Everyone knows that in today’s market, a strong web presence is vital. It is no longer enough to simply put up a webpage and wait for the world to come to you. While social networking, blogs and ads on other pages are certainly important tools, a great addition to any business is an email newsletter. Whether you have an HTML or WordPress website, or even if you just have a blog, an email newsletter can be invaluable when it comes to connecting with a broader customer base. So let’s explore exactly what is an email newsletter.
Simply put, consider an email newsletter the exact equivalent of an advertising circular or snail mail newsletter. The difference is that an email newsletter is usually designed more like some sort of editorial content or special offer than simply a sales paper or coupon circulation. The email newsletter could be seen as a sort of extension of the blog and website, informing subscribers of the latest products or services a company has to offer as well as exclusive offers and bargains that only subscribers to the newsletter have access to. It is a way to inform as well as advertise, while generating interest in your site and your company.
Through the use of simple bullet points and convenient links, an email newsletter allows users to go directly to a particular offer immediately, without searching the site. In addition, keywords and search terms could be inserted into the newsletter as well. An email newsletter can be tailored to reflect the interests of a specific customer base, while the results of who clicks on what links and what is popular in the newsletter can be monitored by the business to ensure optimal placement in future newsletters.
The benefits of an email newsletter are control, reach and targeting.
CONTROL:
When you post on social networking sites, your updates can be overlooked, as such sites update constantly. They limit your quantity or content – for instance, a Twitter post may only be so many characters! Plus, as you do not own your data on these sites, if your account is suspended or encounters some error, or even if the site itself ceases to exist, you lose all of your connection to the customer base you had established through that site. An email newsletter is direct contact between your business and your clientele, contact which you own and control, which can be as long and varied as you like. This will allow you many opportunities to extent your reach.
REACH:
By giving special offers to your customers through an email newsletter, you can extend your client base. Word of mouth goes a long way. Even better, since subscribers can share your newsletter with their friends, your contacts are helping bring in new customers! You can tailor your special offers and bargains to apply to specifically Facebook users or Twitter followers, et cetera, thanks to targeting.
TARGETING:
With an email newsletter, you can target your content specifically to certain markets. If you wish to market to people in specific countries or states, even cities, you can do so. Users can be targeted based on their specific interests, their demographics, almost anything. By doing so, you can make sure that your information goes directly to people most likely to appreciate and make use of it.
There are any number of reasons why an email newsletter is a smart business move. It allows you instant feedback and a direct line of communication with your subscribers, which will help you organize your business to better serve your public while giving your customer base the opportunity to get in on the latest news and special offers you provide. By synergizing your website, blog, social media pages and email newsletter, you can have a viable Internet presence and better position your business to reach the widest number of people successfully and profitably.