Email newsletters: Keep customers informed to get repeat business

Email newsletters are also by far the most cost-effective way to communicate with your customers. At just a few cents per send, you can reach a large amount of customers without breaking the bank. Just ensure that these clients actually want to receive news and offerings from you first, and that they have opted in to do so.

Always let consumers opt in and opt out of receiving email newsletters. © Rancz Andrei – 123RF.com

With current technology, this means your marketing wastage is zero. The system regularly "cleans" your database, removes redundant email addresses and also those that get trapped by firewalls. They can also provide you with accurate stats on delivery and interaction. The benefit of this is that you can continually tweak your content for optimal results.

Why should you choose email newsletters?

1. They're an effective medium to drive more traffic to your company website. You link newsletter content to relevant destinations on your website, where you provide more detailed information.
2. They keep your customers informed. Press releases, news updates, special offers and competitions are all excellent ways to inform and persuade your customers to return.
3. Email newsletters are one of the best vehicles for direct marketing. You can reach thousands of customers with just one message.
4. When you consider what print, television and radio cost, then you will realise how much cheaper this medium is. Although you pay a few cents per send and a retainer to the company that manages this for you, it is still very cost effective.
5. Regular contact between yourself and your customers (not more than once a week - once or twice a month is preferable) will build a strong relationship over time.
6. You can bet your last cent that some of your competitors are already speaking to your customers via email newsletters, and that they are luring them into their shops.

Pitfalls to avoid when sending email newsletters

1. Never spam people. It's the quickest way to drive people away from your company. Always make sure that the people you send your emails to are current clients of yours or that they gave their permission for you to send them news. It's wise to gather data from each person that has contact with your business and then politely ask if you can send updates to them. You can also add a "subscribe button" on your website.
2. Remember that different Internet Service Providers (ISPs), firewalls and webmail systems have spam filters and email preferences. This is especially the case at large corporations. Make sure that email newsletters are thus not the only form of communication with your clients, but rather form one element of a holistic marketing approach.

It's impossible for local business owners to keep up to date with all the new technology enhancements, technical pitfalls and best practices. It takes time and work to build it, to manage your databases, to create the next one and so forth. With all this, you will have to be a pretty accomplished designer to ensure that a professional product reaches your audience. It is therefore recommended that this function is one that you outsource to a professional digital marketing company.