Why small businesses should start sending email newsletters

“I don’t want to annoy people.”

That’s one of many excuses I hear from clients when I ask them about sending out consistent email newsletters to their followers.  

Are you guilty of thinking this way too? Well, stop it!

When someone comes to your website and enters their name and email address to sign up for your newsletter, they are literally putting their hand up and saying, “yes, I want to hear more from you!”

You are actually doing them a disservice by not keeping that relationship going with them.  

Sending consistent email newsletters to your followers gives you the ability to develop a “Know, Like and Trust” relationship with them that will dramatically increase your brand visibility and market reach.  

Yet many business owners and entrepreneurs pass up this golden opportunity to build relationships and increase sales. Are you one of them?

Let’s say you are a nutrition coach and offer valuable services on helping women balance their hormones, lose weight or simply have a better quality of life. A regular newsletter is a prime opportunity for you to keep in touch with your followers until they are ready to make that move and work with you.

As you know, people buy from people they trust, and a newsletter is a perfect way to develop the trust needed to take that next step with you.

So if you don’t already send out a weekly newsletter, here are five compelling reasons every business should start one now:

1. Tells customers what you do.

No one wants to be sold to, but everyone wants to buy if what is being offered meets their needs.  Writing a regular newsletter gives you an opportunity to educate potential customers about your offerings and more importantly, share your expertise so that they can get to know, like and trust you over time.  

Sending quality, value-filled articles allows you to talk about the challenges your clients face and share your expert advice that will help them. When your followers truly understand what you do and that you understand their struggles, they are much more likely to click and buy your products and services.

Email newsletters can help your business establish a relationship with your customers. (Source)

2. Builds relationships and trust.

When you first connect with a new prospective client, it takes time to build a relationship and email is a direct, personal and casual way to connect.  Reaching out regularly with an email newsletter gives you the opportunity to build a one-on-one relationship with potential customers. As they develop trust in your brand, they are more likely to buy and spread the word about what you do.

3. Expands your market coverage.

When you mail a newsletter to your list, not only does it go to their inbox, but your newsletter can also be leveraged in multiple ways for your business.  It’s a genius way to instantly expand your visibility on multiple channels and reach new prospects through content marketing.

For instance, you can publish the article on your blog and post links to the article on social media and various article directories. Moreover, posting the article on your website can also drive organic search engine traffic to your website and boost your search engine rankings.

4. Creates a 24/7 sales force on your behalf.

In addition to sending your newsletter on a weekly basis, you can also setup autoresponders with a series of emails through your newsletter service provider as follow-ups to the free giveaway that first got them into your list. 

Imagine having an automated messaging system that sends helpful tips to your target market!  Best of all, you can automate the process using services like aWeber, Constant Contact, MailChimp or even 1ShoppingCart.

5. Develops a “ready-to-buy” market list.

When you take the time to nurture a relationship with your subscribers, your mailing list becomes the perfect means to announce new products and services you are launching. 

Now when you create a new service, product, or have a special promotion, you’ll have a group of eager-to-buy prospects that are excited to hear what you have to offer.

So what are you waiting for?

Hands down, email marketing and sending out consistent newsletters is one of the most effective marketing tools for your business. If you are busy, delegate this task to a professional marketing team who can take care of the writing, marketing, and technical aspects needed.   

I invite you to take the plunge, start a newsletter, and watch your sales and brand visibility grow!

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DISCLAIMER: This article expresses my own ideas and opinions. Any information I have shared are from sources that I believe to be reliable and accurate. I did not receive any financial compensation for writing this post, nor do I own any shares in any company I’ve mentioned. I encourage any reader to do their own diligent research first before making any investment decisions.