Does Your Firm Need a (Marketing) Newsletter?

The concept of a 'newsletter' pops into the minds of company owners when they have no idea what to do to boost their marketing. They just know they need to do something.Should they entertain speaking engagements, seminars, networking events, newsletters, other? They know it’s important to stay in touch with their contacts, and they’re absolutely right. But most people who decide to go the newsletter route fail miserably.

Think Before You Act

Before you start throwing around a term like “newsletter,” take a step back. You have to begin with the end in mind – it’s called outcome-driven thinking. Forget about the concept of a newsletter for now. Consider what you want to accomplish and what problem you want to solve. The goal is to remind people of what you do and when they should think of you, and make sure they don’t forget about you. Simultaneously, you want to use your time as efficiently as possible. In-person networking is extremely expensive in terms of time. But a newsletter allows you to keep a relationship alive with very little time investment. There are certain things you have to steer clear of when writing a newsletter, though, or it won’t work.

Avoid These Common Mistakes

In some cases, newsletters don’t position your firm in a way that generates more business. The goal is to educate you about your companies distinctive selling propositions so that the reader views you as the solution to those particular problems. But how interested would you be if, instead of writing this article, we regaled you with a recap of our company’s success and the bios of new hires? Would you be the least bit interested in this information? Apart from providing irrelevant information, another cardinal sin is trying to sound too smart.  Really.  Most marketers like to “wow” readers with old citations, as if people will be impressed. In reality, those newsletters get deleted than anything else. You can’t bore people into buying. You have to offer value that your clients will be interested in.

A Tested, Proven Formula for Success

We’ve found that sharing content that builds trust and positions your company as an expert (in whatever particular field) is the most effective approach. Instead of focusing on yourself, focus on the wants and needs of your ideal clients.Think about how you can provide value while educating people about who your ideal client is, and what kinds of scenarios should make them think of you.

Before you start publishing newsletter, ask yourself these questions:

• Have you begun with the end in mind? • Does a traditional newsletter make the most sense for your company? • Or is there something else out there that can produce better results with less effort?

Either way, you have to do something.