Why newsletters don’t work

Newsletters don’t work anymore. 

No one will go to your website and sign up for your newsletter.

Sorry but it’s true.

Although I agree that you need to build your list and create a community to grow your business, we are overwhelmed by information these days.  And unless you are offering high value content, you’ll struggle to build your list by just offering a newsletter.

I’ve got some more bad news. 

When you do start to build your community, you have to consistently offer great information to keep your subscribers engaged, and it is a never-ending fight to keep growing and building your list.

On top of that, you’ll find that on average just 20-30% of your subscribers will actually read your offering, so you might be thinking…

Why bother?

Having a community of well targeted prospects is an incredibly important part of your business, and when you offer something valuable you are more likely to reach the right people.  Balancing these strategies with social media interaction and meeting people face to face will grow your business.

If you want to get your newsletter working for you, here are some of the things you need to do:

1. Target your information towards one particular sector of the marketplace (or niche)

This is incredibly important for your business, full stop.  It also makes it easier for you and your clients, as you know what they want and you can give it to them. So instead of having a newsletter sign up on your website, have something valuable that your community can download in exchange for their details.

2. Have a compelling headline that interests your community 

When you send out communications, your readers won’t care that it is your October newsletter! But they are more likely to open your email if it creates intrigue, answers a question they are asking themselves, or is potentially controversial!

3. Share strategies that solves your client’s problem

When you know your clients, you understand their burning problems and questions and can solve them in your newsletter.  Whether it is the answer, a top tip or other valuable information, share it with them. You are showcasing your expertise too.

4. Reveal a bit about you 

People buy from people and if the purpose of your newsletter isn’t to grow your business, well you are in the wrong place! I don’t mean that you need to share your whole life story, but sharing some personal information about you will help people to get to know the real you.

5. Do something different 

Throw in something new from time to time.  Create do a video blog, or develop a cartoon animation to get your message across. Or perhaps run a webinar on a topic that interests your clients. Actually a great way to build your list is to run a telesummit, just like one of my clients is doing this week.

6. Keep in touch regularly 

Communicate with your readers ideally once every 1-2 weeks.  Otherwise your subscribers will be wondering ‘who is this person?’ and are more likely to unsubscribe, report your message as spam, and move on.

7. Balance your content with offerings 

Most business owners will build their list to connect with their community, however it is also a good place to offer your products and services to your clients – just not every time you send your newsletter! Having a good balance is essential to build trust.

8. Re-purpose and reuse your information 

Don’t create an article that you never use again. My newsletters will normally contain a link to my blog (just like this) where I can share information that works for you.  So how about reusing the content in an Ezine Article, or in a magazine or newspaper?  Your newsletter and blog should just be one part of your marketing strategy and not the only one!

9. Make your information easy for people to share 

When you write a blog, make it easy to share with your social sharing buttons.  Actually one of the most important things is to widen your reach and schedule your post on your social media platforms to access more people.

10. Encourage interaction with your community

Don’t just have your newsletter or your blog as one way thought.  Encourage your readers to share their thoughts and questions, and interact with them.  With this in mind, I’d love your comments on this message below!

Oh and feel free to share using the social media buttons 🙂