Ask the Expert: Dos and don'ts of email newsletters

Jeremy from California
 

Being in the business of providing value content, I get this question often and also survey my clients in this regard. My first point actually is from the perspective of a bigger picture. You should not be considering sending the newsletter to previous clients only. They should go to your entire sphere --- from referral sources to personal contacts and more. If the newsletter is not appropriate for a consumer, an accountant, a Realtor and more, perhaps you could send more than one, but it would be best not to make it that complicated. That is why I have never been in favor of newsletters that have recipes and handy homeowner hints. First, would you send them to a CPA? Second, do they depict you as an expert?
 
The second issue is whether you are emailing or mailing the newsletters. Obviously, mailing is more expensive and takes more time. That is why we provide print newsletters monthly, but some of our clients send quarterly. Remember, you can mail to those who opt out of emails. If you are emailing you have the ability to send quickly and cheaply on a weekly basis. But I would do this only if the newsletter contains up-to-date and valuable information. And while we provide weekly newsletters, we also provide other material such as sales articles for real estate agents and other referral sources. Sending sales articles to referral sources monthly might cause you to send the other newsletter three times per month instead of four. As you can see, there are several variables. On the other side of the coin, I have some clients that "break up" the newsletters into small tidbits two times per week.