6 Reasons Why You Should Not JUST Send An Email Newsletter

Monday 22 December, 2008

by David Gruttadaurio

Six ways print newsletters beat email newsletters - and why they need to be part of your marketing mix.

With everyone bombarded by email overload, do you really think your email newsletter is being read? A Nielsen Norman Group report revealed that the typical email newsletter gets 51 seconds of your reader's time. That was three years ago. Today, many say it's closer to 26 seconds - and that's if your email newsletter is even opened!

You're not as popular as you think

While you believe YOUR email newsletters are special and opened like gifts on Christmas morning, remember this: Dozens of emails are routinely wiped out daily, in one swoop, with the casual push of the delete key.
Even if the reader recognises your name, you can be expunged just because they're having a busy day or your email got caught in a large block of spam. Now, I'm not suggesting that you stop sending email newsletters. In fact, I advise you to send an email newsletter on a weekly basis. But, I also suggest sending a monthly print newsletter.
Here's why:

1. Printed mail gets delivered
   
   It's never blocked or caught in spam filters. Faulty connections, email authentication and webmail service idiosyncrasies are not issues. And, you have no issues with connection speeds.
   
2. Print newsletters have more perceived value
   
   Think about it: How many companies are willing to do this? Your clients aren't stupid. They understand the energy, cost and time required to send them a great newsletter every month. It will get their immediate attention.
   
3. Print newsletters let you use an unlimited number of images
   
   A picture really is worth a thousand words. Print newsletters are not shackled by bandwidth. That means you can use a variety of text, graphics and formatting styles to capture the interest of your clients.
   
4. Print newsletters are sticky
   
   Print newsletters have great 'hang-time'. Not only are they likely to be read from start to finish, they usually get passed around. Hand-along readership can be as high as four-to-one. Talk about free marketing!
   
5. Print newsletters offer convenient and comfortable reading
   
   Printed newsletters are much easier on the eyes. Reading articles of any length on a computer screen is uncomfortable and often inconvenient. Plus, a print newsletter allows you to mark sections you find interesting, take it to work and leave it there to be picked up by workmates.
   
6. Print newsletters stand out and get noticed
   
   By using color, logos and a familiar return address, a print newsletter is easy to spot. With an inbox filled with subject lines, every message looks the same.

Here's your best bet 

Make no mistake. There is a place for electronic communication with your customers. Websites and email are an important part of any business.
But a better bet for keeping customers, getting more referrals and building relationships is to include print newsletters within your marketing mix. You can even offer your customers a choice. They will see that you really care about what they want - not just what you are willing to provide for them.
And that's what relationship marketing is all about, isn't it?

Source:ceoonline.com