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You need to be
absolutely clear in your mind what you wish to achieve in
distributing your own newsletter. Consider the
following issues in determining exactly what it is you expect your
newsletter to achieve.
Target Market
The way in which
you design, write, advertise and distribute your newsletter will be
largely determined by your target audience. To be successful you
will have to know a lot about your target market.
Who are they?
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Men or women
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Young or old
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Single or
married
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Living in the
USA, Australia, Canada, Europe and so on.
What type of publication is the target market likely to read?
What do they read at present?
What are their hobbies and interests?
What is their income level and level of disposable income?
Where are they likely to be on the net?
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Surfing around
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In newsgroups
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On discussion boards
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In chat rooms and so on
When is the best time to reach them?
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During the day
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During the evening
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At home
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At work
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On the weekend
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Early in the month or towards the end of the month
When you know the answer to all these question you can start to plan your newsletter.
Purpose
You could have a range of purposes for your newsletter including
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To build a mailing list of prospects to whom you can sell, instruct, inform
or follow up with specific messages
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As a means of staying in touch with your existing customers
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To provide an income stream by allowing the sale of classified advertising
space within your newsletter
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To increase your advertising coverage by trading advertising space with
another similar business
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To use your mailing list to further your joint venture marketing
Who
Who do you expect to read your newsletter
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Visitors to your site
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Your existing customers
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Anyone who might be interested in your products and services.
What
What do you want your newsletter to contain
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In depth articles
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Guest articles
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Digest of relevant information regarding your products and services.
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Frequently asked questions (FAQ).
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Tips
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General product information
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Classified advertisements
Effect
What effect do you want to create with your newsletter?
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Develop trust
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Build loyalty
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Persuade the audience to buy
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Create a viral marketing strategy
How Often
How often should your newsletter be published?
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Daily
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Weekly
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Monthly
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Bi monthly
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Three monthly
Tip: When starting out it is probably best to begin with a monthly
newsletter.
As a final
question ask yourself this
Why will the target
market want to read my newsletter as compared to reading the
newsletter of my competitors?
If you can not come up with a
definitive answer that will achieve your objectives, you need to
reconsider your newsletter strategy. |