Very few fencing companies send a newsletter to their customers. That’s unfortunate because informational and educational newsletters creates more business.
Here are a few reasons why you should keep close to your customers with a newsletter:
A newsletter generates referrals. It stimulates the best form of advertising: word-of-mouth.
A newsletter is an organized and formal way of reaching out to your most important market every month: your customers.
A newsletter keeps you on the minds of your customers. When your newsletter arrives, your customers start to think about you again.
A newsletter encourages customers to buy from you more often.
A newsletter is a way to educate your customers without overly selling to them.
A newsletter shows you care. It is a great way to keep in contact with them and build long-term relationships.
A newsletter helps prevent your fencing customers from going to the competition.
A newsletter makes an impression, even if they don’t read the entire newsletter. If you mail your newsletter in an envelope and they don’t open it, you have still “registered” your name and logo in their minds.
A newsletter keeps you visible. It helps you to be remembered.
A newsletter becomes a welcome guest from you each month, rather than a unwanted intrusion.
A newsletter will encourage testimonials. But only if you learn how to ask.
What does a successful newsletter look like?
Think of your newsletter as a stool with four legs. You need all four legs to make your newsletter balanced, strong, sturdy and successful. The stool might work with two or three legs. But if you have all four, your newsletter will be a money-maker, not a money-drainer.
Four things will make your newsletter successful:
1. Mail to a targeted list
You have three markets who can receive your newsletter:
• Customers: people who have purchased from you
• Prospects: people who have contacted you
• Suspects: any homeowner in your trading area
Ideally you would send your newsletter to all three lists. But if you must choose only one list, send it to customers. If you do, customers will turn into clients. prospects will turn into customers and suspects will turn into prospects.
2. Give valuable content
When I say valuable, I mean valuable to your readers, not you. Nobody wants to receive junk mail. Your newsletter will become junk mail if you forget this one important lesson: your newsletter is for your customers, not for you.
Every word, every sentence, every paragraph should be giving important, useful, helpful, beneficial, valuable, and worthwhile information.
Do not sell in your newsletter. Save that for another mailer. Instead, your newsletter should educate.
3. Send it monthly
newsletter at least once a month, you will lose part of your base every month. Monthly is just right. To do anything less will harm your business and you will suffer a natural attrition of customers.
Sending a newsletter is like taking your vitamins. When you take you vitamins you probably don’t feel any instant health benefits. But you know that eating the right things over time will make your body healthier.
The same goes with a newsletter. When you publish your fencing newsletter, over time, in the short and long run, it will generate new business.
4. Mail and email it
Printed and mailed newsletters are more effective than emailed newsletters.
“Print and mail it?” you ask. Yes, print and mail it even in this day and age when you can send things electronically. Or, if you want, print and mail it and send it electronically.
It is great to use the Internet to disseminate your information. But if you are more concerned with results, definitely send your newsletter via snail mail.
You may be asking, “Can’t I just send it out via email electronically? Or make it available on my website?” Of course, you can. That’s an option and I’d recommend you do. In fact, if you were to send your newsletter out only electronically, you’d still be light years ahead of your competition.
But the bottom line is: it is not as effective as printing and mailing.
Is sending out both printed and electronically overkill? Absolutely not. Some of your customers will want to read it on their tablet or computer. Others will want to hold it in their hand to read it. You should seriously consider print and mail rather than just an electronic version only.
If you have questions about producing a newsletter, contact your Territory Account Rep or email marketing@nvpfence.com.