An effective e-newsletter can help you stay top of mind with clients and centres of influence. It can also persuade prospects to work with you.
Even the most suitable prospects may not be ready to do business with you right away, says Sara Gilbert, founder of Montreal-based Strategist. An e-newsletter reminds prospects about you, introduces new services to clients and positions you as a resource within your professional network.
Follow these tips to develop a successful e-newsletter:
> Stick to the plan
For a newsletter program to work, Gilbert says, you must be committed.
“Once you start to do a newsletter, you have to continue,” she says. “You can’t just do two issues and then drop it.”
The frequency at which you send out the newsletter must also be consistent, she adds. A newsletter can’t be ad hoc; if you want it to be monthly, send it out every month, not whenever you get around to it.
> Choose compelling topics
Look for subjects your clients want to read bout.
Articles on the latest economic news are not necessarily going to attract your audience, Gilbert says. Instead, your content should add value for your clients and prospects, such as an article on passing a cottage on to family members.
As well, Gilbert says, decide whether you will write your own content. Writing original articles is a time-consuming process that may not be the best use of your energy. So, it may be best to delegate that task to a team member, or outsource it to a freelancer writer. Alternatively, you might summarize two or three published financial articles, first acquiring permission from the owner of the copyright and giving credit to the author and publication.
> Give some space
Use white space in the e-newsletter design to make it easier to read.
When a newsletter is crowded with text, people interpret it as complicated and difficult, Gilbert says. They will hit “delete” instead of reading.
Leave plenty of space on the newsletter page between articles and graphics.
> Lose the jargon
Be careful not to overwhelm clients and prospects with complicated ideas and industry buzzwords.
The language in your e-newsletter articles should be straightforward, consumer friendly and adapted to your readership, says Gilbert. Avoid using overly complicated ideas or technical-sounding terms. If you must use a technical term or concept, link it to a site such as Investopedia (investopedia.com), where your readers can learn more about it.
> Create a video
Add a little more content — and flair — to the e-newsletter with a video.
“You can pass a lot more information through a video than through writing,” says Gilbert.
A simple, short video of you discussing a financial planning issue can attract attention.
As with an article, make sure the video is clear and easy for the viewer to understand.
This is the first of a two-part series on e-newsletters. Tomorrow: Getting it out there and getting it read.
IE