How to Choose a Good Newsletter Name

By Ladan Lashkari Good newsletter names are usually 2-4 words. If shorter, they can't explain what your newsletter is about, and if longer, they will be hard to remember. When choosing a name for your newsletter, make sure its abbreviation is suitable. For example if it's "CNN", you should look for another name because it will confuse your readers. A good name also describes what your newsletter is about. For example "Affiliate Marketing Insider Tips" is a good name, but "Zapping Tides" is not. Some people use "the" at the beginning of titles or "newsletter" at the end - like "The Affiliate Marketing Insider Tips Newsletter." But both of these words are unnecessary and just make your title too long and more difficult to remember. Depending on your newsletter topic and audience, your name can be serious or playful. If you want to choose a playful title, putting an "O" at the end of it makes it funny. An example of such names could be "The Great Gordino" which comes from the publisher's name - Gordon Bryan. You can browse ezine directories to find many good newsletter names about different topics. You will get many creative ideas from other people's newsletter titles. They have spent a lot of time and effort finding a good name and you can save time by learning from them. Wish you success! Ladan Lashkari Ladan Lashkari is a respected Internet marketing expert, and the owner of http://www.FreeNewsletterIdeas.com/ where you'll find creative email marketing ideas and helpful resources to start your own highly profitable email marketing campaign.

Newsletters – Keeping Your Customers Informed

By Justine Curtis Many businesses use email newsletters to introduce themselves to new customers and to maintain contact with existing and past clients. By sending useful and relevant information on a consistent, regular basis, you maintain constant contact without the risk of irritating and alienating your customers. Your email newsletter will also enhance your credibility and increase sales. The following article offers advice on how to produce your own newsletter. For more detailed information on how to establish credibility and build online relationships, download our guide “Building Online Relationships” here: http://www.enable-uk.co.uk/html/book_4.html Producing your newsletter doesn’t have to be a daunting task. The first thing you need to decide upon is the frequency of publication. This is could be based on how much time you can devote to writing each month or possibly the frequency of new offers or products you would like to extend to your potential customers. A frequency of bi-monthly to monthly has been shown to achieve the best results and will probably be a comfortable pace for both you and your readers. Next you will need to decide upon a format for your newsletter. You can use a graphical format that will allow accurate tracking of open rates, links visited, etc or a text only version that offers a higher level of deliverability. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and a more in-depth look at these can be found in our guide: “Building Online Relationships” which can found here: http://www.enable-uk.co.uk/html/book_4.html If you wish to proceed with a graphical design you will next need to produce a template design for your layout. Many email list management companies provide online templates for their customers and with many you can also upload your own template. Once this is set up you simply type or paste in your text information online, and an HTML newsletter is automatically created for you. Now it’s time for the content of your newsletter. Concentrate on topics that your readers will be interested in and offers or product announcements that are appropriate to them. For example, I once bought some printer ink from an online retailer that offered me the opportunity to sign up for their special offers newsletter. Every month, regular as clockwork, I receive the latest special offers via email. These offers not only include ink, but also other stationary items that may be appropriate. It always prompts me to check my ink supplies, along with my stocks of stationary and a whole range of other similar items before deleting it. If I didn't get that e-mail from them, I would have probably bought the next batch of ink cartridges from whoever came up in an online search. And as it saves me time and because keeping these things all in one place is easier for me, they also now get my orders for stationary items as well. Your newsletter could be product offerings and special offers mixed in with useful product reviews, or it may be a recap of what's going on in your industry or tips useful to your customers. If you aren't a writer there are often articles available for reprint in most industries. Most of these are available to use free of charge providing that you include a short bio and link back to the writer’s web site. Make sure the content you use has relevant value to your readers and is not just a topic that interests you. Once written, make sure you archive the newsletter on your web site for additional content and make the archives available for browsing. This will also improve your search engine rankings as the content will be highly relevant and targeted to your customers. Having an archive will also encourage new subscribers as they find you through your articles. Most web hosts have some mailing list capability, or you can compose and mail your newsletter in Outlook. If you intent to build a sizable list it is often best to use one of the many third-party mailing services, these also take care of the opting in/out process and make sure you adhere to all legal requirements. I would recommend Vertical Response whom we have used for several years to manage our lists. They can be found here: http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=EavljUFQjXk&offerid=52409.10000007&type=1&subid=0 Top Tips for successful email newsletter campaigns: Getting Subscribers: · Do not purchase, trade or borrow an email list Sending email to people who have not specifically requested to receive your mailings (opting in) is almost always regarded as spam. You will succeed only in alienating your potential customers. · Make signing up and un-subscribing easy and visible Add a sign-up form to your home page and if possible, somewhere on every page of your web site. You can also ask your customers whether they would like to sign up when you speak with them in person. You may want to ask subscribers only for their email address, first and last name, and one or two other questions such as their interests. This will allow you to target future mailings but not put off your prospects by being too invasive. In general, the less information you require, the more likely people are to sign up. · Use double opt-in registration There are two standard methods for online registration, single and double opt-in. Single opt in requires that you enter an email address into a web site and click on the sign up or subscribe button. With double opt in you will be sent an email to the address you have used when signing up and you will need to click a link on it in order to verify that you wish to receive the publication. Double opt-in is the preferred method because it requires confirmation and therefore establishes that it is the owner of the email address that has signed up. · Link to your privacy policy Place a link to your privacy policy near to your list subscribe form. Your policy should describe how you handle the information you collect and how people can contact you in case they have any concerns or questions. It is also a good idea to confirm that their information will not be sold, rented or passed on in any way to any third parties. Maintaining your subscriber list: · Send a welcome message to each new subscriber When you receive a subscription request, send a welcome message immediately. Include a description of what they will receive and how frequently, and how to unsubscribe. It is also a good idea to try to get them to return immediately to your web site. You can offer a timed discount or a link to previous free articles, anything you think that might get them to look again at your offering. · Keep accurate sign-up records Occasionally you or your Internet service provider (ISP) may receive a spam complaint from someone who forgot they subscribed to your list. Keep accurate records that include the date and web address from which they signed up. Using a third party mailing service should prevent this. · Ask your members to opt in again if you are using an older list If you have not sent a mailing for a while, ask subscribers to indicate that they want to continue to remain on your list by sending you an email, clicking a link or visiting a web page. Make it as simple as possible to reaffirm their interest to avoid losing potential customers. · Remind people that they subscribed Include a standard heading each time you send a message. A short note such as “Thank you for subscribing to our newsletter” will remind recipients that they requested your mailings and that the content of the newsletter will be of interest to them. Producing an effective newsletter: · Avoid spam terms in your subject line and message text If your message contains words frequently used by spammers, people will delete it and possibly file a spam complaint. ISPs often filter emails with suspicious subject lines; also note that it is illegal to use deceptive or misleading ones. Avoid obvious spam words like “free” and if in doubt, good mailing services offer a free spam check facility prior to your newsletter being sent out. They will actually scan the newsletter and alert you to any words that might set off the spam filters. Vertical Response offer this service, click here for a free trial: http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=EavljUFQjXk&offerid=52409.10000007&type=1&subid=0 · Include your physical address and phone number Put your phone number and postal address in your message. This allows readers to contact you to place an order or inquire about your services. In addition, legislation in some countries requires that physical addresses are included on commercial email messages. · Send your mailings regularly Keep in touch with your subscribers frequently so they don’t forget they signed up to receive your mailings. They will begin to anticipate your messages if you adhere to a regular schedule. · Reply promptly to each inquiry or spam complaint If you receive an inquiry or a spam complaint, respond to it as soon as possible. Always include the subscriber’s sign-up information with your response. Following these simple suggestions will help you retain your subscriber base, which is fundamental for a thriving permission-based electronic newsletter or marketing campaign. If you are considering using a third party mailing service, I would recommend that VerticalResponse's iBuilder is the email marketing solution you need to build your opt-in mailing lists, publish your online newsletters and manage your direct email advertising campaigns, right from your browser. Click the link for a free trail: http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=EavljUFQjXk&offerid=52409.10000007&type=1&subid=0 For a complete guide to marketing on the Internet, including: · The General Principles of Internet Marketing · Start at the Beginning · Writing Text that Sells · Building Online Relationships · Maximising Your Pay Per Click Campaign · Measuring Success Why not purchase the whole series of downloadable guides for the discounted price of £64.95. Click for more information: http://www.enable-uk.co.uk/html/promo_ebooks.html To catch up with previous issues of this newsletter, visit: http://www.enable-uk.co.uk/html/internet_marketing_newsletter_.html Coming up next month, “How to Build Your Subscriber List” If you have any questions about any of the topics raised or any other Internet Marketing issues, feel free to email me at Justine@enable-uk.co.uk. I do my best to answer all emails or to cover the issues in future editions of this newsletter. Justine Curtis Enable UK Internet Marketing Information and Resources Make your web site work smarter! Web: http://www.enable-uk.co.uk Email: info@enable-uk.co.uk Feel free to forward this newsletter provided that it is sent in its entirety. To use this newsletter in any other format, please email for permission to Justine@enable-uk.co.uk Internet Marketing Tips Newsletter is a monthly publication of Enable-UK Copyright © 2004 Enable-UK

Your First Newsletter: 5 Sure-Fire Ways to Annoy People

By Linda P. Dessau I read a lot of newsletters. Some are great and some are not so great. I put together this article to highlight the five mistakes I see most often in people's first newsletter. 1. When you're composing your newsletter in your email browser, put everyone's email address in the "To" field so that when someone receives your mailing they can see everyone else's address. Why You Might Not Want To Do This: With the high prevalence of spam (unwanted email) these days, people are very sensitive about their email addresses getting "out there". Also, depending on the topic of your newsletter, your readers may not be comfortable being identified. What To Do Instead: Put your own email address in the "To" field and use the Bcc. (blind carbon copy) field for everyone else's addresses. A much cleaner look and you're not compromising anyone's privacy. 2. Don't give your reader a way to unsubscribe, or ignore them when they ask that you stop contacting them. Why You Might Not Want To Do This: With people using more and more time these days to delete unwanted email from their Inbox, their patience is really getting thin when they get email they didn't ask for. And not responding to an unsubscribe request, well, that's just bad customer service. Have you ever heard that people will tell more people about a bad customer service experience than they will a good one? Don't have them talking about you! What To Do Instead: You can use an email distribution service that will automatically place an unsubscribe link at the bottom of every mailing you send out, plus the system will immediately take the person off your list as soon as they request it. If you're managing your list yourself, then include specific unsubscribe instructions yourself (i.e. to be removed from this mailing list, please send an email to this address – insert your address - with the subject line "Unsubscribe"). And most importantly, promptly honor these requests! 3. When you meet someone new and chat with them about your business (or the weather), or if they contact you about something unrelated to your business, be sure and immediately add them to your mailing list (don't get explicit permission or let them know you've done it). Why You Might Not Want To Do This: People don't like it! Just as I mentioned above, people don't want email they're not expecting or haven't asked for. This is especially true if the email is labeled as something that will be sent more than once (like a newsletter). What To Do Instead: Send your new contact (and your old ones, while you're at it) a complimentary or sample copy of your newsletter and invite them to subscribe if they liked it. Assure them that they haven't been added to your list (you'd NEVER add anyone without their explicit permission). 4. Be sure not to check your links in your newsletter – that way people will be annoyed AND frustrated when they click and wind up at an error page. Why You Might Not Want To Do This: You include links in your newsletter because you either want to share valuable information with your readers that you have scoured the Internet for (so they wouldn't have to), or so that your readers can find out more about your products and services and purchase them and/or recommend them to others. When your links are incomplete, incorrect, or unclickable, it's frustrating to that person who wanted to find out more. It might even send them away forever. What To Do Instead: Use full URL addresses (including the "http://" at the beginning), check your links to make sure they're correct and still active (if it's not your own website), and avoid putting a "." period directly after a link (some web browsers can't distinguish between the end of the link and the "." character and so the link won't work). An email distribution service will give you lots more options for using links in your newsletter (HTML, etc.). 5. Dress up your promotion as a newsletter Why You Might Not Want To Do This: People will see through your attempts to hide your promotion, and then they'll resent that you tried to sneak it past them. People are getting weary of being sold to, especially when they've let their guard down because they thought they were going to read an innocent newsletter. What To Do Instead: You could simply call it a promotion (and let your readers know when they sign-up that they'll hear from you about products and services). Or you could add value to a promotion by writing or providing an informative article or collection of tips that will be useful to your target audience. Then include your promotional information as a bonus. It's not to say you can't promote yourself within your newsletter, it's just that people want to feel that you care enough about them to offer them something valuable before asking them to buy something! It's great that you're starting a newsletter. It's a fantastic way to maintain repeated contact with your customers, prospects and referral sources, increase your visibility and establish your credibility as an expert in your field. So why risk all that with any of the annoying habits I've listed here? Maybe you're not annoying ALL of your readers when you do these things. But do you really want to take that chance? (c) Copyright Linda Dessau, 2005. Linda Dessau is a writer and coach. Through her "Newsletter Assist" and "You Talk It, I'll Write It" writing services, she helps coaches and other solo professionals promote their business with email newsletters and create passive revenue streams with written information products. Find out more at: http://www.genuinecoaching.com/writing