| Dealing with some of the myths and concerns around | | | | you are doing it all manually but I do not have the time |
| Email newsletter marketing will help you use this great | | | | or interest for that method and find the automated |
| internet marketing tactic to its full advantage. | | | | way easier and faster. |
| Myth # 1 | | | | Myth # 7 |
| Email Newsletters take too long to do so are not | | | | It is too hard getting images for the newsletter. Images |
| worth it. From reading forum topics with the question | | | | for an online business are required for the look and |
| of how long people spend on their email newsletters | | | | feel of a website and all other marketing tools - |
| the average is about 4 hours for a full length one and | | | | internet marketing or offline marketing and can be |
| less than 2 hours for a mini newsletter. I have the | | | | reused in your newsletter as long as the file size is |
| same time requirement for my newsletter formats - | | | | small for quick downloading - what you have for the |
| so I spend about a morning on my monthly email | | | | web is fine. I have a jewelry business so I need lots of |
| newsletter while the occasional mini promo newsletter | | | | bright, lovely pictures for my newsletter and have just |
| takes about an hour. For me it is time well spent | | | | made it an easy and simple part of the business. If you |
| because I always get immediate sales. | | | | have a service business then your need to pictures will |
| Myth # 2 | | | | be less - it all depends on what makes money for |
| It takes a lot of skills for write a newsletter. | | | | your business. |
| Newsletters are not jammed packed full of lengthy | | | | Myth # 8 |
| essays. They have direct and to the point paragraphs | | | | People do not buy from a newsletter. I get orders |
| about your products and services. All you need to do | | | | from every newsletter I send out. People come |
| to write for a newsletter is think of who you are | | | | directly to the website and call me to place orders |
| writing for - your audience - and write proper | | | | each time. I know they sometimes take their time to |
| sentences, in paragraphs, with good punctuation, | | | | make their mind up about something so it takes a few |
| spelling and grammar. | | | | newsletters before they act but that is looked after by |
| For your article topics you can use pieces from article | | | | consistently sending out the newsletter. When you get |
| directories that are of specific interest to your | | | | money right back for your newsletter efforts it is easy |
| audience. | | | | to keep the motivation up for sending them out. |
| Myth # 3 | | | | Myth # 9 |
| There are a lot of formatting and desktop publishing | | | | It is too hard to build up a big subscribe list. It takes time |
| skills required. Well it depends on how you do it. I use | | | | to build up a big subscriber list and you need to do in a |
| one of those email newsletter service providers and | | | | variety of ways. Your sign up box needs to be |
| use their templates. So my newsletters look great, I | | | | throughout the site with calls to action. You need to |
| get heaps of compliments for them and it is quick to | | | | collect details at your different events, expos, trade |
| do. | | | | shows, home show parties, networking occasions |
| Myth #4 | | | | everywhere you promote your business you get |
| People do not read newsletters. The average open | | | | people to join your email list. This includes all your |
| rate is about 20 - 30% of subscribers for me it makes | | | | signature files - emails, forums, blogs etc - and become |
| perfect sense to put effort into regularly | | | | a standard part of your marketing. |
| communicating - marketing and selling - to +30% of my | | | | Myth # 10 |
| customers. | | | | I've got nothing to say in a regular newsletter. Check |
| Myth # 5 | | | | out a whole range of newsletters and you'll see they |
| Spam filters make it too hard now to get newsletter | | | | have regular segments. By writing for these segments |
| emails through. If you use an email newsletter service | | | | you quickly fill up a newsletter. Here are some ideas: |
| provider they look after the spam filters for you as | | | | new or featured products/service, upcoming events |
| well as giving useful information about what you can | | | | and shows, featured in the media, competition winners, |
| do with your newsletters to get through better. If you | | | | content article/s, intro/greeting and a closing thank you |
| are doing it yourself from your email application (like | | | | topic, special offer or sale for the month, course dates |
| Outlook) you are going to have spam filter problems. | | | | available, coupon, did you know facts, surveys, industry |
| Another reason why I use an email service provider. | | | | report or news, there are lots of regular features that |
| Myth # 6 | | | | you can test out to see what people like and mix it up |
| It takes too long to constantly be managing the | | | | with some seasonal or special features. |
| subscriber database. This all depends on how you do | | | | Figure out a list of topic ideas and you will have your |
| it. I have a sign up box online that automatically | | | | content. To get direct ideas join some newsletters and |
| updates my customer list. I manually enter new | | | | see what they do and what could work for you. By |
| subscribers from expos and trade shows once a | | | | watching them over 12 - 18 months you will get a good |
| month. As for the unsubscribe that is done | | | | idea of their regular formats and how they work with |
| automatically for me and my email newsletter service | | | | specials. |
| provider looks after all of that for me. It is different if | | | | |