1) Permission (very important) – Make sure you have permission from your
customers or prospect customers to receive a newsletter from you. However,

there are some people you can contact without permission, those are your family
and your 
friends… and, they probably know some one who knows someone else!  Co-workers, employees, and vendors are all important to include since they should be informed of any news!

2) Welcome message - When someone subscribes, make sure they receive a welcome 
letter. Also, you should ask them to save your welcome message for
future reference. 
Many people forget that they subscribed to certain email newsletters. Otherwise, they 
may accuse you of spamming and report you to
your Internet Service Provider or to 
an email marketing company.

3) Subject line – Choose your From field name (name of you company or personal name) 
and stick to it, be consistent. This is an example of how you should place your 
Subject Line: 
[name of you company or personal name] Article Title, Issue No., Date
I am including a link to Constant Contact where you can read about subject line
• 5 Tips for Writing Subject Lines that Will Get Your Emails Opened

4) Content – Include quality content instead of quantity. There is so much you

can write about, show a video, podcasts or images. Listen to your customers, 

their problems and concerns. Write tips, company news, special offers and events, 
announcements, products, etc.

5) Link your e-newsletter to your website - Bringing readers to your site will
give 
you more exposure.

6) To increase your list of prospect clients – Make sure you have a sign up
box on 
your website for your e-newsletter.

7) Images or videos – Always include them. Readers love to see visuals.

8) Unsubscribe option – Include it in the beginning and at the end of your 
e-newsletter.  Make sure people can unsubscribe so they do not send you
to spam.

9) Planning – It is key to the frequency and on time delivery of your newsletter.
How often are you sending the newsletter? Plan the topics ahead and know that 

they can change; be flexible. Take into account Holidays and special sales. Remember 
that to prep content takes some time; be realistic.  Determine content source; have a 
section to reference past contributions & future ideas.

10) Revise – Your content many times to make sure it is free of misspelled words 
and that all links go to the proper place.

Great link to read before you send your e-newsletter;
•  Checklist - 25 Questions Before You Send

I hope these tips help you in the production of you e-newsletter. If you are interested in having me help you build your initial e-newsletter, please give me
a call. Thank you!
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Ana Balzán / LIGHTHOUSE Graphics
Highlighting your path to success!
anabalzan.com
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I have been reading article
after article about marketing your business for this Holiday season and all the articles
have one thing in common: they are all talking about digital advertising and its advantages.




Michelle Keegan, Constant Contact e-marketer expert, wrote that a survey done
by "DoubleClick.com2 reported that 66% of online shoppers plan to use internet
to purchase during the coming holiday season; and BizRate.com3 estimates that
a whopping $8 billion will be spent online between November 25th and December 25th."  It seems that costumers are pushing for easier and convenient ways to purchase on the Holidays and digital is becoming the everyday use. 
 


My research brought me to various ways to advertise your business.
 


1) Website and e-newsletter - Make sure your website is easy to browse and that your products photos and description are just as the original product.  Nothing worse than deception in order to loose a client for ever! Affluent customers are expecting the retailers to go above and beyond for them. Also, static photos are
not enough; they want to be entertained and have a full vivid shopping experience
in your site.
 


•  Catering to Affluent Shoppers Online



• 'Tis the Season - Eight Holiday Tips 



2) Social media (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc) is being used more
frequently to talk and discuss brand names and clients’ experiences with the product. According to e-Marketer  data from Aberdeen Group, August 2010, "more than half of retailers felt they had been pushed into using social media because more consumers were using it as a primary shopping vehicle.
The second-largest pressure causing them
to adopt social media marketing was increased use by the competition."  I suggest you use every possible mean to bring more traffic into your store or business. And, right now, social media is free. Below you can find 2 graphs from e-marketers' research on "Leading Pressures Causing Retailers to use Social Media, Aug 2010"
and "Retailers' Key Performance Indicator for Social Media, Aug 2010."
 


• Consumers Force Retailers to Adopt Social Strategy


3) Messaging and Mobile Media using SMS or text messages. Last year Sonali Shah, Director of Corporate Development and Strategy at VeriSign Messaging and Mobile Media, wrote that as the Holiday season draws near, "retailers are focusing on how to meet sales targets and drive traffic, in spite of the continuing recession. The mobile channel can help do both increase revenue and engage customers and mobile messaging will play a key role in most mobile campaigns."  SMS messages can be sent without too much planning
and can be customized. If you wish to read more about this topic, please find 2 links below.
 


• Key SMS marketing tips for retailers’ holiday campaigns

• Location capabilities provide better targeted mobile advertising
 


4) Mobile coupons "while still nascent,  is becoming an increasingly
effective way
to bring people into the store and increase sales", according to InsightExpress. 
This article has great information and graphs that puts men between 25-35 years
old as the group that uses their phones the most to finding reviews, compare
prices, make purchases, find coupons, etc.  
 

• 10pc of consumers driven in-store by mobile coupons: study

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Ana Balzán / LIGHTHOUSE Graphics
Highlighting your path to success!
anabalzan.com
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