I remember the good old days of the internet when it was a real treat to subscribe to someone’s newsletter and receive all their wonderful information through the convenience of your email.
It’s still like this today - for the publishers that are getting it right. I believe newsletter publishers somewhere along the way forget WHY readers subscribe. On their websites we are promised all this wonderful information and instead we receive a sales pitch, email after email.
Bad newsletters far out number the effective ones. Here is a list of mistakes I find newsletter publisher religiously make…
1. Sell right off the auto responder
When I subscribe to a newsletter and get the sales pitch right off the auto responder, I know my subscription to this newsletter won’t last long.
The autoresponder is the ideal place to get your subscriber familiar with yourself and your business. It’s a great first step in building that relationship with your reader. Get them enthusiastic about receiving your newsletter. Tell them the wonderful things they will come to expect.
Welcome them and just leave it at that.
Something to take with you: “Don’t put the cart before the horse”
2. Talk about how much money you are making – all the time
Hyping is old news. Are you still doing it?
The newbie internet marketers love to tell you how much they are supposedly making. They love referring to this time and time again in their newsletters. They haven’t yet realized that hype doesn’t sell. Information does.
If you are making all this money, then help someone who isn’t. Give them some intelligent information. Help them make an informed decision about buying your product.
Something to take with you: “Uh… Don’t hype?”
3. Instead of 80% content and 20% selling you are doing it the other way around
Your subscriber didn’t give you permission to sell to them. They gave you permission to give them more information. That’s what you promised when they signed up. Are you honoring that promise?
Subscribers know that you will be doing some selling in your newsletters. They are not stupid. So weave the selling process in with your great information. That way it won’t stick out like a sore thumb and your readers won’t feel pitched.
Something to take with you: “Always give before you ask to take. It rarely works the other way around”
4. Copy and paste an article in your newsletter and hey presto! You have a newsletter… Not
There is no double about it. Articles are very effective – the ones that are well worded and give the reader insider information about a specific topic.
One publisher I subscribe to uses the power of articles very well. He is an affiliate and in his newsletter he publishers different people’s articles.
This is his technique:
- His newsletters begin by telling readers a little about his day.
- Then he introduces the article author, giving readers about a paragraph of information about him/her
- Next we read the article
- Then he gives us his thoughts/tips/stories/comments.
- Then he finishes by referring to the author and the information in the article.
I’ve bought from this affiliate time and time again. Know why? Because his technique works.
He puts effort into his newsletters. Readers see that. Through them, I’ve come to know him, trust him, like him. Not only does he provide me with good articles, he is also knowledgeable in the subject he’s involved him and his contributions really help reinforce the information of the article.
Unfortunately, most newsletter publishers don’t use the power of articles. You see, when you don’t put effort into it, I know you went to an article directory, selected an article, joined it’s affiliate program and just stuck it in your ‘newsletter’ with nothing else but your name and contact details.
Not good.
Something to take with you: “Go the extra mile. It’s not crowded.”
5. Not telling people abit about yourself
Give readers a sense of you. We are curious creatures and want to know abit about people we associate with. You do want to bond with your readers, don’t you? Then your name and website address at the bottom of your email won’t accomplish much.
The best newsletters I subscribe to, without fail, always include a small paragraph in the beginning about themselves.
Tell readers something and keep it short and sweet. Don’t go to the other extreme and devote your newsletters to talk about yourself. Boring.
Something to take with you: “Balance is what we are looking for here.”
6. Giving subscribers info that is so basic, they can tell you are new to this
Your defense may be that you are catering to newbie internet marketers so your information has to be basic. Okay, let’s put it another way. Last time I checked there were 55,000 people looking for internet marketing. Do you believe all those are new to this?
There are many types of products to do with internet marketing like ebooks, newsletters, autoresponders etc. An internet marketer needs a variety of products to build and run their business.
Consider something else. Who else buys your products? Answer: Affiliates. So at most times you are dealing with people with a higher level of experience.
Let me give you an example of what I consider basic information. If you write an article telling me why I need an email service then this won’t make an impression on me. I already know this. And if I was a newbie, I would know this too because I would’ve come across it hundreds of times before from other people who rehash the same information.
On the other hand, I may not know what the best email services are and why. So tell me.
Something to take with you: “Do some research. It always pays off.”
7. The biggest booboo of them all
I was stunned. Are people this dumb?
About a month ago, I subscribed to a bunch of internet marketing newsletters. I don’t remember now from where. Pity.
Well, I received the autoresponders, as all newsletters begin. All the same. I received the first newsletters, second newsletters, third newsletters. (then I unsubscribed from them all). All the same.
Word for word they were all the same. The only thing that changed was the contact details of these people.
I found out later that you can pay for a service and they will write your newsletters and send them off for you, with your name and contract details of course. You join their affiliate program and you make your money that way. Well, that’s the theory anyway.
Doesn’t work. Write your own newsletters.
Something to take with you: “Email is a powerful medium. Are you using or abusing its power?”
Copyright © Gina Stathopoulos & Nick Vernon
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