Newsletters – should your business have one?

Creating your own mailing list is a non negotiable for any business. However, many small businesses and VAs struggle to understand what to do once they have captured a name and email address. We are constantly told to build a relationship with our subscribers, but what does that actually involve? More importantly, should that relationship building include a traditional newsletter?

Building the relationship through email marketing

When it comes to building a relationship with your mailing list, it is quite simple. Give them what they want. You are providing a service now called email marketing, and like any service, it must provide value. Consider why they signed up. What do they need help with? What can you offer to support them?

Part of building a relationship is knowing when to back off and when to lead. The only time you should be pushing hard is during a launch. The rest of your time should be spent sending a mixture of helpful, informative, and useful content. Whether that involves articles, links to your blog posts, recommended resources, or affiliate products is up to you.

Should you send a newsletter?

A newsletter can include a summary of your month and new products you are developing, but this only works if you have consistent content to share.

If you have that content, create a template in your email service provider account, add a few images, and get to work. Ensure your promotional elements stay at roughly 10 percent of the total content. The remaining 90 percent must be informative. It is also vital to have only one clear call to action, such as booking a discovery call or purchasing a specific product.

If you do not have that kind of content or it does not fit your style, focus your efforts on blog writing. You can then share information about your services and updates via your blog content instead.

What to include in your email marketing

You can add a wide variety of items to a newsletter or regular email update, including:

• Personal updates and what you have been up to that month.

• Current projects and what you are working on.

• Links to your latest blog posts.

• Feature articles or monthly roundups.

• Competitions, promotions, and discounts.

• Information regarding your latest launch or the VA Momentum Course.

I suggest creating a template in your account. This saves time and ensures branding continuity. If you are unsure whether your list wants a newsletter, ask them. Send a brief email or set up a survey to find out what information they actually want to see.

How do you feel about your email marketing strategy? Is a newsletter something you already do or are considering? Perhaps you prefer a different approach? Share your thoughts in the comments below.