You create or write content to send these clients. This can include text, e-coupons, links, pictures and even video. Let's call these newsletters.
In short, you want to send your subscribers news about your company or organization. You may want to let people know about an upcoming event or sale. You may want to include pictures or video email demonstrations of new products.
All Newsletters Are Not the Same
Different
email templates, different themes, but what are the major types of professional email newsletters that businesses and organization use most? Here are a few examples:
Newsletter
A newsletter is probably the most-used and least threatening type of marketing you can send your customer. It really is a generally-toned, multiple sectioned communications piece that reads like a mini-newspaper. You'll have information sections that brand your store, service or products. You might have promotional sections, a place for an
online survey and maybe an e-coupon. The focus here is content of varying types that all have one purpose in mind: the general promotion of your company.
Promotions
A
promotional email has only one purpose: hyping a product or service. This focused communication will stick to one topic and is much shorter than a newsletter. Give the customer the facts: what it is, how much it is, and why they need it.
Event Invitations
If you know the difference between a proper wedding invitation versus an announcement in a newspaper, then you'll see the benefit of having a special template section dedicated to promoting your company's special event. An
email event invite has to do two things: generate interest and convince the recipient that they've got something to leave the house for.
Holiday Templates
After you've sent your customer newsletters and special promotions, you might be looking for another excuse to send them marketing. This is the beauty of the
holiday template. While it might be easy for a subscriber to decide they're not in the mood for your newsletter, they may open your newsletter because it has a holiday theme. Why? Holidays make people happy. It's a day to celebrate, take time off or even share something in common.
While you could just put specials on a Thanksgiving template, you can also be a bit more subtle about it. If you sent out a Thanksgiving themed newsletter with nothing but facts about the holiday, a little history and maybe reasons people in your community are thankful, you'll accomplish a longer term goal: your subscribers will recognize your newsletter as entertaining and thought provoking and will be likely to open more of them in the future. You'll be in their minds, too, and you never had to try to sell a thing.
Survey or Poll
This can be sent on its own or included in any newsletter. The store can get vital customer response by sending out good-looking, easy-to-use customer polls. The customers feel like they have a voice as the store fine-tunes its operations based on the feedback it gets. The best part? The polls let you ask any question you want and you can create more list segments based on these answers.
Content
Your email campaigns mean nothing if they don't include interesting, compelling content. Is what you're sending of interest to your subscriber? If you need help deciding what to send, how to write it, and how to craft compelling subject lines, our
Complete Guide to Email Marketing can help you out. You can also just visit the section online
here.
