How to Promote Your Email Newsletter

By  Lanee' Blunt

For a business owner with a small budget, having an email newsletter is a perfect way to help you reach customers, and give them interesting information they can use. An email newsletter is a great way, without being too pushy, to remind your prospects about your business.  You want to keep in touch, especially with those that said they weren’t interested in buying at that time.  An email newsletter should help with your promotion. 

“It regularly places your name and activities in front of your customers and prospects reminding them of your existence, products, and services on an ongoing basis.  And you don’t need an “excuse” to make this contact because the prospect expects to receive an e-zine on a regular basis,” According to Robert Bly’s book, The Online Copywriter’s Handbook. Marketing your email newsletter is possible if the business owner compiles a list of past prospects and customers.

Here are some ways you can promote your email newsletter.

Have an Easy Way for People to Subscribe to Your Newsletter.

When people come to your website you should have a box for them to sign-up, get their name and get their email address. It should really be easy to subscribe to your newsletter.   However, if it looks too complicated potential customers may choose not to subscribe. “One of the highest priorities of your website must be to get your visitor to sign up for your free newsletter, discussion list, or updates publication.  Offer a variety of inducements—entry into a contest, a free gift, a free coupon—whatever you must do to insure a steady stream of subscribers,” According to Ralph Wilson’s book, Planning Your Internet Marketing Strategy.

Offer your newsletter in direct mail

Your newsletter can be used as an incentive in a direct mail piece.  Capture the subscribers email address on a reply card and send your informative newsletter.  If the content is enjoyable and they can learn from it they will look forward to your newsletter.  “Newsletters are one of the most popular uses for permission marketing.  You can ask visitors if they would like to receive notification of new products, updates to your site, relevant tips, advice, industry news, and so on-whatever might be of interest to your target market,” according to Susan Sweeny book, 101 Ways to Promote your Web Site.

Offer the email newsletter in ads to mailing list.

You can offer your newsletter in print space ads as a special incentive for responding. You can offer the newsletter in an invited list, but stay away from cold prospecting email. 

Website with a past articles Archive.

Your newsletter articles are enjoyable and informative and should be on your website.  Have one place for the visitor to click on past articles, or past newsletters.

Start today collecting registered prospect email addresses and then promote your email newsletter.

Reference:

Robert W. Bly; The Online Copywriter’s Handbook; 2003)

Ralph F. Wilson; Planning Your Internet Marketing Strategy; 2002

Susan Sweeny; 101 Ways to Promote your Web Site; 2001

Posted in: Newsletter