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Newsletters are an excellent way to keep in touch with customers and to keep your company name in their minds. A good company newsletter can also be a useful marketing vehicle. It can build credibility, image and relationships.
The first rule of success is to design the newsletter to be a fast read, packed full of valuable information offering your customers ideas to help improve their businesses and their lives. Articles should focus on techniques for increasing profitability. It should not be a self-aggrandizing piece of puffery full of promotional information about your products/services. Newsletters can be as simple or as elaborate as you like, but if you are just beginning, it is wise to keep them simple.
For trade show purposes, they can be used as pre-show, at-show and post-show promotional pieces. Newsletters allow you to become the expert in your area. You can get the edge over your Competition by teaching your customers how to become better consumers.
Here are 10 guidelines to help make newsletters more effective:
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1) Have a plan. Your newsletter should have a purpose, set objectives and a defined audience. All these will help to create the right material to include.
2) Stick to a schedule. Decide how often the newsletter should be published. Be realistic. Opt for a quarterly or bimonthly piece in the beginning. It is always better to increase, rather than decrease, the number of issues. It is important to stick to your schedule. After a few issues, people start to expect it and look forward to receiving your piece.
3) Choose your offering. There are two ways to offer a newsletter. You can buy a generic piece that is sold to many different businesses with your company name imprinted on the piece. The alternative is to produce the newsletter yourself. This obviously allows you the freedom to print whatever information will be most useful for your customers.
4) Publish your own. With desktop publishing, using a computer, printer and special software programs, it is easier, faster and less expensive than ever to publish and produce your own newsletter in-house.
5) Gather information. There are numerous sources where pertinent material to include can be found. Solicit information from customers, suppliers, consultants and employees. Review books, tapes and videos. Scour trade, professional, business and government publications.
6) Things to include: general topics that could be regular sections or columns in your newsletter include case studies about your customers using your products/services (get their permission before publishing anything), trends in the industry, new product/service information, quizzes, humor/cartoons, quotes, quick tips and information on how to obtain free articles/samples.
7) List your show schedule. Let customers know in plenty of time where and when you will be exhibiting. This can act as a forerunner to your other pre-show promotional material. Use the newsletter as a teaser for new products/services you plan to introduce at a show.
8) Stimulate feedback. One of the main disadvantages of a newsletter is that it is a one-way communication tool. Consequently it is important to stimulate feedback to help make the piece more powerful. Write about items that require people to call you for more details. Offer free special advice. Whatever you do, make it easy for them to respond. Have an 800 number to caller an easy-to-use fax-back form.
9) Keep it friendly. Your writing style should be personal, allowing customers to feel that they are hearing from a person. Keep stories short—less than half a page each.
10) Make it mandatory. It should be mandatory for every staff member to read the newsletter. They need to be current with any information written, especially with items where customers may call for more information. Newsletters are most successful and more highly regarded when they offer useful and practical information. They should not be viewed as an advertising piece. Remember to always keep its purpose in mind: building your image and causing people to want to work with you.
Copyright Trade Show Exhibitors Association 2003
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