Is A Company Newsletter Right For You?

By Leza Raffel, The Communication Solutions Group, Inc.

Have you been searching for a creative way to keep your customers and prospects abreast of your company's new services, changes in prices or recent success stories? If so, a newsletter might just be the ideal marketing tool for your business. Even the smallest company can level the playing field between itself and its larger competitors through an informative, professionally-designed newsletter.

If you have been toying with the idea of launching a newsletter for your business, the answers to the following questions may be helpful:

What Makes A Newsletter Different Than A Brochure?

Since newsletters are published more frequently than one reproduces a company brochure, they are ideal for promoting information that may change throughout the year such as seasonal specials, upcoming seminars being offered by your company, or advice relevant to a certain time of year (e.g. end-of-the-year tax planning tips).

While brochures offer a general overview of a company, newsletters provide a creative forum for answering commonly-asked questions, profiling staff members and highlighting product or customer success stories. A well-designed newsletter should be informative and fun to read.

What Types Of Companies Are Best Suited For A Newsletter?

Really, all types. Consultants, manufacturers, retailers, healthcare providers and others have all benefitted from the awareness-building that a newsletter can provide. Businesses that want to remind prospects of their services, but hate the thought of constant cold-calling, can achieve even greater name-recognition through the ongoing mailing of an informational newsletter.

How Often Should A Newsletter Come Out?

This often depends on how often you have new information to communicate. Some companies need to notify customers and prospects of new services and prices bi-monthly, other businesses are best-suited for quarterly newsletters. Still others create only one newsletter, printed without references to dates, issue numbers or seasons. They take this promotional piece to tradeshows or use it as a supplement to their company brochure.

What Can Increase My Newsletters' Chances Of Being Read?

Photos, bold headlines, eye-catching colors and charts or illustrations all contribute to a newsletter's readability. Designing your newsletter as a self-mailer also increases the likelihood of it being read since recipients won't have to take it out of an envelop.

Should I Design My Own Newsletter?

A newsletter, like a company brochure, should convey an image of professionalism. Unless you are a graphic artist, it is usually best to work with a marketing professional to create this important piece of company literature. Look for a marketing company that specializes in working with small businesses like yours. These companies are sensitive to the budgetary constraints of small companies and will work with you to create a high-impact newsletter on a low-impact budget.

Leza Raffel is the president of the Communication Solutions Group, Inc. a full- service public relations and marketing company in Jenkintown.