Newsletters: Productivity and Profit

Almost every company has opted to stay in touch with current customers and potential ones via a newsletter. Newsletters are usually sent out on a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly basis, depending on the niche. They are typically comprised of company information, upcoming news, sales on products or services, learning opportunities, features in guest posts and much more. But in short, many companies use a newsletter as a method of communication - basically a "Hi, we're over here and still want your business" type of message, similar to the kind that you might set up with your email client for email marketing strategies. But could you possibly be missing out on a unique way to actually turn a profit? In fact, can your newsletter actually be a successful, money-making tool, rather than just something to boost sales and overall productivity? Structure of a Newsletter When you are setting up your newsletter, before it can become profitable, you’ll want to make sure that the basic structure is something that will appeal to your target audience, whether you’re looking at something for everyday communication or a festive holiday template. First, decide on the length. As we’ve been hearing a lot about the ideal word counts for blogs and other online content, keep this in mind when it comes to a newsletter. You want it to be long enough to disclose your most valuable information in a concise way, but not so long that it begins to lose the interest of a reader. That is why, just as in online content, breaking up the text with images, headers and bullet points allows the reader to quickly scan and read the parts that matter to them. This keeps them on the page and clicking your links. Getting Into Profits Even though a lot of companies have not tapped into the fact that yes, newsletters can be profitable, there are numerous ways to get the job done, and all without making your communications appear to be too sales oriented or full of marketing jargon. Look at a few of the basic methods that are used, and start off with one, and then maybe ease into another. Before long, you can be creating income, even that super-coveted passive income, on several different fronts. Some of the options that you can explore include: Building a list of leads from content that requires the reader to enter an email address to continue. This ensures that the people you send the newsletter to are already interested in your company. You can also offer services for purchase. Some businesses sell e-books, while others put together lectures or classes that can be offered. Additionally, if you host any time of events, this is the perfect opportunity to sell tickets. Another great idea is to work with other organizations. You can offer cross promotions, or allow companies to sponsor your newsletter. Many companies will also pay to have a link included with content that will support some of your initiatives. It’s a win-win! Beyond links and sponsorships, you can also include actual advertisements, whether for your own products or services, or for another company’s. Either way, you can create both revenue and brand awareness. Regardless of the strategies that you use, just be sure to think outside of the box and get really innovative. Plus, anything that can add to your productivity is always a win!