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PLUMBING CONNECTION
AUTUMN 2016
THE ART OF WRITING GREAT
NEWSLETTERS
L
et’s start with a question. How many newsletters have
you unsubscribed to in the past 12 months and why?
How many have you subscribed to and continue to
diligently read?
Newsletters are one of the most difficult pieces of
communication to write. You just need to miss the mark
once and an un-subscription becomes a lost contact.
Newsletters, whether produced in print or online are
everywhere. Despite complaints they proliferate needlessly,
every organisation seems to have one. The fact they are
so common, means careful consideration must be given to
every aspect of content and production to ensure
the end result is worth the effort and the cost.
As with any marketing activity we need
to look at the objectives first. What are the
benefits of producing a newsletter?
∫ It is an efficient and effective way of staying
in touch with new, former and potential
clients.
∫ It can be used to establish you/your
company as an expert in your field.
∫ It is a very good way of communicating your
company’s service offering especially if you
operate in more than one area, for example,
new home building and major alterations
and additions.
∫ It provides an opportunity for clients to
get to know you and your team through
personal profiling.
The bottom line is that newsletters are simply special
purpose newspapers. They can be used to present
arguments, give information, entertain and provoke action.
Like all good marketing activities – fail to plan, plan to fail.
So make a plan that is workable for you and it will deliver the
result you need.
WHO IS THE NEWSLETTER FOR?
In most cases your newsletter will be distributed to
existing, potential and new clients. They may know you or
your company, having some interaction in the past, but they
won’t be contractors so will not have the knowledge you do.
Working out who the newsletter is for is your foundation
work. Now we start to build it.
CONTENT
What do you want your recipients to know and what do
you want them to do when they get that information. For
example: you might want to tell them about the range of
services you offer, showcase your latest bathroom renovation
project or introduce them to a new trend to incite them to use
your services in the future. The content must be informative
and interesting,
not a sales pitch
. Start by preparing a
content calendar and listing the possible themes then
stories that spin off those themes which can be
included in your content.
HOWMUCH CONTENT IS ENOUGH?
Most newsletters are sent via email as an
electronic direct mail which means it is likely to
be read on a screen. This could be as large as a
big desktop monitor or as small as an iphone.
Content that really works is usually featured
in one of two ways. The first option is to make
your newsletter a five minute read.
Promise your reader that in five minutes or
less they will be able to read your newsletter
and get value from the content. This is much
more likely to be read than long, scrolling
content on a device. The second option is
to make your point in a paragraph or two
that is in the body of the email but one that
clicks through to a slightly longer piece that
sits on your website should they want to read more detail.
Even if they don’t read the entire newsletter you have still
communicated your key message and if they do click through,
then you have driven them to your website.
MAKE IT A COMPELLING READ
If you don’t grab their attention in the first 30 seconds of
opening your email it is likely to get deleted or go unread.
Use the WIIFIM principle – What’s In It For Me. Talk to the
reader in your opener and tease them into reading and
wanting more. For example, “Want to know how to add
$100,000 to the sale price of your home?” Or “The family will
CECELIA HADDAD
PROVIDES SOME VALUABLE TIPS ON HOW TO WRITE A NEWSLETTER THAT CUTS THROUGH THE
INBOX CLUTTER AND EARNS NEW CUSTOMERS
BUSINESS PROMOTION
CECELIA HADDAD