The fundamental question; why are you publishing an e-newsletter?

part 1

There seems to be a great temptation to regard the low cost of delivery, and the removal of the print costs, as the main drivers to launch a company e-newsletter. However, if you consider the case more closely, while these two facts may indeed make the set up and delivery of a newsletter substantially cheaper and quicker, they don't address the fundamental question of; why publish a newsletter?

There are many possible answers to the question, all equally valid including:

  1. as a sales driver
  2. a customer loyalty benefit
  3. a general awareness campaign
  4. a driver of traffic to a website

In fact most of the reasons that can be attributed to any marketing tool. Nevertheless, the purpose should be clearly established at the outset. It sets the tone, the look and the content of the newsletter.

So some basic questions need to be asked at the outset and I suggest that the check list goes something like this:
1. Why are we publishing a newsletter?
2. Who is the newsletter aimed at?
3. What value will it have for the reader?
4. What are the measurable targets, if any?
5. What is the "no more" point?
6. What are we going to put in it?
7. Who is going to take charge of gathering the content and putting it together?
8. Where is the circulation list coming from?
9. Who will maintain the circulation list?
10. How often will it be published?
11. How big should it be?
12. Should we use HTML or text?
13. What's it going to cost?
14. Where is the funding coming from?
15. Do we try to sell advertising?
16. Is it realistically achievable?

Of course there are no right and wrong answers to the questions above, and the list is certainly not finite. Nevertheless, the bottom line is that you are effectively becoming a publisher and the real measure of success will be if you can attract and keep a readership. Only then can you hope to achieve any other aims.

If the newsletter remains unread, then no message gets across

Finally, if all the answers are positive and you decide it is worth planning in more detail, there is one last question which you should consider before you take the plunge and use up the time;
Would you still publish if you had to print and mail the newsletter?

While you can't ignore the reality of the cost factor, the answer to this final question should nevertheless be yes. It may not be an overwhelming yes, but the answer should be positive. The benefits of achieving the aims you have outlined SHOULD make it worthwhile to publish.

If this isn't the case then you want to be doubly certain of your commitment before launching a newsletter. Newsletters are, for a variety of reasons, a relatively long-term strategy. They suck up time, effort and cash. The benefits can be huge, but so can the downside.