More companies are turning to electronic newsletters.

August 26, 2002

By JAN NORMAN
The Orange County Register

Almost nine of 10 homebuyers search the Internet before calling a real estate agent, so Arna Freedman wanted to be in their line of sight.

But the partner in Irvine-based E-Homes.com didn't stop with a Web site. She sends out an electronic newsletter.

"It's an excellent way to be in touch with our clients who sign in on our Web site," Freedman says.

A growing number of companies are sending out email newsletters as part of their marketing strategy.

Separate from subscription newsletters, these marketing newsletters keep a company "top of mind" with customers, boost Web-site traffic, promote specific products and services and increase sales, says Jay Goth of The Newsletter Place in Tustin.

Goth and partner Randy Hines provide electronic and traditional print newsletters, electronic books and Web services to clients.

Increasingly, those clients are gravitating toward electronic newsletters.

A color newsletter on paper can cost $3,700 to design, print and mail, Goth says. His firm charges $249 per electronic newsletter, delivered.

But a successful electronic newsletter takes planning and proper execution, say Goth and Hines, who give six tips:

1. TARGET YOUR AUDIENCE

"The No. 1 rule is to send your newsletter only to people who want it," Goth says. "Spam (unwanted commercial email) is a big thing on the Internet."

It is better to start with a few valid emails of known customers and suppliers and build with sign-ups on your Web site, Hines says.

One client, Don Clowers Ministry in Tennessee, started with 400 names and in a few months built up to more than 2,600 subscribers.

2. INFORMATION, NOT ADS

Recipients won't read a newsletter that is too obviously self-promotional, Goth says.

"The rule of thumb is 75 percent information, 25 percent promotion, but there are ways to write the articles that don't seem like a pitch, like highlighting a competency of your business."

Some promotions that are usually popular with readers include a discount coupon, or a catchy stand-alone title, like "Exit Strategies for Your Business," that links to a special page on your Web site.

Freedman's e-letter, "Better Home Living," covers real estate topics, such as how much deposit to include with an offer to buy a home or the problem of toxic mold in homes.

Goth, the team's copywriter, supplies the content for about a dozen clients, so he reads hundreds of publications. But most clients write their own material because they are experts in their fields.

"We wanted a newsletter with genuine news," says Dave Bonini, managing director of The Bentley Co., a Pleasant Hill mergers-and-acquisitions firm. "Our readers benefit from information, and we benefit from positive name recognition."

3. EASY OPEN, EASY READ

Recipients won't even get to that good content if the graphics and layout make the newsletter open too slowly, says Hines, who handles the production side. Keep the layout simple and swift.

Once subscribers open the newsletter, you still have a challenge getting them to read even one article, he adds.

"Give your reader options," he says. "Have a short synopsis and they can click to read the full article. Have a table of contents and snippets on the opening page."

4. TEST, TEST, TEST

One of Hines' biggest challenges is developing newsletters that can be opened by all common Internet service providers and software, including AOL, Yahoo, Microsoft Outlook and Lotus.

"I email tests to myself in all formats," he says. "Or give a link they can click on and read it on your Web site."

5. MADE FOR SHARING

Companies can build subscriptions through search engines, ads on other sites and sign-up forms on their own Web sites.

"E-marketing with an opt-in program (people ask for it) is a good way to find clients," Bonini says. "Our plan is to reach people planning to sell their companies, and influencers like attorneys and CPAs."

Goth says the best way to build readership is to make it easy for current subscribers to forward the newsletter to friends and colleagues. The personal referral increases the likelihood that the recipient will sign up, too.

6. MAKE IT EASY TO UNSUBSCRIBE

However, people's tastes, time availability and jobs change, so make it easy to unsubscribe, he adds.

"The last thing you want is to send your information to people who don't want it," he says, "because then you're building a bad reputation and word gets around."

Goth and Hines publish their own newsletter, Newsletter Mechanic. Subscribe at www. thenewsletterplace.com.