Having your own opt-in, permission based electronic newsletter might just be answer. It is one of most effective marketing tools you can use and it is fast, personal and inexpensive.

Many businesses use email newsletters to introduce themselves to new customers and to maintain contact with existing and past clients. By sending useful and relevant information on a consistent, regular basis, you maintain constant contact without risk of irritating and alienating your customers. Your email newsletter will also enhance your credibility and increase sales.

The following article offers advice on how to produce your own newsletter. For more detailed information on how to establish credibility and build online relationships, download our guide “Building Online Relationships” here: http://www.enable-uk.co.uk/html/book_4.html

Producing your newsletter doesn’t have to be a daunting task. The first thing you need to decide upon is frequency of publication. This is could be based on how much time you can devote to writing each month or possibly frequency of new offers or products you would like to extend to your potential customers. A frequency of bi-monthly to monthly has been shown to achieve best results and will probably be a comfortable pace for both you and your readers.

Next you will need to decide upon a format for your newsletter. You can use a graphical format that will allow accurate tracking of open rates, links visited, etc or a text only version that offers a higher level of deliverability. Both have their advantages and disadvantages and a more in-depth look at these can be found in our guide: “Building Online Relationships” which can found here: http://www.enable-uk.co.uk/html/book_4.html

If you wish to proceed with a graphical design you will next need to produce a template design for your layout. Many email list management companies provide online templates for their customers and with many you can also upload your own template. Once this is set up you simply type or paste in your text information online, and an HTML newsletter is automatically created for you.

Now it’s time for content of your newsletter. Concentrate on topics that your readers will be interested in and offers or product announcements that are appropriate to them.

For example, I once bought some printer ink from an online retailer that offered me opportunity to sign up for their special offers newsletter. Every month, regular as clockwork, I receive latest special offers via email. These offers not only include ink, but also other stationary items that may be appropriate. It always prompts me to check my ink supplies, along with my stocks of stationary and a whole range of other similar items before deleting it. If I didn't get that e-mail from them, I would have probably bought next batch of ink cartridges from whoever came up in an online search. And as it saves me time and because keeping these things all in one place is easier for me, they also now get my orders for stationary items as well.

Your newsletter could be product offerings and special offers mixed in with useful product reviews, or it may be a recap of what's going on in your industry or tips useful to your customers. If you aren't a writer there are often articles available for reprint in most industries. Most of these are available to use free of charge providing that you include a short bio and link back to writer’s web site. Make sure content you use has relevant value to your readers and is not just a topic that interests you. Once written, make sure you archive newsletter on your web site for additional content and make archives available for browsing. This will also improve your search engine rankings as content will be highly relevant and targeted to your customers. Having an archive will also encourage new subscribers as they find you through your articles.

Most web hosts have some mailing list capability, or you can compose and mail your newsletter in Outlook. If you intent to build a sizable list it is often best to use one of many third-party mailing services, these also take care of opting in/out process and make sure you adhere to all legal requirements.

I would recommend Vertical Response whom we have used for several years to manage our lists. They can be found here: http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=EavljUFQjXk&offerid=52409.10000007&type=1&subid=0

Top Tips for successful email newsletter campaigns: Getting Subscribers: ·Do not purchase, trade or borrow an email list Sending email to people who have not specifically requested to receive your mailings (opting in) is almost always regarded as spam. You will succeed only in alienating your potential customers.

If a visitor comes to your web site looking for information and doesn't sign up to receive your e-mails, you have missed an opportunity to turn that browser into a customer. This month we will be concentrating on how to build your subscriber list using tips and techniques below. Increasing your newsletter subscription list with new subscribers will therefore increase your potential new customer database.

More detailed information about how to establish yourself and your business as an expert in your field, including how to set up and maintain an electronic newsletter, can be found in our downloadable guide “Building Online Relationships” which can be found here: http://www.enable-uk.co.uk/html/book_4.html

If you would like help with how to write content for your newsletter, why not read last months article on “Newsletters – Keeping Your Customers Informed” which can be found in our newsletter archives here: http://www.enable-uk.co.uk/html/internet_marketing_newsletter_.html

For more detailed information on how to write an effective sales proposition you need a copy of our guide “Writing Text That Sells” available for download here: http://www.enable-uk.co.uk/html/book_3.html

1. Streamline subscriber registration. Streamline sign up process by asking for as little information upfront as possible. You can always give customers an incentive to provide more information after they have experienced your newsletter. A simple sign up box that requests only an email address works best as it’s quick and not off putting to potential subscribers who often have perception that companies are just trying to extract personal information from them.

For a simple sign up process, I would recommend Vertical Response whom we have used for several years to manage our lists. They can be found here: http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=EavljUFQjXk&offerid=52409.10000007&type=1&subid=0

2. Giveaways. Put together a genuinely useful giveaway item that you know your audience wants and needs. For instance, you could give away discount vouchers for your products or services or you could offer a free downloadable report or guide related to products or services you offer. Downloadable information products like these work very well for most businesses, as once written, delivery costs are minimal. The practical freebie really works for your potential customers too, provided that it is relevant and useful to them. 3. Put a subscribe box on every page of site. If possible add a simple sign up box in top left hand corner of every page of your web site, as that's where eye naturally travels first. Don't bury registration form on a page deep within your site and make it is as obvious and easy as possible for your potential customers to see it and sign up. Don’t forget to mention giveaway you are offering here too.