In a past article, The Art of Staying in Touch, I highlighted the importance of staying in touch via email with your prospects, network and existing clients. If you haven’t yet, go check out that article to see why email marketing is absolutely worth your time.
While it sounds like a simple idea, the application of email marketing can be overwhelming for a business owner. If you have never sent out a regular newsletter, the first one may seem daunting – and rightfully so.
I mean, there’s a lot to consider: What topics should I touch on? How many images should I use? What should I make the subject line?
But, the good news is – setting yourself up properly in the beginning is the hardest part. And if done right, the rest is an absolute breeze.
Where do I start?
Well, the first and most important step to conquer is content – as per usual.
In order to determine the best content to put in your newsletter, you don’t have to look any further than your own website! It has all the fundamental elements you need.
As you scan across your navigation menu, you will find information that is important to share with your audience:
- Upcoming events
- News and articles
- Promotions and sales
- Services
- Contact information
- Free resources and guides
- General information about your business
- And more.
Using the navigation menu on your website, you can easily develop a whole list of possible sections for each newsletter!
I know, I’m a visual learner too.
This is a newsletter outline I recently gave to an independent bookstore store owner. She was unsure of how to begin creating content for her newsletter. A quick peek at her site gave me tons of content ideas for her.
Section 1) Upcoming events and book clubs held at the bookstore (dates, times, RSVP links)
Section 2) Past events with photos, details and a thank you
Section 3) Book review from recent blog posts
Section 4) Promotion – new book in the store, call to order special books, or sign up for libro.fm, or add a book club event to your calendar, contact us to host an event, leave us a review on your favorite platform (include links to yelp, google and facebook).
Section 5) Social media links for people to follow active accounts
Section 6) About you and the store
These ideas are to help spark your imagination and to think about all the content you can share with your audience!
However, I know setting up anything related to your business online for the first time can be a bit intimidating. If you’re still feeling overwhelmed after reading this article, maybe it’s time to schedule a FREE consultation!
Lisa M Gale Digital Marketing helps service professional business owners improve their online presence and visibility to attract new clients. We develop systems and processes to improve digital marketing efforts and help entrepreneurs reach their business goals. Download your Digital Marketing Made Simple for free here >>
