March 2009

Transform your marketing

A common way to keep in touch with clients is an e-zine or e-letter.  These can be simple communications sent on a regular basis to your client and prospect list.  In the past these were printed and mailed, but today email delivery is common – also, easier and cheaper.

Obvious advantages of your own e-letter:

• Keep in regular contact with clients and leads
• A subtle (or should be) way to promote your services
• Positioning yourself as an expert or authority
• Inexpensive to produce and distribute
• Potential lead generation
• Sales of products, such as a book or subscription e-letter

There are disadvantages as well:

• Requires time and effort to create
• Need to grow readership – not only list building, but click-throughs
• May be slow to produce tangible results

Simply put, developing an e-letter is a major commitment, but it can be an effective way to maintain regular contact with your clients and develop new consulting opportunities.  After all, many potential clients will need your services only on occasion, so it can be a great way to remind them of you between engagements.  Properly done, you will develop trust and credibility by providing information relevant to your clients.

If you think this may work for you, consider the following guidelines:

• Publish on a regular schedule, at least monthly
• Create a subject list in advance to make sure you have enough to say
• Use a simple format.  This is not a design exercise; unless, of course, design is your service
• Create a free report or white paper to encourage sign-ups
• Don’t be obviously self serving – always provide valuable information
• Consider using an auto-responder, to capture and maintain your list.  This will give your new readers opt-in and opt-out choices.
• Choose a name consistent with your identity or practice name
• Use interesting subject lines to increase readership
• Edit your content, use “spelling and grammar” checks and get objective proofing, if possible

The biggest advantage of your own e-letter is your ability to regularly show up in your client’s inbox, deliver value and be a reminder of your services.  This is professional service marketing at its best – impressing potential clients with your capabilities, cheap and recurring contact without the impression you are begging for work, and creating a bond over time.