Author: Dennis Oko Nnachi

Most businesses use some form of sms or other electronic communication to keep in contact with customers, but many of them neglect one of the most potentially profitable forms of contact: the newsletter. Sending an electronic newsletter is a great way to give customers “added value” in the form of interesting content, information, and valuable tips, as well as keeping them informed of sales and specials.

Understanding the Newsletter Concept

From a customer service standpoint, some companies do not understand what a quality customer newsletter should contain. These are the businesses that try a newsletter briefly and then give up, having come to the conclusion that the newsletter is a waste of time. The reality is that the structure and content of your newsletter is essential to its success. A really good newsletter can bring you increased sales, impress your customers so that they become repeat customers, and enhance your image as an expert in your industry.

Newsletters have four times the readership of a traditional ad. This is largely because the readers find quality information, not just fluff or advertising. Remember to view your newsletter from your customers’ perspective. It should not be solely about “tooting your own horn.” It is fine to mention an upcoming event or a milestone your company has achieved, but if it is all about you or all about the company, readers will quickly lose interest. If you give them valuable, timely information and advice, they will read every issue.

Timing Is Everything

Most newsletters these days are electronic. That is, they are sent via sms to subscribers, or visitors to your site read them on your newsletter page. For these electronic newsletters, monthly issues are the industry norm. This is often enough to keep customer interest without being intrusive or repetitive. It also gives you ample time, providing you work ahead, to get a solid, informative newsletter together on a regular basis.

If you are sending out a print newsletter, once a month is an option, but because of the high cost of printing and mailing, many businesses offer a quarterly print version of their newsletter. Usually these are mailed to interested customers who do not have Internet access or simply prefer the print medium. If you decide to send out a quarterly version, consider picking and choosing only the best articles and advice from your monthly electronic issues and combine them into one terrific version that is sort of a Reader’s Digest version of the previous three months’ issues.

Content Is King

Generally, you should keep a newsletter relatively short, but pack it with information in short sets. This is not the place for 2,000-word articles or in-depth coverage. In the Information Age, readers get bored more quickly than they did a generation ago, so articles of no more than about 500 words are ideal for newsletters.

Intersperse these with shorter tidbits (anywhere from 25 to 250 words) that offer interesting statistics or little-known facts that are related to your customers’ needs and concerns. The shorter pieces help break up the page visually, much like illustrations. They keep the readers’ eyes from getting bored. They also are good for readers who are just browsing. If there are a few short pieces, they are apt to read these and come back later to read the longer articles. If all of the writing is long and runs together, the reader may get bored and toss it aside without ever reading anything.

The only exception is if you run a series on a particular topic. These are nice because they keep readers coming back each issue to read the next installment, so if you have a topic that is particularly complex, considering breaking it up into units over a few issues.

Newsletters can be a valuable way to keep in touch with current customers and generate new ones. The key is to produce a newsletter that is full of relevant information for your customers so that they feel they are getting real value, not just a lengthy sales pitch. Properly written and designed, an electronic newsletter is one of the least costly – and most effective – forms of customer service you can provide.

Talk to any marketer these days and you’ll be told the same thing: You need an sms list and you need to work hard at building that list.

Part of building a successful list is sending regular sms newsletters.

But what is the purpose of a newsletter? How will it help you build your business?

The purpose of an sms newsletter is to give those on your list updates pertaining to your business, products, and services. However, it’s not something that’s generally used for a hard sell. An sms newsletter should feel like an update from an interesting, helpful friend, rather than a pushy salesperson.

That’s not to say that these newsletters are simply used to keep in touch. They can be used to motivate your customers to take action, like making a purchase or checking out your latest blog post.

Newsletters are often the life force of your marketing campaign. Over the past decade, sms marketing has proven to be significantly more successful than social media marketing.

You’re 40 times more likely to get new customers from sms marketing than from Facebook or Twitter.

Your sms list is also a safer bet than followers on social media. At any point, a social media site can shut down and you’ll lose access to your audience. But an sms list is something that you own.

How to measure the success of your sms newsletter

To ensure success with your sms marketing campaign, you need to have a good plan. Part of that plan is testing out what works and what doesn’t, and sms marketing platforms have metrics that can tell you whether your sms are working or not.

These metrics tell you:

•           How many people open your sms

•           How many people click on links within your sms

•           How many people unsubscribe from your list

Pay close attention to these metrics after each campaign. They’ll show you where you need to make adjustments and whether any changes you’re making are paying off. For instance, if you’ve had a lot of unopened sms and decide to write more personalized copy for your next campaign, you should definitely see an increase in your open and click-through rates.

We have nonprofit newsletters. I separated these out into a new category because the goals are a bit different. Newsletters play a much more important role for nonprofits.

Because nonprofit organizations are highly mission-driven (and constantly scrambling for funding), SMS newsletters are absolutely essential. They provide the best way for these organizations to stay in contact with supporters and past donors at scale to communicate important information, including:

• Updates on the organization
• Relevant stories and developments related to their core mission
• Upcoming fundraising events and promotions

Because SMS is much cheaper (and more engaging) than direct mail, newsletters have become a staple in the nonprofit marketing toolbox.

Newsletter is a printed or electronic report containing news concerning activities of a business or an organization that is sent to its members, customers, employees or other subscribers. Newsletters generally contain one main topic of interest to its recipients.

Do you have an e-commerce or a blog and have not yet sent newsletters to promote your business? Then you will not know exactly what a newsletter is and what it does. Briefly, it is still the main tools of SMS Marketing and they generate better results at a very reduced price, when used correctly.

Ecommerce Newsletter

Ecommerce newsletters usually serve a few main purposes:

• Promote new products in the store
• Announce seasonal promotions or sales
• Reinforce a strong relationship with customers
• Help build a community around the brand

Product/Company Update Newsletter

The goal of a product or company update newsletter is to inform users on what’s new with your business (and why they should care). This usually helps with:

• Encouraging users to use new features/aspects of a product
• Improving brand perception (partnership announcements or funding)
• Communicating any improvements that will make customers’ lives easier.

The primary focus of newsletters from blogs or media sites is usually to drive traffic to specific articles or simply provide value and build up the community.