How Valuable are Email Newsletters?
Every month I send you a newsletter. Yet my
reports say that only about 25% of you actually open it. This
is not due to my sending it to the wrong address - only 1% 'bounce'.
Fewer than that unsubscribe so presumably most recipients are still
happy to receive them.
My guess is that the majority end up in some junk
mail folder because the recipient has forgotten they ever signed up
for a newsletter. Some may note the email's arrival but not
have time to read at that moment but may perhaps look at a later
issue. It is of course much easier to delete an email
than to go through any 'unsubscribe' function.
My record is not abnormal. The majority of
email newsletters are never read even when they have been requested.
Does that mean it is no longer a valid promotional tool?
Some newsletters have a proven value. Where
they announce special offers, for example, you can measure the level
of sales produced. Some companies seem so determined to
maximise short term sales that they send a series of follow ups if
you don't react to the first one. I always wonder if they ever
try to measure the downside of irritating those not interested in
the offer. Certainly with traditional direct mail, I know I
personally would never subscribe to certain credit cards because I
have got so tired of throwing away their mailings.
My objective in writing newsletters is to remind
you of my existence and, hopefully, enhance your view of my
expertise by offering an idea that may be useful for your own
marketing. This is so subjective that there is no easy
statistical measure of success. In fact I rely on the odd comment
that comes back occasionally that proves a particular news item was
read and appreciated.
I believe I am normally preaching to the
converted. My readers mostly know me and are sufficiently
interested to feel they might use my services at some point in the
future or refer me to others in need. Certainly most of my new
business now comes from referrals.
This is indeed the core value of a newsletter for
most business-to-business clients. If you are not selling fast
moving goods, you need a way of keeping in touch over long periods
when your contacts have no immediate requirement. Only when
the need arises again, do people start considering possible
suppliers and then naturally they start with those they know.
There is also another direct use of newsletters.
This is why you can always find a copy on my website. Each
month a new page is added to the site this way. So search
engines know the site is being kept up to date and growing in
content. I am sure this is the major reason I have now enjoyed
top rankings in Google for 'web marketing' and 'web marketing UK'
for nearly 5 years. To knock me off that position a new
competitor will have to do better. It also provides a proof to
new clients that I can obtain high natural rankings.
So I'll send you another letter next month.
Do read it!
Stephen Orr |
