After reading my friend Chauntelle Rakebrandt’s post about the Top 5 Benefits of eNewsletter Campaigns, I wanted to follow up with the Top 5 Dos for eNewsletters. This list is by no means complete but if you can follow these 5 key rules you will get more opt ins, get read more and ultimately your eNewsletter will become so much more valuable.

So what are the Top 5 To Dos for eNewsletters?

1. Make sure that you are giving value for opting in

I think one of the biggest mistakes when it comes to opting in off a website for a newsletter is making the opt in a simple sign up to a newsletter. Unfortunately so many people get so many eNewsletters these days that if you simply have a sign up for a newsletter opt in form quite a bit of the time you are not giving enough value for that potential lead to put their details in the opt in form. The best way to counteract this is to come up with a free report, free training, free trial etc, which gives the lead enough perceived value that they are happy to part with the information to receive that free product.

2. Set up an auto responder

Chauntelle listed some great eNewsletter management services and depending on which one you choose what you can do with this software is very cool indeed, in other words definitely check these out! One such thing is an autoresponder, which is basically a series of e-mails that go out to your prospect over a period of time which you set, in other words you can have 50 e-mails set up to go to your prospect over the next 12 months. Can you imagine the potential right there? That’s right! Use those e-mails to further develop a strong relationship, add value to the relationship and introduce new products that you have, or maybe affiliate products.

3. Use hardcopy newsletters where possible

What? Newsletters that you have to actually print out and send to people in the mail I hear you ask. Well, yes that’s exactly what I mean! So few companies actually spend the time to send out newsletters to their customers these days, that you have such an advantage over your competitors here. Sure it costs more, but you will certainly reap the rewards because your open rate will be 100% and the number of people that read it will be very high as well.

4. Value, Value, Value

Through your newsletter you need to provide plenty of value, otherwise why would someone read it. Whenever I put together an eNewsletter I always make sure that I have at least one original article about something that interests my target audience. I always make sure that I recognise my top referers, have special deals for new or existing clients. In other words use your newsletter as your place to show your audience how much you know but also how much you care about them.

5. Be consistent

It can be incredibly difficult to quantify the benefits of sending out a newsletter and how that actually relates to your bottom line. The thing to remember is that your newsletter is all about continuing to build and develop the relationship you have with your clients and that takes consistency. Its very easy to put off creating a newsletter from time to time, hey i’ve certainly been there and done that! Make sure you set your newsletter production time line and stick to it. You’ll be amazed how much you can grow your business just from doing that!

For more information on internet marketing or business tips from Mark why not check out his blog at markblomeley.com.