E-Newsletters:  To E-Blast or Not To E-Blast

You know all those newsletters that clog up your email's inbox? You know, the ones that always look the same, but with new content that you only care about some of the time. Have you ever wondered why those are sent out? Have you ever wondered what happens as a result of an organization sending a message to five hundred people? The answer is simple: to remind people why they were interested in your organization in the first place, and why they may still be interested in you now.

So, do e-newsletters work? Should you be sending e-newsletters? Will people even read them? Depending on your industry, and e-newsletter can be extremely helpful in promoting whatever it is that you do. How will you know if people are opening your newsletter? The term "Open Rate" is used to identify how many of your recipients opened your newsletter. It is usually calculated by the number of people who opened your newsletter divided by the number of people it went out to.

There is no standard for determining an average open rate, but it''s generally between twenty to forty percent, depending on your industry. If you're selling insurance, the likelihood of you having a high open rate is about as likely as a rat falling out of the sky and handing you a twenty dollar bill. However, if you're selling art, your likelihood of having a high open rate can be as likely as a democrat winning the 2012 presidential election (we don't have any political bias, we're saying that could be 50%).

Our friend and client, Brad Smith, owner and artist at Brad Smith Gallery, has an open rate of over fifty percent! Why? He has selected a group of recipients that comprise of friends, prominent art collectors, and past buyers. Basically, Brad only sends his e-newsletters to people who might be interested in either seeing his new art, or even buying new art. He tends to sell one large painting as a direct result of his newsletter. Check out his art here: Brad Smith Gallery

His artwork is beautiful, and people generally enjoy viewing new art (especially if they already like the artist and don't have to leave the comfort of their home to see it). So, how can you determine if you should take Brad's route, and start sending out newsletters? First, identify your demographic. Are you selling something people: need, want, or don't want? If you're selling health, religion, or education, most people need you and it is probably in your best interest to inform your customer base as many of them will definitely be interested. If you're something more like travel, real estate, or technology, you fall under the "want" category, and an e-newsletter could be the perfect way to entice people into your trap of buying what they don't need.

However, if you are selling e-commerce, marketing, or, as earlier stated, insurance, then an e-newsletter is probably not for you, as you can very well be passed over by everyone you send to while they think you are spamming them. Once you've determined that you want to send an e-newsletter, you only have to decide how you want to go about doing it. If you know how to write HTML, you are in business immediately. About eighty percent of e-newsletters are created using HTML code, which can be pasted into the online programs, which will send your newsletter to a list of recipients created by you on the website. This is ideal; although, if you are like most people and don't know how to write HTML, you have two more options.

Your second option is to use a template that is built into one of the online programs. You simply drop in the photos you want, and drop in the text. The upside is that they are very easy to use. The downside is that since they are pre-made, they are not very likely to stand out, and you may end up losing a lot of your intrigue because of it. Finally, your final option is outsource. Hire an online marketing team like Xynergy®.

We would be happy to help you design your perfect e-newsletter, and give you several more tips on how to make sure that your open rate is as high as possible. It's all about finding the best way to market yourself. For more info, Click Here, or give us a call today: (505) 820-9357.