Print Buying Direct

Newsletter mailing lists – Mailing list magic – 16th October 2009

Ask anyone who’s starting a newsletter what was their first step when creating it, and they’ll say that they came up with a name and a design. Of course they did. That’s the fun part. But it isn’t the most crucial step.

The list you mail or e-mail to determine 40% of your success- with success defined as people reading and responding to your message. Distributing your newsletter to the right people involves setting up a good database. It also involves discovering who wants to receive your newsletter, whether or not they are potential buyers and recording this information in a way that’s accurate and, for printed newsletters, takes advantage of postal discounts.

This chapter gives you ideas for who should be on your newsletter mailing list, how to automate your list, how to expand your distribution beyond names you currently have and when to remove names from your list.

Creating your “House” list

Your house list is the one you compile yourself. It includes current customers, members, supporters or prospects, along with suppliers and other people who can influence your sales. This list might be as few as 25, or as many as 25,000, or more.

Customers. The most important names to get on your list are current clients or supporters. Remember that the primary power of newsletters is marketing to current customers. If more than one person influences the decision to support your organisations or purchase your services, include multiple names from the organisation. Because your client base is a dynamic entity, your distribution list should be reviewed frequently, adding new clients, members and prospects, in addition to recoding inactive names.

Prospects. Remember to put only those prospects on the list whom you would want as customers or members. Along with other characteristics, determine the geographical area of your sales territory, and mail only within this area.

In addition to your clients and prospects, you should send you newsletter to several other groups.

Suppliers. Keep your suppliers informed of your progress. Send your newsletter to your accountants, attorneys, bankers and other subcontractors. They may be able to provide you with suggestions on your new products and services. In addition, your supplier’s salespeople are among your best sources for referrals.

Remember in include the vendors who help you with the newsletter. Tell your printer, mailing house, or e-mail service you’ve added them to the list, asking them to evaluate the newsletter’s condition when it arrives. They may spot problems with equipment or suggest changes that improve the newsletter’s chances of making it through the mail or e-mail in good condition.

Employees. Make sure your newsletter is distributed to you employees, especially salespeople, prior to mailing. This avoids the embarrassment of a prospect unfamiliar with the topic. Stress to employees the importance of reading and understanding the articles in the newsletter.

Be sure to add your own name to the list to the press, editors and reporters will know of your company and may remember it when writing articles, related to your industry. Even if you market is local, having your company mentioned by local media helps your relationship with bankers and makes it easier to recruit top people.

Sent your news to influential people in your industry, such as trader journal editors; newsletter writers; and local radio, TV, and newspaper editors. When sending to large newspapers or magazines, make sure you research the name and address of a specific editor who reviews material in your field. If you send a printed newsletter, mail it first-class. The media relies on timely news.

When you send the first issue of your newsletter to the press, include a note telling why the individual has been added to your list. Ask if there are other names to be added to your list.

Non-competing organisation. Non-competing, complementary organisations are those who do well when you do well. Keeping these people informed is good for your business. For example, in the healthcare field, many doctors recommend other specialists. These two medical practices are complementary. Most organisations have complementary partners.

Ask vendors of complementary products if they want to trader lists, or offer to do a co-mailing, create a special issue of your newsletter focusing on their organisation and products, describing how they work with yours.

Community. Distribute your newsletter to community leaders, such as political representatives, professional associations and local market research firms. If applicable, send a copy to every library in your area on a regular basis.

Get other people to send it for you. Some companies are reluctant to release lists of their salespeople, dealers and distributors. However, they may agree to mail or forward your newsletter to these lists fro you. Many organisations have been able to increase their distribution using this approach.

If you offer a service to businesses, consider sending multiple copies to consultants or others who may distribute them to their clients. One publisher sent several copies of an advertising agency newsletter to management consultant. The consultant showed it to the clients he was working with. The agency acquired two stable, £25,000-per-year clients by printing an extra 15 newsletter.

Free lists. If you’re a member of a trade association or Chamber of Commerce, you may be able to get the membership list for free, or you may already have it in a directory.

Newspaper or journal insert. If you find many of your customers in one area, consider inserting your newsletter into the local paper or business journal. Many services business, such as beauty salons, have successfully used this low-cost distribution method.

Links from other web sites. Ask complementary companies if they will link to your newsletter archives from their website. Offer to trade a link back to them.

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For more information on printing and graphic design please see some of our recent blog articles;

• Order your Christmas Cards Online in October and Save £££s
• Newsletter Printing – Using survey results for improved promotions
• The best way to survey how effective your newsletter is…part 2
• The best way to survey how effective your newsletter is…
• Every question has a goal (Newsletter printing)
• How to Conduct Your Survey about your Newsletter
• Newsletter Print and Design – Why the Pros Survey Fewer People
• Newsletters – Pinpointing Reader’s Interests – part 2
• Newsletters – Pinpointing Reader’s Interests – part 1
• Printing – Paper and board – Certified and recycled
• Printing – Paper and board – Pricing and availability
• Printing – Paper and Board
• Print Finishing
• Digital Presses
• Digital Printing
• Offset Printing
• Print Production Management
• How to create a marketing plan incorporating promotional newsletters
• All you need to know about Digital Printing
• The Future of Printing
• Print Finishing
• Variable Data Printing
• ISO 12647 and Colour Management in Printing
• Pre-press – In Flight, Pre-Flight and Post-Flight
• Print, Paper and Recycling
• Design of the times – (Article reproduced from Printing World February 2009)
• Pre-press – 20 years of change
• Transactional and Direct Mail
• 7 Guidelines For Good Newsletter Printing
• Graphic Design
• Printing – Where in the world are we?
• Improving Your Response Rates to Leaflets, Flyers and Brochures
• HINTS & TIPS…The sales letter
• The History of Printing
• 10 Tips for Creatives in a Digital World
• Eight Easy Ways to Improve Digital Print Sales to Creative and Design Agencies
• Transactional and Variable data printing
• PUR or EVA? That is the question
• What you need to know about…… Perfect Binding
• What’s the point of Recycling Paper and Board?

Print Buying Direct is a Trading Name of The Printing House Ltd. One of the UK’s leading quality printing companies for short run, long run and large format colour printing. Based in Crewe, Cheshire and delivering to customers across the UK and Ireland.

Also see our other websites

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Tags: Christmas card Printing, Newsletter Design, Newsletter printing, printed newsletters

This entry was posted on Friday, October 16th, 2009 at 7:55 am and is filed under Christmas Cards, News, Newsletters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.