E-newsletters for beginners

Telling prospect customers what you do and why they should consider you is one of the most common objectives for e-newsletters. However, with the advent of GDPR regulations, gone are the days when you can send through unsolicited information in the hope it will catch the eye and generate a lead and/or sale.

So, should e-newsletters be struck from your marketing programme? Absolutely not, for 2 reasons:

1. Reassuring existing customers that you have a finger on the pulse in all things relevant to your sector – in fact so on the pulse you’re talking about it, hopefully proactively, and giving your expert opinion – is one of the most encouraging elements to retain and grow business.
   

2. Writing content for e-newsletters can very easily be repurposed onto social media platforms with little additional effort… and that’s where it’s more likely your prospects will see your useful content without you breaking GDPR rules.

Where do I start with an e-newsletter campaign?

Firstly, consider the actual logistics of creating and sending it. There are a number of e-newsletter providers who manage your uploaded data and keep you within the GDPR guidelines so take a look. Mailchimp (mailchimp.com) is our favourite and, if you send to less than 2,000 recipients per month, it’s absolutely free to use.

Once you know the logistics of getting it published, we’d recommend you pull together a 12 month calendar of headline topics. Start with key topics that are critical for certain months (like worming sows in April, making silage in May, etc). Put them into the calendar at least one month earlier than your customers will need to address those issues so that your guidance/advice and product recommendations are in their psyche to remember and act upon. Then fill in the gaps with other topics that are relevant to your products and/or services and area of expertise. A great way to get going here is to think about all the questions you’re regularly asked by your customers – if one customer asks, you can bet your bottom dollar there’s a heap more that haven’t but are still looking for the answer.

Of course, the calendar isn’t set in concrete, it can be manipulated or completely usurped if other topical issues are needed at any given time, but at least it stops you staring at a blank piece of paper for a couple of hours wondering where to start!

So now you have your e-newsletter provider and content! If you put the two together, making sure your branding is consistent and the style reflects your company’s ‘personality’, then you’ve got nothing to lose other than giving it a go.

We’re here to help you with any of these steps, so if you think e-newsletters will be an asset to your company but need some help, then just give us a call and I’m certain we can help.

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