Using Newsletters to Increase Business

There is newsletter for just about every topic and interest under the sun. Newsletters have traditionally been a printed media, mailed to subscribers or a business's customers. With today's technology, many newsletters are sent to recipients using the Internet. Electronic versions of newsletters, referred to as "e-newsletters" or "e-zines" (like the word "magazine"), enable senders to reach their subscriber base quickly and without incurring the ever-increasing cost of postage.

It is vital for a business to keep in touch with its customer base. If a customer is happy and feels he received a good product or service, he will often bring repeat business. That customer is also likely tell his friends and acquaintances about that business, and "word of mouth" is one of the best forms of advertising. And, that type of advertising is free and unsolicited. One way to keep in touch with customers is by sending them a newsletter, either via postal mail or by email. Notifying a business's customers of upcoming sales, special offers, and offering them discounts can generate additional sales, and a newsletter is the perfect vehicle to accomplish this marketing strategy.

Potential customers are more likely to place an order with a business whom they have confidence in. One way for a company to instill confidence in customers is to publish a newsletter. This publication can present information about a company's products and services. The information can be valuable to the recipient, while also demonstrating that the company is knowledgeable about the subject. A music shop could use a newsletter to explain how to change the strings on a classical guitar, or give tips on setting up a sound system on stage. Building confidence is especially important to online retail and service businesses, because unlike "brick and mortar" stores, the customer can't physically see the business. A website with a professional appearance may give the impression that the business is a huge company, when in fact it is a stay-at-home-mom who is running her business from her kitchen table. Such a business owner may have wonderful products and be extremely knowledgeable, but she needs to convey that to her customers. Sending a newsletter to her customers gives her the opportunity to show that the products and services offered are valuable, and that she runs a reputable, caring, and highly professional operation.

Newsletters can be used as paid information sources to help people make money. A good example of this can be seen in newsletters based on the stock market. Stock trading "gurus" often publish newsletters that give investment advice and recommendations to buy or sell specific stocks, options or mutual funds. Subscribers pay a fee to periodically receive such newsletters, and the publisher can do quite well financially by selling his knowledge. Due to the timely nature of the stock market, "stock picking" newsletters are often sent as emails, so that investors can read them first thing in the morning before the market opens at 9:30, and plan their stock strategies for the day.

Newsletters can have an educational theme, teaching about a particular subject. Religious newsletters can be uplifting, and those with a nutritional theme give important health and wellness tips. Some newsletters are published strictly for entertainment purposes, such as a newsletter that might have a "Star Trek" theme, discussing the old TV series and movies, and letting readers know about upcoming space conventions and personal appearance by former cast members. UFO (unidentified flying objects) enthusiasts can read newsletters with conversations about this controversial subject, and get the latest news on UFO sitings. Politics is another topic with an endless source of editorial material. To find online newsletters and e-zines and their topics, check out these websites: www.directoryofezines.com, www.free-ezine-directory.com, and www.ezinesearch.com.

Newsletters are published on all kinds of schedules, namely weekly, monthly, quarterly, or whenever the author has something to say. There are several reasons why individuals and companies publish newsletters.

Whatever your passion, interest, or need for information, newsletters continue to be an important resource.