Page 237 - Duct Tape Marketing

221Chapter 14: Brochures, Promotions, Trade Shows, and More

headlines for an overview and spending only a few extra seconds on informa-
tion that stands out as worthy of extra attention.

As you get ready to publish, follow these tips:

ߜ Know the purpose and frequency of your newsletter and stick to what
you promise to provide.

ߜ Decide on your newsletter format. Plain text is easy to assemble and
send, but may not allow you to show URLs as clickable links. HTML is
more complicated, but allows you to present workable hyperlinks as
well as color, fonts, and graphic images, while also allowing you to track
the rate at which recipients open your mail or click through to links. You
may want to set up your newsletter so that subscribers can choose the
format they want to receive at they time they subscribe. If you opt for an
HTML format, consult a Web designer to set up at least your first issue
or contract with an e-mail marketing service such as Constant Contact
(visit www.constantcontact.com for information and a trial offer).

ߜ Include a link to your Web site. If your newsletter refers to a specific
part of your site — for example, the page for a new product — then link
directly to that page.

ߜ Include your address and phone number so people can reach you after
they’ve logged off.

ߜ Provide a subject line that flags prospect interest. Consider using a bulk
e-mail program that lets you add the recipient’s name to the subject line
to help get it past those with a trigger-ready finger on the delete key.

ߜ Begin with a first line, such as Thank you for subscribing to our news-
letter to remind recipients that they opted-in to your mailing. If your
newsletter covers a number of screens, provide a table of contents so
readers can scroll straight to parts of interest. Throughout the news-
letter, use headlines, bulleted or numbered lists, and boldface, benefit-
oriented statements to catch attention as eyes sweep over the screens.

ߜ Add an issue number to each edition. Expect people to keep and refer
to your newsletters. Be clear about the valid dates on limited-time offers.
And provide links to your site only if you’re sure they will work well into
the future. (If they don’t, a customer trying to link to your site a year from
now may think that you’ve gone out of business.)

ߜ Test your newsletter by e-mailing it to a few e-mail accounts before
sending the full distribution. Use the test to check the formatting and to
be sure the links all work.

ߜ Send the newsletter in batches if your distribution list is large. By
sending a portion of the list each day over, say, a weeklong period, you
can better manage the responding e-mails and phone calls.