Word on the Web (Newsletters) Page 2

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Used well, a newsletter can create a sense of community for website visitors, which contradicts the impersonal distance of the Internet. If they feel involved, they will keep coming back. (CONTINUED ... To return to Page 1 click here.)

Words on the Web
2. Newsletters (PAGE 2)

Email campaigns perform better than direct snail-mail and, with no postage to pay, are even more cost-effective. But a website newsletter is not unsolicited mail. Newsletter mailing lists are 'opt-in' (or they should be) so a high proportion of readers are on the list because they chose to be. This is a ready-made audience that deserves the respect. It is not respectful to bombard them with trivia several times a week. There are examples where daily news may be welcome, but the majority of website newsletters need pacing less frequently (if you overdo it your former readers may be dump you in their 'Blocked Senders' list). On the other hand, if you space your mailings too far apart, your readers will forget you. Monthly or bi-monthly is probably about right for most sites. Strike a happy balance that maintains the community and promotes your site effectively, but and avoids becoming 'spam'.

Publishable material
When you have identified your audience, built a mailing list and determined your publishing programme, it is time to construct your newsletter. It may not be long before you encounter the problem of finding material to publish. Friends, readers and business colleagues may wish you well, but few will become reliable sources of information. However they are published, that is a problem for most newsletters and the classic solution is to keep a 'bin' for every potential snippet. Walk the world with open eyes, scanning for potentially publishable material. Above all, look for news stories from your clients and, perhaps give them scope to promote their services through your newsletter. Stories have broader appeal than unvarnished facts. Changes and additions to your website, products and services provide your primary news items but, if that's all you say, your newsletter will be just a bare-faced advert. The interest you build by publishing your collected 'snippets' is what softens your message and turns your mailing into a good read.

Fast-paced language
Now start writing. Select enough material to fill one page, or two at the most. Headline your paragraphs and provide a table of links, in addition to any hyperlinks you may place within the text. Use fast-paced language and be descriptive, but edit out unnecessary words. Novelists can indulge in slow-paced writing to suit readers who are curled up on the settee. Newsletter writers need to use words economically, conveying the maximum impact in the briefest reading time - especially when the publication is to be read on screen. Writing compact copy is a lot harder than it looks - which may be why many well-intentioned newsletter schedules run into the buffers.

Challenge
Frequent, loyal visitors, masses of interest, regular, growing sales; these are desirable objectives, which your newsletter can help to achieve. Are you ready for the challenge?

Words on the Web 2. Newsletters (PAGE 2)

Words on the Web
2. Newsletters (PAGE 2)