If you stop to think about it, we’re all marketers. We all have something to sell and we need to market it, whether product or service. Narrowing the focus of your newsletter to your particular niche will increase your bottom line – whether you’ve got a huge list, or not. Your email marketing list is an important feature, don’t get me wrong, but look at it this way:

Not everyone who goes into a store is looking for the same thing.

What is the strongest thing you offer, and who wants it? Your list should be divided up so your message targets the particular group who have already shown interest in a thing, or are in the category of someone who may not know that your product or service is their remedy.

The templates shown on AWeber for newsletter design are a nice way to present your message, and they do impact your readership to a degree, but the most important thing will always be the content specific material that is provided in it.

Kaye Z. Marks says it this way in her article titled, Where Is Your Marketing Attention Focused?,

If you send out a mass mailing to everyone you can, odds are the people who will take interest are the same people you could have specifically targeted from the beginning instead of wasting money sending something to all the people who did not have interest.”

She’s absolutely right. Some of you stop here for information on marketing your small business by yourself, others want to know if they trust the claims that we make about our services . As our list grows, so will our specific newsletter offer to each separate group of readers.

A great newsletter takes much forethought, but the right tools make all the difference. What email service are you using?

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So, What Goes In A Newsletter, Anyway?

If you are one of the many subscribers reading this post, you’re definitely connected. However, there are still many small businesses that are not. Believe it or not, in this modern digital age there are some who refuse to use email. The old line “Didn’t you get the memo?” still holds so true these days.  

Why is this? Email is a simple, easily and  efficiently used medium to share information about special promotions, sales, meetings, new product information … and so much more! Your message can touch hundreds, if not thousands of customers in one click, versus the vast amount of man hours trying to reach the same audience by phone.

Whether you’re in need of one or several branded email addresses (as in, your-name@your-domain.com), or a full-blown email marketing campaign, we can help.

For email marketing campaigns, we use and recommend AWeber. Be sure to visit our Business Email Marketing page for more information.

Why be left out? Don’t miss getting the memo, it could save you time and create a profitable opportunity.

As business owners, we work hard to create the perfect picture of ourselves and our company. Call it branding or call it perception, either way it all boils down to getting the details right. One such detail is your email address.

If you have a company Web site, it is in your best interest to use your URL where ever you can, especially in your email address. You’ve invested time and money to build your business, establish your brand and create your Web site, so why not carry that professionalism and pride into your email address? 

A recent search in a through a professional directory yielded many names, phone numbers and email addresses, but not a single Web site address. For those email addresses utilizing their corporate URL, this was not an issue. But way too many listed email addresses @hotmail or @yahoo or @aol.com.

When an email address ends in @hotmail.com instead of @mycompanyhere.com, what is the perception of those on the receiving end of your email? One thing is for certain, this doesn’t portray the level of professionalism you’re striving for elsewhere.

When that personal email address is also used on your written correspondence and business cards, it amplifies the problem. Add “missed opportunity” and “technically challenged” to “less than professional.” You’ve missed an opportunity to repeat and emphasize your corporate URL, and made it easier for contacts to forget who you are.

So do yourself a huge favor. Don’t make a business etiquette faux pas by using a generic email address to conduct official business. Set up your email to utilize your website URL.