I presented this persuasive speech at my Toastmasters club on June 2, 2010. The call to action was to persuade my fellow Toastmasters to sign up for my newsletter, Write From the Heart.
What is the primary goal of marketing? To catch the attention of buyers and make sales. I also think it’s to communicate with your audience in an authentic, genuine way. Madam Chair, Fellow Toastmasters, and Honoured Guests, today I’m going to share with you the reasons why I believe newsletters are the most effective marketing tactic available to businesses and organizations.
Does your business or organization have a newsletter? Why not? E-mail newsletters are the most effective marketing tool you can use. Don’t believe me? The DMA (Direct Marketing Association) says that e-mail marketing generated an ROI (Return On Investment) of $43.62 for every dollar spent on it in 2009. Much more than other channels like print catalogues.
Furthermore, e-mail and newsletter marketing are considered the second-most effective tool for generating conversions, just behind SEO (Search Engine Optimization) according to the Ad Effectiveness Survey commissioned by Forbes Media in Feb/March 2009.
Why do I believe every company needs an e-mail newsletter? First of all, it complements your website. You need to have a consistent brand to get noticed today. There are so many messages clamoring for our attention that it is easy to get lost in the chaos. Having a consistent look to your marketing materials and getting in front of your audience regularly helps your message to get through to the people who need it the most. Think of the newsletters that you read regularly. They are obviously cutting through the clutter to get to you, right?
Secondly, e-mail newsletters encourage word of mouth advertising. All of them include a link at the bottom so that you can forward the newsletter to a friend or colleague. A new audience will be exposed to your company’s products and services – without you having to actively seek them out. Acquiring new customers can cost five times more than satisfying and retaining current customers (Alan E. Webber, “B2B Customer Experience Priorities In An Economic Downturn: Key Customer Usability Initiatives In A Soft Economy,” Forrester Research, February 19, 2008)
Thirdly, you already have a captive audience in your subscribers to market to. Your subscribers are already interested in your products and services or they wouldn’t subscribe. Industry statistics state that repeat customers spend on average 67% more. Having a newsletter is like catching goldfish in a fishbowl.
Why am I so passionate about newsletters? Because I create them for my clients. I have seen first hand how effective a newsletter can be to a business. I have a client who has steadily grown her subscriber list from 136 to 170 over the last six months. That may not seem like a lot but upon examining her statistics, she has a strong list of responsive subscribers. All of her statistics are well above industry average. And, as she told me recently, business is booming! I am blessed with the privilege of helping my client reach her audience with truth, passion, and integrity.
I would also like to take this opportunity to announce that I am publishing my own newsletter for Heart’s Write. My business has been evolving over the past few months towards online copywritng. I’m fascinated by the Internet and love the challenge of writing for blogs, websites, and social media.
Having an e-newsletter is a critical part of my marketing plan. I invite you to visit my website (which is listed on my business card) and sign up for my free newsletter, Write from the Heart. I’ll be sharing tips on creating effective newsletters for your company plus some really great resources I’ve found in my travels on the web.
I’m embarking on the wonderful journey of publishing. Come join me!
