Q:  Are newsletters really worth the effort?

My thoughts on this are:

Yes, they can be time-consuming and when it comes to sitting down to create your newsletter, you find yourself starting at a blank screen, trying to think of things to write about in your newsletter and then you worry that you don’t have a lot to say and think that actually looks worse than writing nothing at all!  Arrghh we’ve all been there. Your concerns are valid.

I can’t give you a definitive answer but what’s the worst that can happen… new customers, returning customers, informed customers?  Not a bad outcome for an hour’s worth of effort each month.

Newsletters can be anything from a 1-pager with information about you, your business and what’s happening – to a full-on book (only joking, but you can stretch it to a 3-page bulletin if you are really passionate about your business niche and want to scream it from the rooftops). 

Having a newsletter is an extra level of service you can provide to your clients/customers that keeps them coming back for more. Who doesn’t like to hear about the benefits they receive from using your products/services?

I say give it a try!

You might be pleasantly surprised.  The good thing is, you can measure your customer numbers/income before you start creating a newsletter and give it a good 6-12 months after, then check your numbers again, you will know if the newsletter is worth the effort.

It’s completely up to you how you want to structure a newsletter, it’s your business after all, you get to say what’s in/out. Think of the newsletters you receive, what do you like about them? What parts do you skip over?

I do have some suggestions below to help get you started, if you find yourself staring at the dreaded blank screen.

You may want to consider including some of these options in your newsletter:

• Benefits of a particular product/service
• Tips on how to use your product/service to get the best results
• Upcoming offers, or new products you have in the pipeline
• What you are doing (are you working on a new idea, attending a conference? If so, tell them and include photos, people like to see what’s happening behind the scenes)
• Inspirational/motivational quotes to help uplift them
• Themed newsletters (content can include a ‘how to’)
• Product Maintenance tips or how to manage in between appointments for your service

There’s no right or wrong with the frequency of newsletters but as a word of caution sending too many emails can be annoying and cause people to unsubscribe (I have unsubscribed from many newsletters for this very reason – people are busy, respect their time and their inbox).

Start off monthly and see how it’s being received by your subscribers, do your customers/clients mention it when they see or speak to you?

Are they opening, reading and replying to your newsletters?

Are they forwarding your newsletters to their friends?

If so, it’s safe to say your newsletters are a huge success and you should continue, you may even throw in the odd seasonal extra newsletter when there’s a lot going on, or if you have a lot to say, which I think will happen when you get going.

Go on, give a try, shake things up a little and remember to note the success. There’s nothing like the feeling of creating something that is being very well received and helping others to learn.