Newsletter Marketing: Three Critical Mistakes to Avoid
Newsletters (or ezines) are certainly not new. Yet, from time to time we’ve noticed some serious problems in how business owners implement this strategy.
So here’s a quick list of the three most common (and biggest) errors to avoid:
1. Use of Double-Opt In
This is the age of permission-based marketing. You must get this point, because it’s critical to your success (and email deliver-ability). Now, nothing irritates me (and most people) more than getting uninvited emails in my inbox WITHOUT my having asked for them. Or without being notified that I was added to someone’s mailing list.
And that includes newsletters.
If you think I’m alone on this point, think again.
Just because you met me (or anyone) at a networking event and got my business card, does NOT mean you can just start sending lots of uninvited stuff to my inbox. That does not constitute permission. Prior to sending along that newsletter, why not INVITE me to join your list?
And that’s where “double opt in” comes in.
Basically, this is a two-step procedure. First, someone either enters their name and email address on your website, or you enter their information into your list management solution. Either of these steps will generate and automatic email to the person being added to your list, alerting them that they have to “opt in” to receiver further information.
This is the permission part of your marketing efforts.
Once they confirm the request, then you are free to send them emails, info and of course, your newsletter. At least, until they choose to unsubscribe.
If you’re providing your list with good content, that should not happen.
2. No Call to Action
Okay, so let’s assume you’ve done the first part right. Now what?
You’ve gone to the trouble of adding folks to your list. And no doubt crafting your newsletter takes up a great deal of your time and energy.
After all, we’re all trying to do the same thing. Which is, growing our business by sharing our insights, experience and expertise with other people to differentiate ourselves from the competition.
Now that I’m on your list, why not include a “call to action” in each newsletter.
What’s a call to action? Just what the phrase implies.
In other words, what would you like your potential customer to do? Check out your website? Attend a talk, or tele-seminar?
In exchange for the great content you’re sharing, it’s perfectly okay (and absolutely necessary) to ask the reader to take some sort of action.
Permission based marketing is about continuing a conversation with your potential client. You’re building a relationship. And like any good relationship, it’s about give and take.
3. Including Too Much Content
One of the downsides to email marketing, and this includes newsletters (or ezines), is the fact that all that wonderful content you’re sharing with your list does nothing to help your website’s search results.
Building an online presence is about content, traffic, and conversion. Newsletters can help with traffic if you include links to your site “for more information.”
Presumably, the reader will come to your site to check out what’s going on there.
But packing each newsletter issue with tons of content does not help your site establish a larger “online footprint.” Online, content is king. Search engines just love unique content.
And so does your site visitor.
Remember this, anyone coming to YOUR site wants to find information there that’s NOT available anywhere else. And that includes your newsletter.
So, do not re-purpose content from your newsletter unless you add something of value to it. Say a new spin, update, or other point of view. Doing that will help you accomplish two goals. Maintaining contact with your list, AND helping your site get better rankings on the search engines.
4. So What Does This Mean For You?
Email marketing is about growing your list. Maintaining ONGOING communication with them. And then promoting special offers, announcing event notifications, and sharing interesting information to your list members.
To do this, and do it well, be sure to address these three issues.
You need to remember this one point. If you’re using your newsletter to convert prospective customers into paying clients, then don’t start off on the wrong foot by failing to respect the inbox of the people you meet.
Next Steps…
Any questions? Comments? Did we hit a nerve?
Drop us a line by leaving a comment. We will reply (here, and by email if you’d like) as soon as we’re able. And if there’s a topic you want us to discuss, let us know.
To receive monthly emails with summaries of all our latest content, sign up for our “Monthly Web Tips” above. Does that sound fair enough to you?
To discover how our web marketing firm can help you with your online presence, traffic, leads and sales, kindly follow the link. You can also review our web marketing services to better understand how we work with clients just like you.
What's In a (Web) Name? Avoid These Critical Mistakes
I have to tell you right up front, that I’m a little ticked off. No, it’s not that a bunch of folks didn’t register IN ADVANCE for the live seminar. That was partly my fault. I failed to mention that there was no registration at the door.
As my buddy Mark likes to say, there’s no failure. Only feedback.
No, what really gets me going is running into folks, or hearing from people, who have been taken advantage of. Their websites, and therefore their business identity or entity held hostage if you will.
Not to mention wasted dollars. Wasted marketing opportunities.
Gone.
Lost forever, all because you decided to use a web developer who is only capable of building “custom” (think expensive, clunky, buggy and therefore totally useless today online) websites that YOU cannot modify, fix, change or add new content to.
What’s the point of that??
Not to mention that when you do need to change or modify something on your site (flexibility in business is an absolute MUST) they have to do it for you… for a price, of course!
But wait, it gets even worse for you than that. You have to understand that success in business today involves success online. Period. And that to thrive today, in this economy, it’s not about big versus small.
It’s about fast versus slow. Adapt or die. Ok, don’t believe me. Then read this…
“You see, it’s not enough to say, ‘Yes, that’s a good idea; we’re doing that’ or ‘Well, we did earn net profits of X.’ The question is When? When are you doing that? When did you earn those profits – this quarter or this year? And how much more is it than last quarter or last year?…
Time is one of the single biggest constraints that we all have to face. And given the core purpose of a business, to make money, the question is not ‘How can we make more money?’ It is ‘How can we make more money, faster?’”
- Brad Fallon, “The Net Effect” Vol. 1, Issue 1 p. 38 – 39.
Period. End of discussion.
Make no mistake about it. While you’re waiting in limbo for a phone call or email letting you know your site is ready, your competitor is already online, owning more and more of the internet. All while you wait for somebody to just make your site the way you’d like it.
Or the way it should be to actually make you money.
Yes, it really is that simple. As I ask questions like “are you happy with your site” or “is your site bringing in more business” or whatever I’m hitting a raw nerve.
And folks are just opening up about how badly they’ve been screwed. And, more often than not, are still getting screwed.
The first time I tried to get a website, I hired a “friend” of mine, paid him upfront, and then waited more than 7 months for… nothing.
That’s right. Months would go by with no word. Emails unanswered. Phone tag. Finally a deadline (3 months after the check cleared) that came… and went.
Nice, huh?
When he finally called to tell me the “first draft” was ready, it was too late. I had already bought a course and started building simple minisites to get a feel for the systems, programs, mechanisms behind it all.
Few people would have done that, I suppose, but I had lost months of marketing opportunities waiting for a “landing page” to drive offline traffic to.
What a waste!
What’s worse, I’m not alone. Check this out…
“Michael,
Thanks so much for all your help! I’ve been feeling like I’m hitting brick walls with everyone in the business world and I actually left our meeting feeling excited again. It’s nice to meet people with the same business ethics. Be sure I will be referring you to everyone. I’ll also be contacting Rob as soon as the web guys give me some dates and times they’re free. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate all the advice and help from you guys!!!!
Rachel”
Do you want to know how long it took to get her site up? Over a year. Is she happy with it? No. Are the problems getting fixed in a timely manner?
You can probably figure that one out for yourself.
Now that we got all that out of the way, here’s a simple checklist to follow so you don’t get burned (again!)…
- choose a domain name that matches your business identity and keywords
- register the domain name YOURSELF.
- DON’T host your site on your web developers server, platform, etc. NEVER. EVER. NEVER.
- Use a REAL web hosting company that can support your business and growing traffic (bandwidth) and is secure.
We’ll actually explain why in upcoming posts, tackling each issue one by one. And when Rob checks out the article, he may just add a few more to the list.
Until then, you can always leave a comment, rant, opinion, whatever. Ask a question. Share a rip-off of your own. I promise we’ll get around to answering (more often than not, sooner than you might think or expect).
Next Steps…
Any questions? Comments? Did we hit a nerve?
Drop us a line by leaving a comment. We will reply (here, and by email if you’d like) as soon as we’re able. And if there’s a topic you want us to discuss, let us know.
To receive monthly emails with summaries of all our latest content, sign up for our “Monthly Web Tips” above. Does that sound fair enough to you?
To discover how our web marketing firm can help you with your online presence, traffic, leads and sales, kindly follow the link. You can also review our web marketing services to better understand how we work with clients just like you.
Is YOUR Website Costing YOU More Than Money?
A Case Study
Let me share a brief story with you to get to the point of this post. One of our newest clients recently shared with us that her current site had an opt-in box to capture leads.
Sounds simple enough, right?
Well, there was only one problem. Her web-design and hosting company never bothered to link the code properly with her email marketing program (a different vendor). So guess what? For over two years anyone entering their information and clicking the SUBMIT button got lost down a black hole in cyberspace.
Now, here’s the point.
Can you even imagine how many leads were lost in that time? Our client came up with a rough guestimate. I’ll just let you know that it isn’t pretty. And those leads are basically lost forever.
If you don’t mind, take a moment and ask yourself the question at the top of this post. Are you beginning to have a vague, uneasy feeling that you might have more problems than just the cost of your existing website.
We understand that you’re busy running your business, keeping your customers and clients happy, and trying to find new ones to help your business grow. We all share those goals. In fact, it’s why we’re in this business.
Let me share one other point with you.
Many business owners have websites that are basically “online brochures.” They look pretty, probably have some fancy flash on them. And maybe it cost a pretty penny to boot. But here’s the critical question you need to ask yourself (and have answered): does your site convert traffic?
Do the folks that find your site take the desired action you want them to, whether it’s to join your list, buy your product or sign up for your service?
‘Cause that’s all that matters when you talk about being online. We’re not talking about “reactive” web marketing, where you meet a bunch of people at the chamber of commerce meeting, hand out cards that just happens to have your URL on there, and then folks go to your site.
It’s about “proactive” web marketing. Where people you’ve never met before find your site all on their own, preferrably while you sleep, or meet with clients, or do whatever you choose to do with your time. And then having these people who find you take action.
Plain and simple.
Anything less than that is a waste of your hard-earned dollars.
Next Steps…
Any questions? Comments? Did we hit a nerve?
Drop us a line by leaving a comment. We will reply (here, and by email if you’d like) as soon as we’re able. And if there’s a topic you want us to discuss, let us know.
To receive monthly emails with summaries of all our latest content, sign up for our “Monthly Web Tips” above. Does that sound fair enough to you?
To discover how our web marketing firm can help you with your online presence, traffic, leads and sales, kindly follow the link. You can also review our web marketing services to better understand how we work with clients just like you.
Internet Marketing Courses
Mouse over the pie chart for each available program.
-
