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Use Reader Interaction to Boost Integrated Program Sales

As sales people, we want to help our advertisers achieve their goals – their success is our success. Niche publications are perfectly positioned to offer special services to advertisers by utilizing our high reader engagement and our special connection with our narrowly targeted audiences. As ad sales pros, we need to utilize this connection to maximize the effectiveness of our advertisers' campaigns. But don't just offer these extras to everybody! Save them as special extras for fully integrated buys.

Minimize Unsubscribes from Advertiser E-Mail Blasts

Your list is the lifeblood of your email efforts. By utilizing careful planning and best practices, you can keep you list healthy. You can generate a lot of revenue through sponsored e-mail blasts and advertising-driven e-newsletters. However, you need to take care with how you create email blasts to prevent a subscriber revolt.

E-Newsletter Checklist, Part One. Planning Pays Off!

By George Passwater, Passwater Media

Ever hear this? "Email marketing is dead." Really? If that's the case, then why are so many content marketing strategies incorporating email marketing and seeing substantial results? According to research from Junta42 and MarketingProfs, 61% of B2B marketers are using email newsletters in their content mix, and of those, 55% consider them to be effective (only in-person events and webinars are more effective). For those successfully using email in their strategies, the email newsletter is key for keeping in touch with clients and nurturing leads. In a two-part series I'll share a checklist of the most important newsletter elements.

Part one: Planning & Design

Planning: I've seen many email newsletters in my inbox, and some make me wonder if they actually went through any planning before they pushed the publish button. You don't have to put together a business plan, but you do need to plan your email newsletter content to match your overall content marketing strategy. Did you set goals for your newsletter? If you didn't, you really should. For instance, if your goal is to educate your readers and establish yourself as a thought leader, consider including more informational content in your newsletter.

Make sure you develop the newsletter around the goals and ensure they're measurable. Think about it; how will you know if the newsletter was successful? Speaking of planning, do you have an editorial calendar for your newsletters? Setting one up, just as you do for the rest of your content marketing activities, will help you plan things like:

• The schedule of your email newsletter: Do you have a consistent schedule?
• Special dates: Does your schedule take into account for special dates or events?
• Opportunities for reuse: Do you have a plan to repurpose some content in your
blog, upcoming event or informational products?

Design and layout: I'm no designer, but I know when I see a design I like and I know how important it is to make newsletters effective. Even if it has the best copy in the world, a poorly designed template can turn off your readers and cause them to hit the dreaded delete button. A few things to keep in mind for an appealing design include:

• Appealing colors and a natural blend of copy and design. (No dark backgrounds
   with blue text).
• Keep the layout free of clutter — no one wants to navigate through a busy email
   with too many visual elements.
• Videos and photos are great, but trying to pile them throughout the email makes
   me want to scream; keep it to just a few photos or a link to videos.

Readability: Many newsletters fail to keep the reader engaged due to one simple error — they don't make their content readable. Oh yes, there's a difference between readable and unreadable content; ever try reading a one-paragraph, 500-word article? So, what are some ways to ensure your newsletter passes the readability test?

• No large paragraphs. Keep a paragraph to 3-4 sentences.
• Avoid content overload by not putting everything in the newsletter. Learn to link
out to your website or blog too.
• Keep it consistent and use standard faces and sizes for your font. Some standard
fonts to use in your newsletter would include Helvetica and Arial.
• Add subheadings, where possible, to break-up sections.

This article was originally posted on the Content Marketing Institute blog here.

eNewsletter