posted
Hiya Gang, As part of my marketing plan, I plan to develop a newsletter that could be sent to my clients and/or downloaded from my website. But, I'm having some issues. The main problem I'm having is coming up with enough content to warrant publishing more than one a year. However, I would like to send out something on a quarterly or seasonal basis. My initial thoughts would be to get a group of us together with the intent of developing a generic newsletter that we can "brand" with our own identity. Then sent it to our own clients. Any input, good, bad or otherwise would be greatly appreciated.
Havin' fun,
Checkers
-------------------- a.k.a. Brian Born www.CheckersCustom.com Harrisburg, Pa Work Smart, Play Hard Posts: 3775 | From: Harrisburg, Pa. U.S.A. | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Checkers i think this is great idea if as you said u can generate enough material that would warrant the effort. there is a tremendous ammount of information available about marketing, building, brand recognition etc. but after studying it in college for too many years my personal opinion is that much of it is redundant and also can be very "dry" if your clients do not read it...well it was a waste of time and effort imo.
i will be anxious to see how this progresses and what you come up with, maybe this is something that you could work on with a group of people in non competitive markets that could be distributed to all participants client bases in their respective markets as is common with many of the generic news letters that i get from various vendors....just another idea
Posts: 445 | From: Slidell, LA | Registered: Feb 2004
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posted
A local marketing company used to send out a newsletter announcing staff changes/appointments, new services they offer and major jobs they had accomplished. They may still send it out and I may just not be on their mailing list.
When I got the news letter I would quickly bbrowse through it but I seldom read it through.... too dry for the most part.
I would think it would work but I would use it as a advertorial type piece... do it three or four times a year.
I'd highlight nice work you've done and services you offer. Some history of your company and features on folks who work in your shop might be nice. Also feature new equipment and the new skills you can do.
In spring you would obviously promote freshening up everyones image... in the fall/winter present a Christmas image marketing and greetings...
Its also a great way to get part of your portfolio out to clients on a regular basis...
In a defined market I can see it working well.
I look forward to seeing what you come up with.
-grampa dan
-------------------- Dan Sawatzky Imagination Corporation Yarrow, British Columbia dan@imaginationcorporation.com http://www.imaginationcorporation.com
Being a grampa is one of the the most wonderful things in the world!!! Posts: 8738 | From: Yarrow, B.C. Canada | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
Pictures! Pictures! Pictures! Maybe a few short jokes and *important* news, special deals and offerings. I like timing it with your upcoming events so you can give incentives for them to come in, maybe even offer a 10% off coupon or something you want to move or a 20% off coupon on something you want to promote. Brand it, put your picture on it, something dynamic, not static.
-------------------- Ricky Jackson Signs Now 614 Russell Parkway Warner Robins, GA (478) 923-7722 signpimp50@hotmail.com
"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants." Sir Issac Newton Posts: 3528 | From: Warner Robins, GA | Registered: Oct 2004
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a newsletter gets received/seen by those on your mailing list- only.
write a similar thing- and offer to do it for the local newspaper say every Thursday, for free. You get seen by many more, irrespective of whether or not anyone actually reads it.
-------------------- "Stewey" on chat
"...there are no limits when you aim for perfection..." Jonathan Livingston Seagull Posts: 7014 | From: Highgrove via Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia | Registered: Dec 2002
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posted
Newsletters are very effective. This is our first one back in 2001. I got a call from it last week believe it or not. Remember newsletters are not fliers...take more time with them and try to included some information worth keeping around. Ours are a double sided tabloid size page folded in half. (4 pages) http://www.commercialsigns.com/Adobe%20Acrobat%20files/newsletter.pdf
posted
I can fully understand the content difficulty, I write a column for the local glossy mag once a month and it definitely does work. I use the logic Dawgie mentions above and try to give some useful info which they can apply in daily business. After the first couple of editions I thought it was a waste of money but after about 4-6 months I found a lot of people made mention of it regularly, both new and regular customers. I found it elevates you in the customer's eye so when they are ready to buy they see you more favourably. So far as writing an email newsletter goes... I'm too exhausted after writing the print version to be bothered to even cut and paste it into an email which the vast number of people will simply delete. (that's what I'd do to a similar email). The print version stays on coffee tables and doctor's foyers far longer A blog to me at least would rate somewhere 2 places behind a spam and will never be read by anyone apart from the casual browser unless you have something spectacular or newsworthy to impart. MHO
-------------------- David Fisher D.A. & P.M. Fisher Services Brisbane Australia da_pmf@yahoo.com Trying out a new tag: "Parents are the bones on which children cut their teeth Peter Ustinov Posts: 1450 | From: Brisbane Queensland Australia | Registered: Nov 1998
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posted
I make it a point to gather an email address from every new client. I also have a place that you can sign up for my newsletter on my website. I try to send one out every other month.
I announce different products or services we offer, pictures of the latest signs. I will show the latest logos I have designed along with the company info, the client appreciates the little extra advertising.
I am not a copywriter so most of the time the comments are pretty brief, I let the pictures do most of the talking.
I make sure I mention my design Blog and have a link to it. And also a link to my website.
It works great, I make several sales from every one I send out.
posted
Another suggestion has been to make the newsletter an IDEA STARTER and some Word Of Mouth (WOM) testimonies how your customer who got results from this or that type of sign/vehicle lettering
You would be surprised that most people don't have a clue what looks good, what works for a trade show, what looks neat on a t-shirt or post and even panel signs. So give your newsletter targets an idea starter, before and after, along with a testimonial from a happy client...or even get them to write a section of the news letter with their sign featured! Now you have your regular customer's attention and loyalty because he is getting some free advertising as well!
If the news letter is about you, then ZZZZZZZZZZ! ZZZZZZZ, ZZZZZZZZ, snore, ZZZZZZZZ, snore...
I don't usually include anything specifically about "me", but try to include articles and info that can help my readers.
The entire point of a newsletter is simply to keep YOUR name in front of THEIR faces. The hard part is making sure to include something so that they actually read it.
Oh, and my newsletter is an "opt-in" one. Everyone on the list has asked for it. BUT, by keeping the newsletter as a webpage, I send out many emails to prospects with a "sneak peek at a free newsletter" and ask them if they would like to sign up.
-------------------- Randy Graphic Details Promotional Merchandise Distributor South Glens Falls, NY Posts: 381 | From: South Glens Falls, NY USA | Registered: Mar 2001
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posted
If you're short of content, maybe a postcard newsletter would work. People don't even have to open it to be exposed to it. A postcard guarantees you can't exceed anyone's attention span. You'll save on postage. It's easier for you to produce.
Mike Jackson sent out informative, artistic postcards some years ago in Jackson Hole and wrote about it in Signcraft #40 May/June 1988.
-------------------- Frank Smith Frank Smith Signs Albany, NY www.franksmithsigns.com Posts: 807 | From: Albany, NY USA | Registered: Nov 1998
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