Information on Email Marketing and Newsletters from Hemel Hempstead Web Designers.

Email marketing is the simple act of publishing a newsletter detailing the latest products and services you offer and then sending it to companies or people that are actually interested in or potentially interested in what you have to sell.

It can be perceived as spam if it is just sent to a random selection of email addresses (or a bought list of email addresses as some companies like to do), but if done using common sense and researching the right niche market it can really lead to new customers and generate lots of new sales.  It also reminds existing customers of your business presence and so facilitates ongoing income generation.

To get a list of the email addresses you want to send your newsletter to you could run a search in Yell.co.uk or 192.com or similar directory under the type of business in your niche market.  Then use the website links to find out the contact email addresses and save them for your newsletter.

If you have a contact form on your website, have an extra checkbox added where people can “opt in” to receive newsletter updates from your company.

Once you have your email list, you need to think about the content of the newsletter.  It is a great way to build a relationship with your customer, so be interesting and informative, but not waffley or timewasting.  The reader often has little time to spend checking out sales patter. 

Keep your newsletter focussed and on a small subject (you can issue more newsletters on different subjects at a later date).

Set a schedule to publish your newsletter - keep it consistent, every week, every month, something definite so that the readers get used to receiving it.

Send useful information, not just sales talk.  If you only use it as an opportunity to advertise then people will ignore your newsletter.  Have some interesting information to impart and you’ll keep your readers.

Make sure the newsletter is branded with your company’s logo and colourscheme.

If you wish to, you could also sell some advertising space to companies in a similar market (obviously not direct competitors as that may spoil your purpose), but don’t overdo it, you don’t want readers switching off and ignoring your company information.

Include a few links to the relevant pages of your website so that you get more traffic to your site.

Lastly, make sure you have an “unsubscribe” option so that people can opt out of receiving your email newsletter.  Then make sure you actually keep it updated to avoid annoying customers. 

If you need help creating your email newsletter, contact Hemel Hempstead webdesigners who are experts in all kinds of internet marketing and website design.