Email Newsletters 101
Cinda Baxter -- Gifts and Dec, 10/21/2010 5:17:16 AM
I've said it a million times. Email newsletter services are best provided by email newsletter service providers. The recent trend of digital services offered by gift industry companies is worrisome - there's too much grey area regarding privacy policies, whose server holds your data, who has access to your track record, etc.
It's easier than you think.
Now is not the time to pay someone new to the game for something as critical as your digital presence. The good news is that doing it yourself isn't hard. In fact, it's pretty easy, once you know how to get started (and often, more affordable long term).
STEP 1: PARTNER WITH A PRO
Of the newsletter companies available, three stand out: Constant- Contact.com, MailChimp.com and MyEmma.com. Constant Contact is the most well known, with the most corporate approach, while MyEmma provides an upbeat "friend next door" experience.
One-time design creation ranges from basic plug-n-play templates (least unique) to full-on custom design (most unique). For the latter, Constant Contact is the priciest at $399-$599; My Emma is the least expensive at $249. Mail Chimp doesn't offer custom design, but has a large library of pre-fab templates.
I began using email newsletters before learning HTML. Translated? I knew what I wanted my newsletter to look like, but lacked the tech skill to build it. Custom design services fill that gap, creating the precise look you need - critical if your store is known for stylish products. If you're artistic, submit a paper copy of what you want the finished product to look like. If not, a stick figure concept and phone call can get things rolling.
Providers test designs to confirm they appear correctly in browsers and email programs; they also monitor black lists to assure mailings get to recipients.
Monthly pricing is based primarily on the number of addresses in your list. Although a couple offer tiny prices for tiny lists, remember the goal is to grow your list beyond 100 names.
Up to 2,500 names, pricing is pretty consistent. The only significant difference is the inclusion of free surveys in MyEmma packages. Surveys can be fun, effective tools in newsletters, especially when tied to contests. I've used them often, with great success.
Detailed tracking data is included (How many emails were opened? What addresses are bouncing? Which links are readers are clicking through? etc.) - the digital equivalent of watching which items customers spend the most time with.
STEP 2: COLLECTING ADDRESSES
Before you can send a good newsletter, you need someone to send it to. That little "Sign up here" sign on the counter is fine, but you're overlooking spots to snag additional readers - your website, Facebook page and blog. For the first two, you'll need the HTML form code (AKA embed code) from your newsletter service - the digital version of a sign up sheet.
Ideally, you should have a Sign Up box on every page of your site; at the very least, it needs to be on your home page where everyone can see it.
To add a Sign Up tab to your Facebook page, there's a nifty app called Static FBML. It requires handling the HTML form code, so if that's beyond your comfort level, get your Web designer or the neighborhood 12 year old to drop it in.
If you have a WordPress blog on your website, grab the "G-Lock Double Opt-in Manager" plugin to collect sign ups. We use it on the GiftForLife. org website, with success.
Shoot for monthly mailings. More can be annoying; less can be forgettable.
Sign-ups using your newsletter form code will drop directly into your newsletter account. Sign-ups using the WordPress plug-in can be downloaded in spreadsheet form, then easily uploaded to your newsletter account.
STEP 3: GETTING VENDOR PHOTOS
Novice: Email your request to vendors saying "Please send photos of [item] to [your email address] using SendThisFile.com," then call to follow up. After they've uploaded the photos, SendThisFile will send an email link to the images (as opposed to huge attachments that crash software or are rejected by Internet providers). Click on the link to download photos to your computer, free of charge.
Pro: Create an FTP drop box on your server for vendors to upload photo files. Each time you need shots, email your request to the vendor, along with your FTP drop box address and login information. They upload, you download. Simple.
STEP 4: WRITE IT UP
With the design in place, things are easy. Log into the newsletter website, then start typing. Adding photos, changing typefaces, swapping text colors ... cakewalk. You can even write newsletters in advance, then set a timer to send later. The provider will manage your database, track bounces and send alerts when needed. If you hit a question, each offers phone and email support, Monday-Friday.
1. Place your street address, phone number, Web address and email in an obvious spot so it's easy for readers to find you.
2. If you have a website, you have a domain name, which means you have access to email accounts that end in it (and are already paying for them). Emails ending in mass market domains are not professional.
3. Shoot for monthly mailings. More can be annoying; less can be forgettable.
4. Check your campaign results (data about opens, bounces, click-throughs, etc.) every time you do a mailing. That's the only way you'll know what works and what doesn't.
5. Include a brief "From the owner" piece in your newsletters. Speak in your natural voice, talk about what interests you. This personalizes mailings, reminding readers there's a human running the store.
6. Play by the rules. A person giving you their business card or sending an email doesn't grant you the right to include them in bulk mailings. Check the Terms of Use for your newsletter provider to get on safe ground.
Cinda Baxter is a retail coach (Always Upward) and founder of both The 3/50 Projectand RetailSpeaks.com, an online community of independent retailers. She can be reached at get_ info@AlwaysUpward.com.
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