The thought of receiving yet another dead boring newsletter into my inbox leaves me poised over the ‘delete’ key. So get the sales defibrillator out because this next edition of Extreme Sales Makeover is all about shocking new life into online newsletters in a way that has readers reaching for their credit card rather than their recycle bin.
Here’s a real-life example for us to work on to improve our skills.
1. Meet Myriam Thibault
My friend, Myriam Thibault is a talented entrepreneur who writes a blog called Detours and runs Mytinerary – a business that delivers the ultimate gourmet-travel experience in Sydney.
2. Myriam has asked for our help
“I’m just about to launch my (long overdue) website for Mytinerary, and I need your assistance. I want to leverage this launch to start collecting more contact details so I can grow my database. This will in turn help .me promote my tours and events, and ultimately boost sales. One of the tactics I have in mind is to launch a free monthly newsletter.”
How can you assist Myriam?
Myriam has asked three questions for your consideration and help:
a. Would a monthly newsletter be a useful tool for Myriam?
I’m aware we tend to get too many newsletters these days, with many ending up straight in the bin. On the other hand, I think in my case it could be a useful tool, that could work well in combination with my blog. Any thoughts? Do you think monthly would be a good frequency?
b. What content will make her newsletter engaging?
I thought the newsletter could break down into 4 or 5 mini-sections, each starting with a catchy headline. In terms of content, I’d go for a mix of the following (not all of that in the same newsletter obviously):
* sell something (e.g. sell the next chocolate tour, or next event, or feature a special offer) with a clear “Book Now” button and where possible a time-sensitive incentive (e.g. early bird rate);
* for the diary: upcoming events of interest in Sydney and Paris (e.g. play, festival, special dinner, exhibition, etc);
* top tips (around travel, food, shopping), do’s and dont’s;
* itinerary suggestions, focusing either on a region or district (e.g. 24 hours in Surry Hills, 24 hours in Provence, a weekend in the Hawkesbury) or focusing around a celebrity (e.g. Oprah’s Sydney favourites; Cate Blanchett’s Sydney; Alain Ducasse’s Paris, etc);
* competitions (subscribe and win, or tell us in 25 words or less why you should win). For instance, Robin once had the idea of running a “Where am I?” competition, where I post a picture and people have to guess the location based on my surroundings;
* a gift suggestion focusing on my products (eg promote voucher; or give ideas for B-day / anniversary / Xmas gifts with a clear “buy now” link);
* testimonials (written or videos);
* did you know that… (+ a quirky fact or story around Sydney/Paris).
Plus bullet-point recap at the beginning of the newsletter to sign-post content; ‘About us’ profile at bottom of newsletter with contact details and the usual social media links.
c. Any other tactics to capture reader details?
Any other tactics I should consider to capture details, beside the newsletter? For example, I’m not sure offering free e-books or podcasts to download would be relevant for me?
Let’s help Myriam succeed
You don’t need to be a master persuader, copywriter or online expert to contribute. A key lesson from the Sharewords workshop (that is still ‘live’) is that every idea, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant, helps the group succeed. No ideas? Then leave some encouragement or words of support. This will fuel the efforts of others.
Simply write your suggestions, questions and or ideas in the comments below and both Myriam and I will respond where appropriate.
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78 Responses to this post
November 9, 2010 at 5:16 pm |
Awesome – thank you Robin, really appreciate all the help I can get here!
I know you’re not a big newsletter fan so I’m bracing myself for the challenge
November 10, 2010 at 9:13 am |
You’re very welcome, Myriam. I know that newsletters are used by many people, with many more perhaps thinking about having a newsletter, so I’m really looking forward to learning more and changing my attitude.
November 9, 2010 at 5:45 pm |
Hi Myriam and Robin
OK I’ll take the plunge and comment first
Yes I think a newsletter would be valuable given the content you have outlined here
I dont believe you need celebrities to sell it – real life examples in my humble opinion are much more realistic in the itinerary section
I like your breakdown – I think it will give enough fresh content to make it worthwhile
Perhaps a referral program for each new subscribre that signs up via a forwarded newsletter?
I would be happy to forward these sort of newsletters to all our friends and rellies overseas and promote it around my region too!
Cant wait to see what you come up with
All the best
Leanne
November 9, 2010 at 5:53 pm |
Great – thank you for your valuable input Leanne!
Interesting comment on celebs, will keep in mind. And I really like the idea of a referral program, hadn’t thought of it
November 10, 2010 at 9:23 am |
Me neither. It’s an excellent point.
November 10, 2010 at 9:17 am |
Splash!! Wow, Leanne. I love it when you take the plunge.
I really like you point about forwarding these newsletters overseas. Great idea! In your experience, are newsletters popular in country areas?
November 10, 2010 at 9:46 am |
Newsletters are popular in regional areas Robin – its a way to stay up to date with what is happening there are far more resources in metropolitan areas to promote a “whats happening” – regional areas rely on local newspapers whether they are paid or free and on word of mouth and networks (everybody knows everybodies business in country towns!!)
Myriam Check out Tourism NSW website – they have an events calendar and some great newsletters that cover the regions too!
Gina I love your input here and your newsletter I too enjoy reading it over my morning coffee
Leanne
November 10, 2010 at 9:50 am |
Excellent feedback, Leanne. Thank you.
November 10, 2010 at 10:04 am |
Very interesting perspective Leanne, hadn’t really thought of it but you’re totally right. And yes, I’ve been working with Tourism NSW before so as soon as my website has been launched, I’ll touch base with them again and see if they can include my events in their online calendar
November 9, 2010 at 5:52 pm |
My first impression is – I’ll sign up so long as I don’t have to read 1000s and 1000s of words. (I am guilty of scanning the range of newsletters I get to find the stand out bits and then hitting delete.) I want sharp and to the point and if I want more info I’ll click through. So, the break down into mini sections is appealing to me.
a) – so long as it has a *stand out from the crowd ‘x’ factor*
Good luck
b) – see my note above
c) – are you asking about products or how to capture/grow your list?: Products – I think you’ve got a real opportunity to create a downloadable mp3 (thingy) which people can then use as a walking guide (e.g. need only cover the equivalent of the high street). I think that is an established product in the market but you can still make it distinguishable (recalling our sales session with Robin and Leanne earlier this week). Lists – I have no idea, I’m at that stage myself
Hope this feedback is helpful.
November 9, 2010 at 5:59 pm |
Thank you Sally – very helpful indeed!
I think you’re right, making the content sharp and easily scannable is going to be key to the success of my newsletter.
And I’m glad to see you can see value in the mp3 itineraries – I’ll need to think about it. I’ve already used a couple of those as a traveller myself and I really liked the experience. For instance, this company called SOUNDWALK has done a pretty fabulous series of MP3 audiotours in Paris and New-York with famous artists, actors and designers: http://www.soundwalk.com/#/TOURS/
November 10, 2010 at 9:22 am |
Great feedback, Sally. Strong signposting for quick scanning is essential for me. Sticky, interesting headings are also important. Are you thinking of having a newsletter?
November 9, 2010 at 6:35 pm |
Hi Myriam, newsletters are my thing! The most fundamental advice I can give you about building your list is to consider every person as part of a bigger audience. That is, even if you have just one subscriber, you write as though you’re writing to a huge audience. ‘The louder you sing, the better the quality of your voice.’ Numbers don’t mean a thing if your readers don’t really appreciate your newsletters. I’d rather have a smaller database and high open rate than a massive database and an apathetic audience who never opens my newsletters.
To build your database, provide multiple sign-ups in various places on the net. I have an email sign-up tab on my Facebook page, one on my website and I frequently tweet the link to the latter. Also include ‘forward to a friend’ and ask followers to retweet your links.
You can also send out an email to everyone whose email address you have because they’ve done business with you, and ask them if they’d prefer to opt out. All it needs to be is a couple of paragraphs introducing people to your newsletter concept and include a big fat ‘unsubscribe’ button that they can’t miss, right in the middle of the email. Think of it this way; if they don’t want your newsletters, make it easy for them to opt out. You don’t want to bother people or alienate them. Sending this email will also introduce them to your new website.
Hope this helps
.
Gina.
November 9, 2010 at 7:01 pm |
Dear Gina,
That’s awesome – thank you very much for taking the time to share your copywriting expertise with me!
I’m taking the ‘multiple sign-ups’ recommendation on board. I’m really with you on the ‘smaller database but higher open rate’ thing. After working with Robin here for quite some time now, I’m really sold on the quality vs quantity approach
And I’ll also email all my business contacts as you suggested, giving them the choice to opt out. That might really help (whilst making sure I comply with online regulations).
November 10, 2010 at 9:25 am |
Thank you so much for your generous sharing of expertise and experience, Gina. We have much to learn from you. Please don’t hesitate to include a link to your newsletter so that we can all benefit from your wider expertise.
best, Robin
November 9, 2010 at 7:24 pm |
Yes, do always comply with spam laws. Sometimes even that can be hard but we always try our best to do the right thing.
I’m sure Robin lives by ‘quality over quantity’
. He seems to be a quality person!
November 10, 2010 at 9:26 am |
Thank you. I love mixing with quality company!
November 9, 2010 at 9:01 pm |
Hi Myriam, Robin and crew,
and Hey hey … Gina … *great* to see you here
You know, in this day and age of blogs / Twitter / Facebook I had really been questioning the value of an e-newsletter … wondering if in fact it’s ‘old’ and peoople prefer to ‘catch’ their information via social media networks and RSS feeds.
However … having finally pulled my finger out and sent out 2 newsletters in the last 3 weeks I am pleasantly surprised at the results. So to answer the first question Myriam, yes, it’s well worth while having an e-newsletter.
I agree wholeheartedly with Gina on multiple options for sign-up … and whilst respecting SPAM laws, starting with ‘everyone’ on your list I think is a great strategy (just make it EASY) for them to opt-out.
I like the idea of mini-sections and I think all current ideas have merit. I wonder if 3-4 is a better number than 4-5 … particularly picking up on Sally’s comments about length.
I also think your business lends itself beautifully to a photo-style newsletter … showcasing a beautiful plate of chocolates, a Tastevin ‘spread’ … then with info on how readers can have a ‘piece of that delectable action’.
LOVE the ‘where’s Myriam’ competition … particularly as your readership base grows readers could send in their photos and you could have a global ‘guessing game’
Finally … anything that captures the essence of you Myriam will be just exquisite … the french flair, your fairy-like enjoyment of fine experiences, the visual, gustatory and olfactory indulgence that *is* the ‘Myriam’ experience.
As far as complementing the blog, for me, your e-newsletter would become like a vicarious pleasure and indulgence … I will enjoy reading it like I read an aspirational travel or style magazine … with opportunities to actually experience the indulgence often.
Ooh la la … hurry up. I’m salivating ;-P
Cat
my sharewords: a CATalyst who maximises business performance
November 9, 2010 at 9:30 pm |
Hi Cat,
Wow, couldn’t thank you enough for this fantastic feedback!!
Great to see that you think there’s still value in a newsletter – if done properly. And I agree with you and Sally, I should probably stick to 3-4 sections.
I’ll also keep your recommendations in mind when designing my newsletter, focusing on a visually attractive, magazine-like look and feel.
Loving this conversation
November 10, 2010 at 9:39 am |
I really like the idea of it having a magazine look and feel.
November 10, 2010 at 9:30 am |
This is top-shelf input Cat. I really appreciate you sharing it here on Extreme Sales Makeover.
Can video be easily inserted into a Newsletter? Could be another great way for Myriam to share her engaging personality, and give the Newsletter short bursts of fresh twist!
Best, Robin
November 9, 2010 at 9:30 pm |
Hi Cat!
I agree with everything Cat’s said. And whilst I’m a huge social media advocate, the truth is, not everyone uses Twitter and Facebook, plus, especially with Twitter, your tweets fly by and don’t reach your audience consistently. Newsletters are a way to reach your audience at THEIR convenience. They can open them when they have the time to read them. There’s another technique I’ be trialling too once you build your subscriber base. I’ve been gauging which send days have a better open rate, and I send my newsletters weekly. If you send yours less frequently, you can actually try sending them one day and sending the same one again a week later, to the ones who haven’t opened.
Newsletters are not an exact science. I try different things with mine all the time. They evolve, which is a good idea anyway. If something doesn’t work, revise it.
And by the way Kat, I’ve really enjoyed your newsletters!
November 9, 2010 at 9:40 pm |
Thank you Gina – really good points! Because all of us here are on Twitter and Facebook on an almost daily basis, we sometimes forget that not everyone uses social media, and it’s true that a newsletter is more convenient and permanent in that sense.
Also like your idea of testing out different days of the week to send newsletters out.
From your experience, which days work best? This is a discussion we’ve had with Robin today, actually. He was telling me that traffic on his blog was going really strong on Mondays and Tuesdays.
Have you guys noticed something similar? Or do you find that Fridays – with the weekend only a couple of hours away and people inclined to procrastinate – may be a good day too to send out lifestyle newsletters?
November 9, 2010 at 9:47 pm |
oops, sorry, wanted to answer Myriam’s question about Fridays …
I wouldn’t. yes, it is lifestyle … but honestly, I think most people are trying to ‘wrap’ their week up on a Friday … and your email is likely to get lost.
I’m keen to hear Gina’s stats on what works best for her … and for your business I’d be thinking Wednesday / Thursday … close enough to the weekend to be ‘relevant’ … but not at the messy end of the week.
Gut feel … no science in any of this comment though I must admit
November 9, 2010 at 9:44 pm |
I’ve always thought Tuesdays were the best day for sending out stuff … don’t know why I think that, just do
Must start collecting some real evidence.
And yes, you’re right … as bizarre as it is (to me), not everyone (yet) is using Twitter and Facebook ;-P And even if they do … it is nice to have the ‘important’ things land in your inbox.
Thank you for your comment about *my* newsletters … appreciated.
November 9, 2010 at 10:00 pm |
Top shelf advice, Cat, thank you. And good point about Tuesdays vs Fridays, when we’re all a bit busy wrapping up the week and meeting our deadlines…
November 10, 2010 at 9:40 am |
“Newsletters are a way to reach your audience at THEIR convenience.” is such a great point, Gina.
November 10, 2010 at 5:24 am |
Jumping back in for a wee bit…
Love the feedback from Cat and Gina and agree with what’s been said or it really hits home
Twitter: To make the tweets more viable, if you still choose to do them, schedule a few that go out at different times so they hit different markets, etc. Of course it may come down to the 80/20 rule – 80% of tweets hit 20% of your followers; however also consider the other 80/20 rule (the one I’ve heard applied to Twitter) – keep 80% of your tweets around engagement and 20% can be the pitch/sales
My thought about days for release/emailing, from the customer perspective, if I get your yummy newsletter on a Monday or Tuesday then that sets me up for something to do this coming weekend – it can help me plan my social life???? That is buyer thought rather than any stat, I too would be interested in what stats people are getting and how they cross reference to the industry they represent.
(Thanks for putting up your case Myriam, we all learn from the experience)
November 10, 2010 at 9:42 am |
These are excellent builds, Sally. Thank you. You points about timing the newsletter from the customer buying cycle perspective are music to my ears. Excellent!
November 10, 2010 at 10:07 am |
Yes, really good point about the Monday / Tuesday timing, Sally – it’s so great to have someone else’s perspective on things!
November 10, 2010 at 7:42 am |
For the record adding people to your mailing list then asking them to opt-out is spam. Spam is were people have not given explicit approval to be added to your mailing list. If you have a clearly expressed policy that adds customers to your mailing list and the customers are aware of that then that’s OK.
Also be aware of deliverability eg. the things that contribute to getting your email to the receipient’s inbox and not a spam filter. This includes the service provider you choose to send the email newsletters through. Never just send email newsletters from your email client (eg. Outlook).
November 10, 2010 at 9:47 am |
This is important feedback, Leah. I really appreciate your contribution to this discussion. Points well made. Thank you. Robin
November 10, 2010 at 10:09 am |
Thanks for your feedback on spa laws Leah, this is much appreciated. You’re right, I’ll probably do it the other way round then, sending a mail out to my friends and contacts, but with a clear ‘opt in’ instead of ‘opt out’.
November 10, 2010 at 8:45 am |
Hi Leah
I see what you’re saying in your comment: “asking them to opt-out is spam”. I don’t see it that way because Myriam would have been in general or specific contact with all those people already anyway, and emailing them to advise that she will be starting a newsletter is not actually sending them the newsletter. It could be done a different way, by asking people to opt IN, but for many newsletter service providers, setting up the list then having people opt out is easier to manage.
So you’re right, to be MORE correct, an opt-in facility is the way to go, but most business owners know their audience well enough to know how best to approach this.
In response to best days to send newsletters, I usually send mine out on Sunday nights and find the open rate is excellent. Sometimes I send on a Monday night or Tuesday morning, and to be honest, I don’t find much of a difference. I like Sunday nights because it reaches inboxes in time for people to see it first thing Monday morning (if not earlier). The feedback I get – and I encourage feedback – is that my readers love to read my newsletter over a cup of coffee so a lot of them don’t put it aside; they actually look forward to it.
I experiment with lots of different methods, features, timing, subject lines and so on. When something works, you go with it and when something doesn’t, you replace it.
November 10, 2010 at 9:49 am |
Gina, your point about experimentation is really important. Thank you.
November 10, 2010 at 10:21 am |
Thanks for adding to the conversation Gina. Yes, I’ll probably go for the ‘opt in’ solution, even though I can understand where you’re coming from, considering I’d only include friends and personal business contacts.
PS: ah ah, so true about liking to start your Monday morning at work with a cup of coffee, reading some of the emails and newsletters received over the weekend. I so remember doing that at my previous agency!!
November 10, 2010 at 9:46 am |
Thanks, Robin, for the invitation to post the link to my newsletters. If you go to http://wordmistress.com.au/newsletter, you can read previous editions including the latest one, and you are all welcome to sign up for the newsletter there too if you are interested. I’ll be presenting an email marketing Masterclass for Brisbane Woman next Thursday. It’d be a great idea to film it and post it on my site. Stay tuned.
November 10, 2010 at 11:06 am |
Hi all,
Just catching up on the latest conversation … and Myriam, in particular, thinking about the ‘magazine’ look and feel.
Have you seen Mag Cloud – http://www.magcloud.com/
I’m by no means suggesting you do this ‘instead’ of your newsletter … but you could produce a very nice quarterly publication and leave it in some of your favourite spots as a way of promoting your services … and promoting them at the same time.
(not meant to be a distraction … but I couldn’t *not* mention it)
November 11, 2010 at 7:33 pm |
Thank you Cat – fabulous tip!! I spent last night checking examples of on-demand magazines on MagCloud. This is great, I love how you can customise your templates and everything
November 16, 2010 at 4:53 pm |
MagCloud is new to me. Thank you, Cat.
November 10, 2010 at 11:19 am |
My thoughts Myriam.
I do think a newsletter is a great idea if you market it so I want to read it. Because there aren’t many people offering what you do gives you a head start and your marketing is so great.
I definitely think monthly is fine, I started with monthly and now do fortnightly.
Some extra ideas for you to contemplate
a) I wouldn’t offer free ebooks as Robin D says why not get them to pay.
b) Have a theme for each newsletter eg season or Christmas
c) Have special offers, or buys, I have a Luv a Bargain for sales items
d) Something to entice them in eg. Myriam’s secret tips, finds or places to visit that no-one will tell you.
e) Use lots of photos like you have been
f) Always have a photo of you, keep it updated with photos of your tours, to get across the personal experience you provide
g) have an audio or video so we can hear your gorgeous voice and personality.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Robin
November 11, 2010 at 4:00 pm |
Very useful builds, Robin. Thank you! Great idea to include Myriam’s photo.
November 11, 2010 at 7:39 pm |
Hi Robin,
Thanks heaps for your feedback my dear, this is much appreciated! Yes, I agree that monthly might be the way to start, and then doing it on a fortnightly basis.
I really like your tips about having a theme for each issue, and about the different ways to convey the ‘personal experience’ in the newsletters via pics and videos. Will definitely keep that in mind.
November 16, 2010 at 4:53 pm |
Yes, we need your personal touch and authenticity to shine through, Myriam.
November 10, 2010 at 2:13 pm |
I think more often than monthly. The aim is to keep you at the front of people’s minds so fortnightly might be better if you can manage it. That way you can also repromote events. Eg. News 1 – New event – first 20 to buy get a free chocolate News 2 – Hurry, Only 12 tickets left.
I wouldn’t stress to much about magazine style and all that. Just do what you can do:) People will read it because it’s by you – if they want Gourmet Traveller they’ll buy that:)Your blog is full of passion and I’d love to see that in the newsletter.
Yes, a long slow build of numbers is good.
My only peeve is why does Mytinerary dash off to the detours,typepad blog still?!
November 11, 2010 at 3:59 pm |
Thanks for helping us here, Annabel. How’s your newsletter going? Have you been sending it?
November 11, 2010 at 7:43 pm |
Thanks Annabel – always love your perspective on things considering your online expertise!
I know, I’ll start monthly but will aim at a fortnightly newsletter ASAP. Quite interesting indeed from a sales cycle perspective.
And thanks for cracking the whip re: the website launch – I know, I’m boo-ing myself. Tomorrow it’ll be live, I promise
November 10, 2010 at 3:26 pm |
I’m loving all this advice, being on the verge of augmenting a newsletter to all of our retailers (*duck* don’t ask why not before now
As a newbie to this too Myriam, I’m sorry I can’t offer any advice up front, but hopefully we can compare notes as we set sail together on this new journey!
November 11, 2010 at 3:57 pm |
I’m taking notes, too Linda!
November 11, 2010 at 7:46 pm |
Thank you for the encouragement Linda, and I’m really glad this “makeover” can benefit other people! I’ll type a quick recap of key learnings for me so far by the end of the week, this might be handy.
Good luck for your own newsletter
November 10, 2010 at 4:30 pm |
Hi Myriam
My only comment is to be yourself – write in the way that is natural to you. Let your readers get to know *you* as well as what you offer.
Can you add my name to your subscribers please?
Desolie *sharpens your writing*
November 11, 2010 at 3:57 pm |
Yes, this is an excellent point, Desolie. Thank you.
November 11, 2010 at 7:55 pm |
Thank you Desolie – great advice indeed!
I really enjoy writing so that should be a fun exercise.
PS: as a professional writer, which resources do you find most helpful on the Net, such as blogs or websites?
November 11, 2010 at 7:56 pm |
PS: meant which resources on writing techniques / advice / tips
November 11, 2010 at 8:09 pm |
Hello there,
I’m finding this really interesting, as I’m just re-vamping my newsletter at the moment.
Myriam, I definitely think a newsletter is worthwhile for you. You have some great content, that people are interested in. One of the key reasons to have a newsletter, in my humble opinion, is a gentle reminder to existing and potential clients that you are there. Even if they don’t read it, they will see it and be suddenly reminded of you. It might take 10 reminders until they buy – but surely that’s worth it?
I shall give you a real life example – I sent out a newsletter about making the most of your weekend. A client responded immediately, saying “Thanks for the reminder – I’d like a weekend away soon, please can you organise it?”. Instant results – I got some business from it, and the client got a luxury weekend away at a health and yoga retreat in the Blue Mountains – everyone’s a winner.
As for content – I think you’re bang on with your suggestions. Remember, it will evolve as you go on, so don’t worry about getting it perfect the first time – just get something out there (as Robin would say!).
Perhaps you could ask for feedback – encourage readers to let you know what they liked in the first few – it’s in their interests to do so, because when you know what they like, they’ll get more of it from you.
Will watch your newsletters with interest!
Claire
PS Don’t forget to have a sign-up form on your website – on every page is good….. (I don’t have that yet, but it’s coming…)
November 15, 2010 at 5:55 pm |
Hi Claire – thanks a lot for your feedback, and for sharing your personal experience!
You’re absolutely right, newsletters are a great way to gently remind existing and potential clients that you’re there…
November 16, 2010 at 5:42 pm |
Claire makes such a great point.
November 16, 2010 at 5:21 pm |
This is really excellent input, Claire. Thank you. Robin
November 11, 2010 at 10:37 pm |
I’ve been lurking here the last few days, reading and learning. Great ideas. I’ve just started sending regular newsletters out – weekly based on Annabel’s advice and others. I’m no expert here so my input is based on personal experience.
If sending weekly, I’d try to make some of the content feed from elsewhere e.g. Blog, articles, Facebook content because it’s a big job having to write a full newsletter weekly or even fortnightly.
Regarding best day of the week to send. I’ve experimented with every weekday but there’s been no impact on open rates. Sits pretty consistently at 30%. I’d like it to be higher but based on what vie read, 30% is pretty average. For your style of newsletter Myriam, I’d say it lends itself to an end of week day like Thursday because that’s when a lot of people are thinking about the weekend, about food and lifestyle. Opinion only though. I’m not sure who you are going to use to send your newsletter. I use Mailchimp at the moment, because it’s free and easy. They have a facility that tells you the best day to send for your industry / audience. Not sure how accurate or the basis but may be worth a look.
Cat’s newsletter about “Whats the point” is interesting too. What is the point of sending a newsletter? For me it’s to reach people who aren’t active on social media, to promote products and services to an audience that has opted in, and therefore, I assume, potential buyers. Whay are you trying to achieve with your newsletter?
To capture reader details, what about offering a discount on purchase from one or more of the establishments you take clients to? E.g. Sign up for a tour or recommend a friend or buy a gift voucher for a tour and receive x% off any purchase at Boon
Final comment is about measurement. I’m watching my stats to see who opens, which links they click, how many times they open, whether the 30%opens are by the same people each week. I want to track this for a few months, make adjustments based on what the numbers tell me and reassess the value in 3 months. If there is no increase in business, subscribers, blog visits, then I will need to ask myself “what is the point?”
Hope my personal experience helps you.
Suellen
November 15, 2010 at 6:09 pm |
Fantastic, thank you very much for your feedback Suellen – much appreciated!
You’ve made a couple of really crucial points, such as having a clear vision for what one’s trying to achieve with a newsletter, offering special rates with business partners, or keeping track of measurement to improve impact of newsletter.
Also, thank you for mentioning that facility on MailChimp, I’ve started to read some of their tips and articles by industry and there are some very valuable resources there
November 16, 2010 at 5:23 pm |
Thank you, Suellen. 30% is higher than I had guessed, so it’s useful to get your experience. Thank you for your generous sharing.
November 15, 2010 at 4:31 pm |
Hi Myriam, I haven’t actually read through all the advice above, so excuse me if anything I say is a repeat. I’ve sent millions of emails out over the years locally and globally – not sure if I can be proud of that but at least I can offer my thoughts based on what’s worked for me.
I’ll start from a simple idea that the main action you’d want from subscribers is click through. That tends to simplify things but it also extends the initial thought of “email newsletter” to “email campaign”.
Traditional email newsletters tend to perform very badly in click throughs. Even though we spend so much time on emails – they are really about getting information fast, processing it and moving on. So, the work that goes into making them look pretty and very informative actually makes them less that way. Firstly as they are often image heavy, they hit the inbox with non-displaying images (before download). Often they are text heavy and provide too many links, which is too much of a confusion for the average punter.
The other option is to really strip it back. Create a one click focused email with very little need for images. The more personalised (or relevant) to smaller, targeted parts of you list, the better. My best email to date was this one:
http://photolibrary-footage.cmail1.com/t/r/e/dyijkl/l/
(Sorry the landing page is nolonger active)
Send globally with a 60% click through rate (about 110k list)
The next important stuff is making the landing page the holder of the important content (not the email) but also making it very single action orientated.
Oh and there’s a whole lot of stuff on subject lines too which is what gets the big opening rates….
Hope that was useful to you
David
November 15, 2010 at 8:09 pm |
Dear David,
Wow – thanks a million for sharing all this – that’s extremely useful!!
Some of the key learnings I’m taking away from your comment include the importance of thinking one’s click-through strategy very carefully, giving some serious thought to one’s landing page, and narrowing down options / calls to action for the reader to improve efficiency of the email newsletter.
You’ve inspired me to write a quick summary of everything I’ve learnt so far on this “Extreme Sales Makeover” – here it comes.
November 16, 2010 at 8:36 am |
I’m really glad you found it informative!
November 15, 2010 at 10:24 pm |
Dear all,
Thank you so much for all your amazing feedback and support!! I’ve learnt so much out of this exercise, I’m really glad I volunteered for this Extreme Sales Makeover and couldn’t recommend enough you do the same whenever you need to pick the collective brains of this very smart community…
So here’s a quick recap / check-list of everything I’ve learnt so far on the topics of e-newsletters. Some of these answers may only apply to my specific business or industry, but most points below seem to be pretty generic.
PS: to make the below more user-friendly, I’ve also typed it as a PDF document and uploaded it as a public file on Scribd.com (http://www.scribd.com/doc/42622936/My-Key-Learnings-About-E-newsletters-on-Radsmarts). Hope it helps, and don’t hesitate to continue to share your insight and feedback!
*****
e-newsletter or not?
- In my case, yes.
- But get the content right, stand out from the crowd (“X factor”).
- Have a clear vision of what is it you want to achieve with each newsletter.
- Newsletters are a great way to reach your audience at THEIR convenience.
- Newsletters enable you to reach people who aren’t active on social media.
- Don’t be Sydney-centric: newsletters are popular in regional and rural areas, where there are fewer resources available on ‘what’s on / what to do’.
- Newsletters are a gentle reminder to existing and potential clients that you’re there.
Newsletter frequency:
- Start monthly, then aim at fortnightly (so you can announce, then re-promote events to boost ticket sales, for instance).
- Time the newsletter from the customer buying cycle perspective. In my case, 2 type of answers stood out: 1) sending early in the week (helps people plan their social life; away from ‘messy’ end of the week); 2) send it on a Thursday, when people start thinking about the weekend.
- Experiment with different days of the week – and track measurement so you can adjust for optimum results.
- Make the most of existing research and support from mail-out service providers such as MailChimp (eg report advising on which days of the week are best for your industry).
Newsletter content:
- Make it scannable (3-4 mini-sections, with catchy headlines and bullet-point recap at the top)
- Keep it quite short
- Work on a good “subject” line for your newsletter to boost open rates
- My initial content ideas were good (upcoming tours and events; travel tips; itineraries; testimonials; special offer; diary alerts; ‘where’s Myriam’ photo competition, discount with partners and stores I work with, etc…)
- Try to convey the ‘Mytinerary’ visual, olfactive and gustatory experience as much as possible.
- Where possible, have a theme for each newsletter (eg Xmas, Father’s Day…)
- Use videos and pictures wherever possible, to give the newsletter a ‘magazine’ look & feel.
- But don’t use too many images, and make sure they’re low resolution (for a quicker download and better reader experience).
- Stay true to yourself and write in a way / tone that’s natural to you.
- Write as though you’re writing for a huge audience.
- Ask for feedback, ask people what interests them most
Click-through rates:
- Open rates and click-through rates are two very different things.
- Think your click-through strategy very thoroughly.
- Sign-post really clearly what you want readers to DO – and narrow down options for them (‘single-action orientation’). Don’t include too many links.
- Don’t give everything away in your newsletter; driving people back to the desired landing page on your site is the ultimate goal. Focus on your layout page layout and copy.
Social media / sharing / spam:
- Include multiple sign-ups in your website and social media.
- Include ‘forward to a friend’ link.
- Include referral program so people can forward your newsletter and be rewarded for it.
- Don’t forget to send your newsletter to key organisations in your industry (eg Tourism NSW in my case) so they can include some of your events / news on their website when relevant.
- Comply with spam laws (eg is sending mail-out to friends, relatives and business contacts to kick-start database, include clear opt-in instead of opt-out).
- Don’t send newsletter from your email account.
- Choose service provider (eg MailChimp) carefully.
November 16, 2010 at 8:35 am |
That’s a great summary. Just another thing I forgot to mention. A great technique to get sign ups from your site is for people to subscribe to a series that offers a specific goal / learning.
I did it for http://holisticresults.com.au/ (e.g. homepage tabs “5 steps to farm profits” / “10 ways to restore your land”). For you it might be “10 secret Sydney gourmets spots” or similar. This really helps get sign in an increase your list. Once you’ve set up the email series, you basically have these thing going indefinitely on auto pilot. The end of one series, then can invite the subscriber to another series or your newsletter etc.
Hope that helps. Oh and I generally use campaign monitor or business catalyst to do such
November 16, 2010 at 8:53 am |
Great idea about the series – thanks David!
PS: on the subject of Business Catalysts (that’s the platform I use for my website), do you reckon I should use them for the mailing itself, or am I better off using a third-party service such as MailChimp?
November 16, 2010 at 9:07 am |
The standard Business Catalyst package lets you email up to 101k subscribers per month without cost. It also let you set up the series-style emails. So that might just save you money. I believe Mail-Chimp has autoresponders (email series) too. Campaign Monitor, I’ve just found is the most users friendly but don’t have autoresponders.
November 16, 2010 at 9:08 am |
Oops – typo: 10K per month on Adobe Business Catalyst
November 16, 2010 at 5:48 pm |
Well done, David. Your input is greatly appreciated.
November 16, 2010 at 8:57 am |
Just another thing I wanted to share, following a conversation yesterday: if you can, personalise your automated ‘thank you for joining our list’ page or email confirmation after people have subscribed to your newsletter.
Came across this good example by Victor’s Food, who offer a time-limited offer for new subscribers:
http://tinyurl.com/39qqu3c
November 16, 2010 at 5:44 pm |
This is outstanding, Myriam. Well done.
November 24, 2010 at 7:18 pm |
Hi guys,
Just a couple more useful tactics I found while surfing on the MailChimp website: include “opt-in for our newsletter” links in:
- your email signature
- your invoices
- your e-commerce check-out box
Anything else we should think of?
November 30, 2010 at 7:39 am |
Robin and Myriam,
Just a late quick thanks from me on this – I’ve just been through all the responses in detail, and am about to implement the new ideas!
So – thank you.
Claire
January 7, 2011 at 11:03 pm |
As I mentioned above when this ‘workshop’ was in progress, I too was on the verge of putting out my first newsletter to keep in closer contact with our retailers, and true to my word, mid December… I did!
As it was for retailers only, here is a modified version: http://bit.ly/eLLmv3
We received a great response with some retailers taking us up on the special Christmas bonus we offered; some who had been doing it tough since the GFC reconnected with us; some approached us to set up affiliate links on their websites, and some simply wished to share season’s greetings!
It was fun solidifying our relationship.
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