Branding with Newsletters
By Brian Darrow
Nov. 2004
© R-Design, Inc.


Some time ago, an episode of the popular sitcom Seinfeld revolved around a coffee table book about coffee tables – Ingenious! Today, I give you an article about how you can use articles to market your business – even more brilliant?!

The thing about marketing materials is that they usually end up in the trash. The beauty of a newsletter is that it doesn’t look like marketing materials. Yes, you are being marketed to right now, but keep reading – the rest of the article is free.

Newsletters are effective in spite of their lack of advertising copy and unbelievable discounts because they position you as an expert in whatever field your articles are about. If you sell pesticides, for instance, you probably know some useful information about pest control. It’s likely that your customers would be interested in this information. When you give it to them, it sets you apart from Slick Willie down the street. Before, you were both faceless storefronts on equal footing. Now, you’ve begun to build a relationship with your customers. Will some people take your free advice and run? Absolutely, but you’re not really losing anything when they do.

There are many different types of content that you can put in your newsletter:

• You can print industry news articles and explain what the current happenings in the industry mean for your customers.
  
• Standing columns are regular features usually written by the same person. These can be offbeat, or simply an update on things around your business. A standing column is a great way to connect with readers on a more personal level.
  
• Using educational information helps ensure that your newsletters stick around for a long period of time. How-to articles are often saved for future reference.
  
• Case histories and client profiles are a great way to show off your business in a not-so-obvious way. These allow your customers to see how your products or services can be applied in the real world.
  

Keep in mind that articles should be fairly short. No one really wants to read a textbook. Readers also enjoy clear visual aids, organization, interesting subjects and anything that tells them how they can make or save money. Stay away from intimidating graphics and text. If your readers were already experts themselves, they wouldn’t really need you, would they? Also, keep everything organized and easy to find.

Newsletters can be more time consuming and costly than other marketing materials such as postcards and sales letters. Reserve them for your most solid prospects and current customers. These are people who you know are interested in your services or products, and who you simply want to build a better relationship with. You can publish a newsletter on your web site or through email as a low cost alternative for the masses, but people will have to choose to come to your web site or be added to your email list for them to see it. Direct mailing your newsletter puts it right into their hands. Newsletters are not pushy and don’t directly ask for sales, and the relationships you build with your readers will ultimately blossom into profits for your business.