5 Rules For Effective Email Newsletters

But for best results, your ezine must follow these 5 rules:

1. ALWAYS get permission to put people on your list. I did a poll on LinkedIn a few months back about whether it was ok to put people you had met and gotten a business card from on your ezine list-and even I was surprised at the vehemence of some of the responders. It is fine to invite these people (or anyone you meet) to be on your ezine list, it is NOT ok to just add them. People you annoy will never buy from you and may even report you as a spammer.

2. Send consistently, and at least every other week. Monthly is just not enough. Remember that this is your primary vehicle for staying in touch, so it's worth your time to do it more frequently. And subscribers will not mind if they're getting good content from you. Which leads us to....

3. Provide good content. Tips relevant to what you do are usually fast and easy-and they underscore your expertise. One intuition expert I know answers reader's questions in a Q&A format. And some business coaches just send a motivational quote every Monday morning. The format can vary, but keep the article under 500 words max. (There are also many way to reuse these articles-such as submitting them to your association's newsletter, putting on your blog or website-to get more mileage out of your effort.)

4. Start with a personal note. People buy from people, not businesses. So revealing a little bit about yourself and your life will help establish that connection. The Ezine Queen Alexandria Brown always talks about the time she mentioned getting a new kitten in her marketing ezine, and how she was overwhelmed by responses from readers that week-and how some of those people are still buying from her now, years later. Of course, be careful to keep this short, a few sentences will do.

5. Remember to promote your business. Surprisingly, many entrepreneurs forget to do this or feel bad about doing it, but you do have to remind readers of why they were interested in your services in the first place. A good rule of thumb is that no more than 25% of your ezine should be promo. Keep it simple-highlight one product or service, or give them a reason to contact you, such as "Having a baby? Let's make sure your growing family is well protected for the future." And then make sure you include your contact information.

Following these rules will help build the relationship with prospective customers and clients, demonstrate your expertise, and motivate them to buy from you again and again. And with online services that make email marketing a breeze at only $9.95 a month, it's an effective, low cost strategy for businesses of any size.

Tracy Needham, founder of Compelling Communications, LLC, helps small business owners boost their business through compelling copy and marketing strategies that make the most of their time and money. Sign up for her FREE Special Report: The One Press Release You Can Write to Get Thousands of Dollars Worth of Free Publicity at www.compellingezine.com.