Why Every Business Should Be Mailing Newsletters

Once the customer gives us their physical mailing address, what do we do with it?  We are going to mail them our monthly customer newsletter.  Why newsletters?  In his book Stick Like Glue, Jim Palmer lists seven secrets about how newsletters will bring in new customers better than almost any other marketing method.

1. Newsletters help you keep customers.
2. Newsletters help you get new customers.
3. Newsletters help your business build credibility.
4. Newsletters help you stand out from your competition.
5. Newsletters are the perfect way to show that you are an expert in your field.
6. Newsletters help you build your brand.
7. Newsletters have a longer shelf life than other forms of marketing.

I would add one more:  Newsletters are great for promoting upselling and cross-selling.  Upselling is the old “Do you want fries with that?” routine.  Cross-selling is selling a completely different product or service then the one your customer has already purchased from you.  A newsletter promotes both by announcing other products you offer and what their benefits are.

If you are not upselling and cross-selling, you are leaving the easiest money you will ever make on the table.  Why walk away from it? Upsell, upsell, upsell!

Some other key points to ensure that your newsletter campaign is successful:

1. It must be consistently mailed out at the same time each month to be effective.
2. It should be about your customer’s needs and wants.  What problems do they have, and how does your service or products solve them?
3. It can’t be boring!  It should be about a 50/50 ratio between articles about your product and then some fun stuff.  A little secret:  The fun stuff is the real secret to a newsletter’s success!  By fun stuff I am talking about short, interesting, and informative articles, factoids, tips, cartoons, humor, and even puzzles.  This is what the customers enjoy reading and look forward to every month.
4. It should tell your customers more about what you do.
5. It can be used to tell them what is new with your business.
6. It should be easy for you to produce, or it will not be done consistently.  There are new tools on the market that make this easier than ever.  I recommend a service by Jim Palmer that you can read about at www.nohasslenewsletters.com.  His service provides the fun stuff and the template.  You can write two or three articles yourself, or you can hire a freelance writer to do them for you.