The plan does not have to be as long as War And Peace, but it must include a few key elements so that you can develop a focused, targeted, measurable program that gets results. At a minimum, here are elements that I recommend:

• Objectives

• Audience Definition

• Key Messages

• Format

• Tactics

• Timeline

• Budget

• Measurement

First, determine what is it that you want e-mail program to achieve from marketing and communications perspectives. Is this a newsletter designed for relationship management purposes, or is it a sales-oriented vehicle? Are you trying to build awareness, generate leads, increase web traffic, encourage loyalty, or close sales?

Next, you need to define audiences. Who are you trying to reach? What do you know about them from demographic and psychographic perspectives? Are you addressing multiple audiences? If so, do you need to segment your audiences and develop e-mails with different messages? How will each audience profit from our communications.

Now, what is it you want to say to each audience? What’s nature of content? Will this include just editorial information or will it also contain some sales-oriented material?

A great way to disseminate content online is via an email course. Better still is WAY you can distribute information.

Email courses allow you to split up your information into easily readable chunks. Each email needs to be only about 6 to 10 paragraphs long.

For example, lets assume your content is “7 Tips for Getting Published Online”. With an email course, you can provide a 7 part series with a different tip in each part. This email course could go out to your subscribers every other day so they receive it over a period of 2 weeks.

You want to make sure your email course is free so do not give away everything you have to offer. Just provide some important information which will lead potential buyers to look at what else you have to offer. You want to give them a taste of what they can get.