• By michelle
• In Copywriting

Evidence That Shows You Need an Electronic Newsletter

Have you ever considered starting an electronic newsletter but had no clue what you would even write about? This is a common issue that many small business owners face. In fact, one of our long-term clients, Drexel Hill Painting, felt this exact way before starting their newsletter.

Drexel Hill Painting is a metro-area Charleston, South Carolina, professional painting contractor specializing in custom exterior and interior painting of homes and businesses. Owner Bob Boselowitz came to me looking for a way to touch past clients and prospective ones. When I suggested a newsletter, he was a little surprised and weary of the idea.

“I assumed that my customers would have no interest in reading about what we do. But, Michelle developed a plan and we put our newsletter in motion,” says Bob.

After the newsletter was launched, Bob quickly realized that by simply reconnecting with past clients through his electronic newsletter he had increased his business and inquiries.

“I was very surprised by the results,” says Bob. “Customers that I had not spoken to in years called or sent an email saying hello and many also asked us to bid on a variety of projects. Each month, we get feedback from our newsletter and new projects.  All of these amazing results came about, just because we stayed in touch. While I think that the mere contact was helpful, I also believe that the professional writing and content of the articles are what really make a difference.”

So if this little story of success has inspired you to start a newsletter, here are a few words of wisdom to get you started:

1. Decide the purpose of your newsletter. What do you want to share with past and prospective clients? Drexel Hill Painting’s newsletters, for example, offers readers tips on maintaining the interior and exterior of their home. So what tips can you offer that relate to your service or product?

2. Create a schedule and stick with it. Decide how often you want to send out a newsletter, and choose the dates that you will regularly send it out. I’ve found that a biweekly or monthly newsletter is best. Sometimes when you send out a weekly newsletter, receivers become frustrated and would rather drop from your list than receive a newsletter each week. The key is to stay in front of past and prospective customers—not annoy them.

3. Utilize a great call to action on each newsletter. The purpose of your newsletter is to inspire readers to take some sort of action—whether that action is to call you, email you, or visit your website. Make sure that at the end of each newsletter, there are links to your social media pages, website, and blog, and that you have all the necessary contact information in an obvious location on your newsletter. Also be sure to tell readers what step they need to take next, such as “Visit our website to learn more about X.” Or “Call us today to Y.”

Want more tips about creating your very own newsletter? Subscribe to our newsletter, Sumer’s Secrets.

Interested in discovering effective home improvement tips? Sign up for Drexel Hill Painting’s newsletter by visiting their homepage and scrolling down to the bottom of the page.