Free Marketing: 101 Low and No-Cost Ways to Grow Your Business, Online and Off

CHAPTER 54

AN E-MAIL NEWSLETTER CAN BE A CASH GENERATOR

I still vividly remember the day I became convinced that I should start my own e-mail newsletter. I had no subscribers, and no idea where I would find subscribers, but I was very convinced that this was something I was going to do. It was probably the best career decision I've ever made.

Industry statistics tell us that when e-mail marketing is done correctly you can expect a 50:1 ROI ratio. This means for every dollar spent you'll be earning $50. That's just too good to ignore.

Once you have e-mail addresses, what is the best way to maintain contact with the people that have entrusted you with their contact information? One great answer is a simple e-mail newsletter.

After maintaining my own e-mail newsletter for nearly a decade now, I have learned several things about what does and doesn't work. If you are considering starting an e-mail newsletter keep these ideas in mind:

• When writing a newsletter be sure to put in indicators that help your readers to know that the content is current. This is the opposite advice that I gave you concerning your follow-up messages. Your follow-up messages will be the same for every subscriber no matter how far into the future they might join your list. In contrast, your newsletter is a one-time, relevant snapshot of current issues and events, so specific dates, times, and time sensitive info is acceptable.
• You don't have to be a writer in order to have a very effective e-mail newsletter. ...