Perhaps due to the popularity of blogs right now, many marketers are saying the email newsletter is dead. A common refrain is, “We’ve got to get onto Twitter and start a Facebook page.“
But just a minute now. While email newsletters aren’t grabbing headlines, they haven’t gone away. If you look at what online marketers are doing, you’ll see the successful ones have not backed away from email marketing. ??In fact, Hubspot.com, the powerful internet marketing firm that staked it’s business reputation on blogging and social media, is now offering email marketing as well. Furthermore, there are marketing surveys that show that each email newsletter prospect is more valuable then Facebook or Twitter followers.
If you are running an online business…then you need both a blog and an email newsletter. Read the “Beauty of Blogging for Small Businesses” to understand how the blog can be beneficial to your business.
Read on here about the benefits of the email newsletter.
Why is an email newsletter essential?
Oh. Let me count the ways.
1. Newsletter Articles = Keeping in Touch/ Establishing You as an Expert
An email newsletter is key to online success because it’s so rare for people to buy after seeing your marketing materials just once. Most people look at their email every day…and having a message from you appearing in their inbox is a great way to remind them about your business.
People get to know you, trust you, and remember you…thereby increasing the likelihood that they will call you when they need your service. ??Even if you aren’t running an online business, an email newsletter can be a key strategy in your marketing toolkit. Any kind of business, from wine shops to realtors to insurance agents – even those without a product or service that is sold online – can benefit from an email newsletter.
2. Newsletter Articles = New Business, Repeat Business and Referrals
You will get calls from people who have been receiving your email newsletter. You would never have gotten their business if you hadn’t kept in touch. How else would they remember you, and call you with confidence so many months after meeting you? Furthermore, they will have learned a lot about you and about your business through the email newsletter… the email newsletter will have done most your selling and your qualifying for you!
3. Email Newsletter Articles = Great Resources for Prospects
Prospects who read your articles are pre-educated by you…they understand your approach and your philosophy. It saves you lots of time explaining things to prospects and clients. It leads to greater agreement and harmony between you and clients… you are already on the same page.
4. Email Newsletter Articles = Website Content = Search Engine Traffic
In this day and age, anything you write for the email newsletter will go into your blog or visa versa.
If you like to write, or will employ a copywriter to help you, you can use an email newsletter to increase your referrals, reduce your marketing hours, and attract clients who recognize and appreciate your expertise. Indispensable for online businesses and valuable for virtually all businesses–email newsletters are wonderful marketing tools.
So my conclusion is that the best strategy is blogging AND email newsletters. Remember, content developed for one can be re-purposed to the other. They serve different purposes and work great together; blogs to grow your Google search rankings and drive new traffic to your site; while email is an excellent keep in touch with those who already know you.
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Karen Nierlich of Full Orbit Web and Marketing started a email newsletter in 2002 and used it to grow her internet marketing business. She was a late adopter of blogging and now sees the value of both. She feels she is especially well qualified to explain the value of both blogging and email newsletters.