Posts Tagged ‘newsletters’
Are newsletters worth the time and effort? You decide….
February 1, 2011 | 
Author 
Newsletters have had some ‘bad press’ in recent times. Poor subscription rates, rejection by spam filters, not to mention the time and effort of putting them together!
But, when done well, they have the power to expand your client base, re-enforce your reputation, build your bottom line, and keep a stream of clients and referrals coming through your doors, or to your website, depending on how you do business.
So what is the right way to do a newsletter and where should you begin?
Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Anne Maybus of Clever Streak . Anne very generously shared the ins and outs of creating your newsletter, so it gets opened, meets the needs of your ideal client, and continually builds your relationship over time.
Here are 6 of the most common mistakes made creating newsletters that will stop them working for you and what to do instead:
INCONSISTENCY How often you send your newsletters will depend on who you market is and what you are trying to acheive. It could be weekly, fortnightly, monthly or even seasonally, but whatever you decide, stick to it. A sudden stop to your newsletters can indicate your business is in trouble, which is not a good impression on your clients. Think about what your target market needs and wants, then go from there.
TOO MANY LAYOUT CHANGES Imagine if the supermarket isles changed every visit. You would feel confused and frustrated. The same applies to your newsletter. Have a consistent layout means your clients will know where to locate your promotion, your interesting article and your inspirational quote. Moving things around messes with their brain!
TOO MUCH INFORMATION AND BLOCKS OF TEXT The purpose of a newsletter is not to overload with information, but to provide relevant information that is easy to read. Scannability is important, so use headlines and sub heading to make it easier for the recipient.
TOO MUCH SELL AND NOT ENOUGH CONNECTION When a newsletter is purely promotional, it can lead to apathy in your client, and they will stop taking notice. It’s connection that leads to a better relationship. Stories, articles or case studies that clients can relate to is far better than flogging products. They’ll soon turn off, and unsubscribe.
SPAMMY HEADLINES AND EXCLAMATION MARKS Words like discount, buy this, limited offer and FREE are pretty much guaranteed to end up in spam filters. Avoid this where you can.
FONT SIZE TOO SMALL If it’s difficult to read, your clients won’t perservere and your message will be missed.
THE CLEVER STREAK APPROACH TO CREATING GREAT NEWSLETTERS
- Use a catchy headline
- Connect with the reader personally – write to connect rather than sell
- Have a client focus (what’s in it for me) – know what your target market wants and cares about
- Keep it informative so that it’s still relevant in 12 months time
- Keep it simple
- Tell a story in your content
- Leave white space
GET YOUR NEWSLETTERS DONE FOR YOU HERE – You’ll receive
- Your own branded template
- 1 content rich article written for you monthly
- Product feature
- Monthy specials and promotions included
- Upload to your email system
- Scheduled for deliver
Only $495 for 6 months, or take 12 months for $997 and get an extra month at no extra charge.
68% of clients go elsewhere because of indifference, so staying in touch is an essential way to maintain your clients, educate them on your other services and encourage referrals.
Now is a great time to start.
What have you found are your challenges? Do you have an shortcuts you could share? I’d love to hear your tips or horror stories in the comments below.
To your continued success…
Krishna
Newsletter Writing Obstacles and How to Overcome Them
Relationship building is at the forefront of how we interact with our customers. No longer is promoting your business about who can grab the most attention in the loudest way. It is about how we make genuine connections with our clients or audience – your audience – that wants what you offer and recognises they need you. Regular newsletters help nurture this relationship. This week’s newsletter looks at 5 of the most common obstacles to doing them and offers tips on how to overcome them.
Obstacle 1: No Time
Yes, newsletters do take time. In fact, marketing takes time. The upside is that if you consistently make time for it, you will fill your appointment book. Newsletters are one of the best ways to build a relationship with existing clients, educate them about what else you can offer, and generate referrals.
Overcome time restraints – by keeping it simple. A single page newsletter is perfectly fine. Just one feature or story (500 words which is about half a page). You could include a promotion or product feature, or perhaps a case study/testimonial. Inspirational quotes from your favourite personalities add a nice touch.
Obstacle 2: No Computer Skills
Yes, this is still common, even in this day and age! But there are a number of remedies available for the technophobes out there. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Uncategorized | 
Tags: client retention, Free Publicity, Massage Marketing, newsletters | 
25 Comments »
What Have You Got In Your Hand? The Key to Your Thriving Health Practice in 2009…
Don’t you love fresh starts? The chance to bid farewell to the old and create something new? That’s why I find new year’s so refreshing.
When shedding the old, the key is to hang on to what has worked well for you and discard, or change what hasn’t. I have to confess that I haven’t stayed in touch with people as much as I would have liked last year, but this year will see that change. Which brings me to the topic of this blog – what have you already got in your hand (seed) that if nurtured will make all the difference to the success (harvest) of your health practice this year?
Your existing database. Your database probably falls into one of these categories:
- Database? What database?
- I have some bits of paper with names and addresses somewhere…..amongst the rat droppings and cockroach poop…
- Incomplete database. I started one but got distracted by something much more fun….
- You have a database but don’t use it.
- You have a database and are regularly in contact with those on it.
I can relate to all of these, and have been at each point at different times. But, I promise you that those who answered number 1, will not have the success that the number 5′s are having.
Today I want to encourage you to bite the bullet and get your data base in order. Here is a simple checklist, so your can start planting that seed and reaping your harvest.
Create a manageable file of all leads and clients alphabetically. Ideally this will be on your computer into Outlook, Excell or Access. If you don’t have a computer, an card system from your office supplier will do. (If you are too busy, pay someone to do it for you).
Categorise you clients into A, B, C, D. This could mean your most active are A, or those that spend the most per session for example.
Create a marketing plan for each segment. Keep it simple so it doesn’t overwhelm. This could include sending a regular newsletter, sending a promotional postcard, or staying in touch for birthdays and Christmas.
Activate your marketing plan. Without it you won’t thrive, in fact you probably won’t survive.
If you are thinking you can’t be bothered or it’s too much work, ponder this: 68% of clients go elsewhere because of indifference. It also costs at least 10 times more to attract new clients, than work with existing ones.
Additional success tips when working with your database:
- Keep your lists as current as possible (sending a Christmas card to someone from 5 years ago probably won’t be effective, but may be insulting!)
- Make sure what you send is relevant. (Sending your male clients info about the latest womens’ festival is just plain silly!) Classifying your lists will ensure relevancy
- If using email be sure that you have permission to send otherwise it may be considered spam and is illegal and you can be heavily fined.
- Use an email and newsletter managment system such as icontact or aweber to create beautiful newsletters and email campaigns.
- Create personalised postcards and brochures at very low cost using Vistaprint. They offer a huge range of designs for a wide variety of stationery. I especially recommend their postcards which are very good quality. Looking professional at all times is important.
- Be consistent – regular contact ensures better results and more referrals.
Keep it simple, and enjoy regular contact with those you already know. Build relationships….it’s the way good business is done….and it’s enjoyable. If you don’t like interacting with people, you are probaly in the wrong industry!
To your health practice success….
Krishna
Posted in marketing | Tags: database management, Free Publicity, marketing, newsletters, promotion, success | No Comments »
What Have You Got In Your Hand? The Key to Your Thriving Health Practice in 2009…
Don’t you love fresh starts? The chance to bid farewell to the old and create something new? That’s why I find new year’s so refreshing.
When shedding the old, the key is to hang on to what has worked well for you and discard, or change what hasn’t. I have to confess that I haven’t stayed in touch with people as much as I would have liked last year, but this year will see that change. Which brings me to the topic of this blog – what have you already got in your hand (seed) that if nurtured will make all the difference to the success (harvest) of your health practice this year?
Your existing database. Your database probably falls into one of these categories:
- Database? What database?
- I have some bits of paper with names and addresses somewhere…..amongst the rat droppings and cockroach poop…
- Incomplete database. I started one but got distracted by something much more fun….
- You have a database but don’t use it.
- You have a database and are regularly in contact with those on it.
I can relate to all of these, and have been at each point at different times. But, I promise you that those who answered number 1, will not have the success that the number 5′s are having.
Today I want to encourage you to bite the bullet and get your data base in order. Here is a simple checklist, so your can start planting that seed and reaping your harvest.
Create a manageable file of all leads and clients alphabetically. Ideally this will be on your computer into Outlook, Excell or Access. If you don’t have a computer, an card system from your office supplier will do. (If you are too busy, pay someone to do it for you).
Categorise you clients into A, B, C, D. This could mean your most active are A, or those that spend the most per session for example.
Create a marketing plan for each segment. Keep it simple so it doesn’t overwhelm. This could include sending a regular newsletter, sending a promotional postcard, or staying in touch for birthdays and Christmas.
Activate your marketing plan. Without it you won’t thrive, in fact you probably won’t survive.
If you are thinking you can’t be bothered or it’s too much work, ponder this: 68% of clients go elsewhere because of indifference. It also costs at least 10 times more to attract new clients, than work with existing ones.
Additional success tips when working with your database:
- Keep your lists as current as possible (sending a Christmas card to someone from 5 years ago probably won’t be effective, but may be insulting!)
- Make sure what you send is relevant. (Sending your male clients info about the latest womens’ festival is just plain silly!) Classifying your lists will ensure relevancy
- If using email be sure that you have permission to send otherwise it may be considered spam and is illegal and you can be heavily fined.
- Use an email and newsletter managment system such as icontact or aweber to create beautiful newsletters and email campaigns.
- Create personalised postcards and brochures at very low cost using Vistaprint. They offer a huge range of designs for a wide variety of stationery. I especially recommend their postcards which are very good quality. Looking professional at all times is important.
- Be consistent – regular contact ensures better results and more referrals.
Keep it simple, and enjoy regular contact with those you already know. Build relationships….it’s the way good business is done….and it’s enjoyable. If you don’t like interacting with people, you are probaly in the wrong industry!
To your health practice success….
Krishna
Posted in marketing | Tags: database management, Free Publicity, marketing, newsletters, promotion, success | No Comments »
