent check-list Drew. And I think some of these rules apply to corporate, internal or HR newsletters as well. Also I'm a great fan of the visual insights and eye catching designs of the letter itself (directly linked to zap-time for many!).

[Irene]

I agree. I also don't read newsletters that don't stands out like the rest of them. It should emphasize its value by proving useful things for the reader.

[Drew McLellan]

Janet,

If the examples you used were out of your local market, would you still read them?

I think what I am asking is...are they valuable to you because you could actually buy from them, or it is pure content-driven?

Drew

[Drew McLellan]

Lewis,

I'm curious -- is your white paper built from blog material or it is 100% fresh content?

Drew

[Drew McLellan]

Luc,

I agree completely. Any newsletter needs to hold up their audience and do right by them. Maybe even more so if it is an internal publication.

Drew

[Drew McLellan]

Irene,

Do you have a favorite? What makes it worth your time?

Drew

[Elisabeth Nims]

I agree with Janet's first post. Aesthetics are one of the most important things to me. Of course, looking good isn't everything. Once I get past a pretty facade, I want to get to the meat of the issue, and hopefully it's something new. One of my graduate assistantship charges was to distribute a newsletter for another department at the university. I felt awful for the poor people that it was sent to. It lacked a good format and was horribly, horribly boring. Just like a good opening line to a novel, the first paragraph/page of a newsletter should leave me wanting more. At the very least, a newsletter shouldn't make me throw the next one away before I've even scanned it.

[John]

True. Newsletters need more emphasis if we want the readers to be interested in reading it. It should make an impression, since most readers do not have the time to read everything to find something good.

[4MySales]

Drew,

I think not providing value would be the number one no-no on the list. Getting a reader's attention with a newsletter is tough enough, but if you don't provide value, then it gets tossed before it gets open.

Barrett Niehus
4MySales

[Marie]

I think those news letters shows how dedicated businesses are. If they are really in need, then they can make it more interesting. Value needs to be emphasized in this situation.

[Michel]

A great newsletter is a great asset for your online business. This article provides advice on producing a newsletter that your subscribers value and look forward to receiving. It touches on the following areas: the personalization of the newsletter

[Drew McLellan]

Elisabeth,

Without a doubt, if a newsletter doesn't please the eye, the first sentence probably never gets read.

But...content is king. Even a plain text e-newsletter will get read week after week if the content is fresh and relevant.

What's your opinion on the length of a newsletter?

Drew

[Drew McLellan]

John,

Is there a newsletter that you always read? What is it that makes it valuable to you?

Drew

[Drew McLellan]

Michel,

Have you used a newsletter to grow an online business? What, for you, is the #1 rule not to break?

Drew