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E-Newsletters can enhance internal, external image By Norwin A. Merens, Managing Director, NM Marketing Communications e-Mail newsletters are a simple and cost effective  way to communicate with your target market and employees but it still requires planning and execution.

Well-targeted efforts are essential for success in today’s competitive business marketplace. A targeted, niche-oriented newsletter has become an indispensable, cost effective way to improve sales, bolster your corporate image and expand market share. It can also help promote employee loyalty, increase productivity and disseminate vital information within your organization.

Traditional print newsletters are no recent invention, despite their proliferation in this era of desktop publishing and computer technology. They’re among the oldest forms of mass communication, dating back to 200 B.C. when the Han Dynasty used them for timely communication between cities.

Of course, the biggest change in recent years is the shift from print newsletters to electronic publications. Concerns about printing costs, paper quality and postal rates have been replaced with a new set of issues. These include ensuring your design is browser friendly, obtaining “opt-in” addresses and being CAN-SPAM compliant. Furthermore, while it’s easy to distribute an electronic newsletter, it’s just as easy for your readers to unsubscribe if the content isn’t relevant.

But while an external newsletter’s purpose is to increase sales, those with that as their sole purpose are destined to fail. They are not ads, and therefore must differentiate themselves from the deluge of sales literature that is headed for the dumpster or quickly deleted.

It must grab the reader with news that he will perceive as important. Your articles should be factual and credible. Industry developments that affect your readers, tips that can help them increase productivity and similar items can be included to gain their confidence. This helps you build good will—and good customers.

Of course, your electronic newsletter needs to have some “sell.” However, research shows that newsletters written in a hard-sell style often go unread. Image newsletters win with clients because they position your company as a leader in its field. You can sell your company without the hard sell by including news “bulletins” about your capabilities, the latest custom solution you provide, or your product.

Internal newsletters, on the other hand, are distributed throughout your organization. They’re effective for enhancing employee loyalty, boosting productivity and communicating corporate news and events.

Soliciting contributions from employees is a vital part of creating a successful internal newsletter or special publication. For one study reports that employees tend to read internal newsletters to increase their knowledge of their co-workers’ activities as well as corporate strategies, thereby increasing their chances for advancement.

Morale boosting is also an important function of your internal newsletter. Many companies have found the more information an employee is given, the higher his or her morale. This in turn helps enhance productivity.

Whether your goal is selling a product or service or simply communicating within your organization, a successful electronic newsletter program depends on some basic elements. These proven marketing techniques will improve your newsletter’s effectiveness, and when properly handled, will help you reach these objectives:

• Driving prospect traffic to your web site

• Expanding cross-marketing opportunities

• Developing monthly promotions

• Disseminating news about your business

• Creating relationships with the media

• Communicating with both internal and external audiences

• Cultivating a general excitement about your company

Like anything else in business, a successful newsletter communications program means executing one professionally. This means well-written articles, carefully planned design, layout and photography and more. And, as with any marketing strategy, it means having a clear concept of what you want your newsletter to accomplish.