A well written and designed newsletter is a great way to keep people up to date with what is happening within your company or to promote popular and new products. Getting up coming information into the hands of people who are interested will boost your visibility and generate larger sales revenue. Today's article will look at the benefits of a printed newsletter and give you tips on how to generate content that gets people excited to read it.
Why Choose a Printed Newsletter
With the popularity of email and online websites, what benefits are there in a printed newsletter? There is a greater perceived value in a printed newsletter. When you take the time and effort to put together a great looking and informative newsletter, people will notice it. An email newsletter is fighting against thousands of other online distractions, vying for people's attention. A printed newsletter allows the recipient to take their time reading its content. You can still tie the newsletter in to online content by providing URLs or QR codes to scan to further an articles impact or shareability.
Cost effectiveness is another reason to consider a printed newsletter. You no longer have to print thousands of newsletters. Digital printing helps keep the cost low as your mailing list increases. Low cost runs and the ability to print the mailing address directly onto the newsletter makes starting a printed newsletter very affordable.
The Impact of a Newsletter
In addition to the perceived value of a newsletter mentioned above, newsletters also have more reliable delivery rates than email newsletters. You do not have to worry if your newsletter was blocked by a spam filter, or if the recipient missed the email. Mail lists are kept up to date with the postal system to ensure that the address in the list is active.
A physical, printed newsletter leaves a more memorable impression on its recipients than that of a digital newsletter. When people hold your newsletter in their hands and read through it, the brain is more focused on what they are reading. With email newsletters, there are many distractions, causing the brain to quickly forget information. We have more of a connection with an article that speaks to us when we are reading it in a physical form.
What Content Should You Include in a Newsletter
The content of your newsletter is very important. You want content that speaks to the recipient. Don't just regurgitate online content in your newsletters, instead, have the newsletter complement its digital counterpart. You will impact people's lives more successfully with thoughtful content that tells stories. Even when showcasing products or services, show how they affect the lives of users in a thoughtful way. Your articles should be relatively short with a clear call to action that drives the reader where you want them to go. Don't overdo it with graphics and images, but make sure the graphics and images support your article.
How Often Should Newsletters Be Sent Out
Newsletter frequency should be determined by customer interest. A newsletter with a few articles and products or services offered would be good monthly or quarterly, depending on article content. To measure interest in frequency and content, send out a questionnaire to your current customers asking them what they would be interested in.
Determining the Effectiveness of your Newsletter
Unlike email newsletters sent out through services like Mailchimp, with print newsletters, you have to rely on tracking landing pages or short URLs in order to get an understanding of the reach of your newsletter. Coupon codes are another good way to track promotions through your newsletter. Be sure to keep your coupon codes unique with each issue of your newsletter. With any type of URL or code, keep it short in order for the people using them to be able to easily type them into a browser.
Gathering a Mail List
It is easy to purchase your own mailing list. There are plenty of services out there who will sell you a list that is narrowed down to the specifics you ask for. Age, location, hobbies, education and wages are a few of the parameters you can specify. Building your own mailing list through your website is easily done and will give you a better return than just blasting an area code with your newsletter. When people visit your website and sign up for updates or promotions, you can get their permission to allow you to send direct mail campaigns to their addresses. Gathering a list this way will guarantee that people want to hear from you. Be sure to include a way for people to opt out of this service too.
Businesses that Benefit from Newsletters
Banks - banks can use monthly newsletters to promote bank rates and specials
Insurance Agents - keeping clients updated of frequently changing insurance laws is very important
Churches - promote upcoming Bible studies or sermons with newsletters
Clubs - be sure your members are kept in the know by sending out updated information
Non Profits - let donors know where their money is being utilized
Schools - send out teacher and/or student updates with newsletters
As you can see, printed newsletters need to be a part of your marketing arsenal. A little hard work gathering information for articles and putting together a nice design can result in a great mail campaign and increased profits. If you would like help putting together an insightful newsletter to reach your audience, reach out to one of our knowledgeable salespeople at PrintSouth Printing. We would love to speak to you about your ideas.
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