• What articles drive e-newsletter results?
• Ten Point Newsletter Check List.
• Driving Results - The Dorn Group Case Study.

What articles drive e-newsletter results?
Grab people's attention. Keep them focused. Wrap promotional messages around trends, tips, information and/or how-to's. Brand Loyalty and Products Sales are not enough. The newsletter has to have value if you want results.

Keep it simple. Write short and to the point articles. Three to four well constructed, information rich sentences will get the job done.

• Highlight sales and clearance items
• Offer demos
• Include testimonials
• Feature tips to increase sales and productivity
• Add what works for your industry
• Use your imagination as the options are endless

Tested and Proven. Using this philosophy, one of our clients increased website traffic by 100%, and another got more responses from one issue than they had seen in the entire previous 5 years. Elevate your company to your client's first stop in their quest for solutions.

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Ten points to consider when developing your newsletter
Have your next email stand out. Don't let it get lost in the spam clutter. While everyone complains about getting too much e-mail, they are thrilled when they get an information rich email. Use these ten points to ensure your newsletter is seen as a golden nugget.

1. Offer Solutions. Work around hard sells. Clients will call you instead of you calling them.
2. Be Brief. Client's time is valuable. Don't clutter it with useless information.
3. Develop a Plan. You will be amazed at how easy the process is when you plan it out over a year.
4. Have Themed Newsletters. Repetition is memorable.
5. Keep it Permission Based. It is very Important. Don't send to those you do not have a business relationship with or non-business related people who have not given you permission to email them. Give the recipient the chance to opt out of receiving it.
6. Be Consistent. Send it from the same email address. Have the subject line be to the point, less than 40 characters and include your company name. With a quick scan, people will know it is from you.
7. Use a Delivery Schedule. People will anticipate your email and will be more apt to open it.
8. Keep it simple. Your newsletter is your image. It may be the only contact you have with some potential clients. Include your phone number. Include your physical address, contact information and opt out information at the bottom of the email (the anti spam act requires this).
9. Have Highlights. Sales items, new items, hot items, 10 tips or whatever else will drive people to your website.
10. Use a Soft Sell. Newsletters should be treated as Soft Sales. Give people information that helps them and 'Oh By The Way' we do that.

Follow these steps and your newsletter will be a successful addition to your company's marketing portfolio.

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Driving Results -The Dorn Group Case Study.

Background
The Dorn Group, Ltd. is a full-service hospitality consulting firm focused on providing strategic planning and operations management for hotels, restaurants, private clubs and the entire hospitality industry. Charles Dorn, the founder, had over thirty years of experience and contacts in the hospitality field. They recently launched their website www.thedorngroup.com and were beginning their Internet Marketing Campaign.

Project
The Dorn Group, Ltd. was looking for an easy to use newsletter solution that would be easy on the budget and resources while keeping them in touch with their clientele and prospective clients.

Solution
A newsletter program was identified that would meet their needs, would be easy to use, and give them the ability to maintain their newsletter list and track results.

Talbot Services Newsletter program was installed on the website.

A newsletter template was developed that was consistent with the company's image.

An e-mail address list was created and reviewed for accuracy and duplication. To better subdivide the list for future mailings, it was organized by categories such as clients, prospective clients, affiliates and such. Once all information was confirmed and organized, it was loaded into the tool.

Articles were created, loaded to the web site and then added to the newsletter. The Dorn Group focused on articles that would keep readers' interest, drive them to the web site and spur email responses back to The Dorn Group. Articles were kept informational and not sales oriented.

Eye catching article summaries were created to pique reader curiosity; thereby, enticing people to click through to the web site so that they could read the whole article. After the articles and newsletter were proofed, adjusted and tested, the email was sent.

Results
The newsletter's performance was outstanding. The open rate was 52% compared to the industry average of 35%. The link or click through rate was 54% compared to the industry standard of about 5%. Responses for readers were overwhelming, resulting in lunch dates and meetings to review projects and opportunities.

Traffic to the company website doubled during the time of the newsletter and maintained a 50% increase after the newsletter was sent out.

See The Dorn Group Newsletters >>