I’ve just received an email newsletter from an accounting firm that is notable by how bad it is. To give you an idea, the subject line is “Newsletter” and the from field is “Clients”. The saluatation was “Hi Everyone!” – he doesn’t know my name! Are you starting to get the idea now?

The first article in the newsletter was LAQC’s (Loss Attributing Qualifying Companies), which is something I’m not interested in at all. The second item of news was a forth-coming seminar about ACC levies – mildly interesting, but not much to make me do too much about it.

Ok, let’s talk straight. Email newsletters are not a very well understood part of the online marketing equation. That’s the reason why many businesses won’t integrate them as part of their marketing strategy. But the fact is email marketing can be a very effective form of communication and marketing. Where it fails to achieve its objective is where it’s lacks direction and specificity.

I bet the reason why you junk a lot of your email right now is because you are not interested in it. However, I bet, if there is an interesting subject line, you’ll at least open it. And, if that subject is continued further, there’s a fair chance you’ll read it.

It’s all about interest – my interest as a reader. You give me something to read that I’m interested in now,  offers me a benefit, or saves me from some real or perceived pain, I’m going to read it.

So, rather than sending out one dull and bland email, it would well be a better idea to send out two relevant emails to two targeted lists.

In this case how could this company immediately improved its newsletter?

First, by sending out two newsletters. The first newsletter would have been sent to people who have an LAQC. the subject line for this could have been, “How to prepare for law changes for your LAQC”. The second newsletter should have been sent to business owners responsible for paying ACC levies. A possible subject line for this newsletter might be, “Changes to ACC levies that might cost you dearly” (if that is what it was all about!).

Email marketing is a very effective form of communication and making targeted offers to your customers and prospects. messageMaker is a very effective email marketing application that’s both simple to use and track your marketing campaign results.