Simon Payn's Effective Customer Newsletters

How to Use a Newsletter to Prove that a 'Commodity' Product Can Be Special

Here's a fascinating case study from a company that sends out a newsletter in every box of eggs it produces.

Yes, eggs that come with their own newsletter.

I'll give you what I see as the big takeaway first:

You might think that eggs is eggs. But, as we're told, some eggs are better than others - free range is better than battery, organic better than chemical. But with so many claims (many misleading) about eggs (what does "farm fresh" mean?), how do you make your eggs stand out? One way is by sending out a newsletter with each box of eggs to a) tell the story of the eggs and their producer, and b) build an unshakable bond with your customers.

The Country Hen claims to produce the best eggs in the United States. Here's what Kathy Moran from the sales department told me. (I'm telling the entire story, because it's important.)

Our owner, George Bass, started The Country Hen in 1988.  It was the first Organic, Omega-3 egg farm in The United States.  The only product we produce is an Organic, Omega-3 Egg.  However, I probably should mention, it is the best egg on the market.  I guess if it the only thing you are going to produce, it better be!

 

George had a unique philosophy, in 1988, with regards to creating The Country Hen.  He believed only the happiest, healthiest hens would produce "The World's Best Egg".  George exceeded all standards for egg farming and organic certification laws.  He was actually responsible for organic certification with regards to egg farming to become much stricter in the industry.  The Country Hens enjoy roaming freely through spacious, sunlit barns with outdoor porches attached.  The outdoor porches allow for outdoor access, but maintain our ability to completely control the safety of our hens from predators and any risk of disease.

 

The next thing George did differently was work with top scientists to develop The Country Hen's proprietary feed formula.  The over 10 organic ingredients in the feed formula is a very closely guarded secret.  It is what gives the eggs their exceptional nutritional value, great taste, and also acts as a probiotic for our Hens.  George, of course, insisted on milling the feed right here at The Country Hen farm.  Although it is a very expensive undertaking for a single farm, it gave George the ability to control every aspect of the quality of the raw ingredients and milling process.  Only recently, with all the human and animal grade food scares, do we truly appreciate the value of having our own feed mill.

 

Lastly, George took great care with The Country Hen packaging.  He only produces a half dozen size carton.  This is the way it was twenty years ago and it remains this way today.  Also, case sizes are only 15 dozen eggs.  This was so he could be sure his eggs remained fresh at store level and even in customer's refrigerators.

Finally, since the first egg carton, George also wanted his customers to feel a strong connection to The Country Hen Farm.  For this reason, he produced newsletters for every 6-pack of eggs.  The newsletters are printed every 4-6 weeks and have included many topics including:  nutritional information regarding the eggs, funny farm stories, backgrounds of Country Hen employees, hot button farm topics in the news (ie. recently ethanol), farm poetry, customer letters, etc...  [Here are some links to the Country Hen's newsletter content.]

Now, if you had a story like that, wouldn't you want to tell the world? Wouldn't that make your product different from every other product?  Wouldn't it make customers warm towards you and develop a bond with your product?

Kathy told me that customers complain if their eggs arrive without the newsletter:

We receive many customer emails, from loyal customers and new customers.  A high percentage of those are regarding our newsletters.  Customers love them.  The insert machine that puts the newsletters into the cartons was specially designed for The Country Hen.  Occasionally, it will act up, as all machines do.  We know instantly, if eggs got to the market without newsletters.  When The Country Hen started in 1988, it supplied only to stores in Massachusetts.  Now we supply stores from Maine to Florida and as far west as California.  The newsletters have become increasingly important as we have increased our geographic customer base.  This is because although we go from Massachusetts to all of these states, The Country Hen, still feels like the local egg farm to all of our customers.  This is because the newsletters keep them up to date with all the information on and about the farm.  Priceless!!

I haven't heard from the company whether they are able to quantify the value of the newsletter in terms of extra sales. But you can bet it contributes thousands of dollars to the bottom line.

[Kathy emailed me later with this information: We often do a cost/benefit analysis of our marketing programs to evaluate whether they should be continued.  Even though the newsletters are fairly substantial in cost, in twenty years, the discontinuation of the newsletters was never a consideration because of its obvious success and appeal with our customers....  When starting at The Country Hen, I would say that the success of this program was obvious in less than three weeks time.  That is how many emails, letters, and calls we receive regarding the newsletter.]

When I say that every company needs a newsletter (including funeral homes), this is what I mean. In a world of battery hens and commodity-crappy products, a great, personal story - well told - is going to win out. Don't you think?

Elements of a successful newsletter: 13 - The Publication Schedule

This is the thirteenth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 

13. The Publication Schedule

Newspapers, magazines and even websites have a publication schedule. Everything is run like clockwork, to deadline.

There are many external reasons for creating a schedule. But there's one good internal reason: without one, nothing would ever get done; you'd always find something more pressing to do.

The important thing to remember is this: repetition is important to reinforce your message. And the most effective form of repetition is when the event occurs on a regular schedule.

You should therefore develop a regular schedule for your newsletter, even if at times you have trouble sticking to it.

The maximum amount of time you can leave between contacting your customers or prospects is one month - otherwise they'll start to forget who you are and you'll be back where you started. It's therefore a good idea to publish your newsletter on a monthly basis.

For example, I reserve the first week of the month to work on the newsletter I send to my Ready to Go Newsletters clients. I know that on the first Monday of the month, it's time to get started on it - and by Friday it must be in the mail.

If you think one newsletter a month is too much

Some people say: But I don't want to send a newsletter out every month - it's too much work and too expensive.

Here are some answers to those excuses.

It's too much work: Writing and designing a newsletter takes time. Fortunately, there are many companies that will do it for you. I have a newsletter company myself!

It's too expensive: The thing to remember here is what every smart marketer knows - it's about Return on Investment rather than the cost of your marketing. See this post to find out more.

If you really don't want to send a newsletter every month, mix it up with another form of contact. In alternate months you could, for example, send a postcard or a direct mail letter. If you have collected email addresses (with permission to email), you could send emails. The important thing is to keep in contact. And as newsletters are an excellent way of building a relationship with your list, why not send one out every month anyway?

(Photo on this post by asifthebes)

Elements of a successful newsletter: 12 - The Printing Options

This is the twelfth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 

12. The Printing Options

You can run off a few copies of your newsletter on your computer's printer...or you can ask a professional printer to do it for you. Here are the main options.

Do-it-yourself:

There's a lot to be said for printing your own newsletter. If you have only a few copies to produce, it's usually cheaper and quicker to do it this way. And if you're going for a more homespun look, printing it yourself is consistent with that image. 

Remember, however, that printer ink is expensive, so if you are printing more than just a handful of newsletters, it might be cheaper to have it done professionally. And if you are using color, make sure your printer is able to produce high enough quality color print-outs, particularly of images. Many home computer printers cannot print out on paper larger than regular letter size (8.5" x 11" or A4) so you won't be able to use larger paper and then fold it in two to make a letter size newsletter. If you're just producing a one-pager (front and back), then you won't have that problem.

The neighborhood copy shop:

This option is perfect if you're doing larger runs of black-and-white newsletters, or small runs of color. Most can print on larger paper and then fold and even saddle-stitch or staple your newsletter if you are producing multiple pages.

You might not get a great choice of paper, however, particularly if you want coated stock (stock=another word for paper).

Professional printing:

This is the best option if you want the highest quality reproduction, a better choice of papers and the option of using coated or non-coated stock. The great thing about coated paper is that it is less likely to get scuffed in the mail. You get a choice of gloss or matt.

There are two main types of printers: digital and offset. Digital printers are great for short runs -- say under 1,000 copies -- but can get more expensive for longer runs. The opposite is true for offset -- it only becomes economical if you are printing many copies. Some digital printers now have storefronts on the internet, allowing you to get an instant quote and upload electronic files to them right away.

Printers often have relationships with letter shops/mail houses, which will do your mailings for you.

Instead of going to a printer directly, you may wish to use a print broker, who works with several printers and can help get the best price.

Take your mailing choices into account

When considering a printer, you need to take into account your mailing options. If you're going for the personal look, with a hand-addressed envelope, you may wish to do it all yourself, or ask your neighborhood copy shop to help you out. If you want a self-mailer, then a professional printer working alongside a letter shop is a better bet.

If you choose to work with Ready to Go Newsletters, we can advise you on what's best for you.

(Photo on this post by asifthebes)

Elements of a successful newsletter: 11 - The Mailing Options

This is the eleventh in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 

11. The Mailing Options

There are 2 decisions you need to make when considering your mailing options:

1. Envelope or no envelope?
2. Bulk mail or first class?

Envelope or no envelope?

An envelope will help protect your newsletter from getting crushed in the mail, it will allow you to include enclosures and enable you to print additional marketing information on the envelope. All of these, of course, come at a cost.

But being able to include enclosures can be quite valuable. For example, you may wish to include a coupon or some  further information about your product or service, or maybe you want to do a deal with a local business that's similar but not competitive to yours and share postal costs by allowing their marketing material to ride along with yours.

The ability to print on the envelope has its upside and downside. There are 2 schools of thought, and they both relate to the problem of junk mail. As you know, the deluge of mail many people receive forces them to make quick decisions over whether to open an envelope or dump it straight in the trash. Now, you want your envelope to be opened, so you can either: print teasers on the envelope that sell the benefits of opening the envelope, or leave it entirely blank, except for a hand-written address so that it looks like a personal communications. It's said there are no half-measures here: either make it look like valuable marketing material or let it sneak in as personal correspondence.

I say this: once you have achieved a place in the hearts and minds of your prospects and clients, there should be no problem telegraphing the contents. By then, they'll want to read what you have to say.

Of course, envelopes come at a cost. The other option is to use a self-mailer. In other words, to send your newsletter on its own with no envelope. If you do this, you'll need to change your template so that half of one page has space for the address and return address. The USPS/Canada Post/Royal Mail will give you guidelines on how much space to leave.

The newsletter is then folded again and tabbed shut so that the address is clearly visible on one side. This is something a lettershop/mail house can do for you.

Bulk mail or first class?

Sending newsletters as self-mailers usually allows you to use cheap/bulk postal rates. This will often save you money. You usually have to mail a certain number of newsletters to achieve this -- the post office will tell you how many.

The trouble with bulk mail, however, is that it looks like bulk mail! In other words, it can get confused with junk mail.

On the other hand, first class, particularly if you use a live stamp combined with a hand-written address, gives the appearance of a more important, more personal letter. But it will cost you more -- for the envelope and in time.

The only answer is to test which works best. Test which your customers prefer, and which gives you the best return on investment. In other words, test how much extra business you generate compared to the cost of sending out your newsletters.

For a new or smaller businesses, I recommend hand addressing your newsletters and inserting them into envelopes. If you want to use the services of a lettershop or mail house, contact me and I will be able to help you.

(Photo on this post by asifthebes)

Elements of a successful newsletter: 10 - The Contact Information

This is the tenth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 

10. The Contact Information

If the main goal of your newsletter is to generate extra business, either from new customers through referrals or from your existing client base, you will want to make it as easy as possible for people to contact you.

First, you will already have included an offer in your newsletter -- a reason why they should purchase from you today. When you describe this offer, make sure you include a way to contact you right there and then -- don't make them hunt around for contact information. So after describing your offer, say something like "call us on 555-555-5555 today to set up a consultation". Put the contact info right there in front of them.

You will also want to include your contact information clearly elsewhere in the newsletter. So here are some rules:

1. Every page should have some contact info -- maybe your website address or your phone number. The ideal place to put this is at the bottom of the page, in a footer.
2. You will include contact information at the top of the front page -- this is one of the first places people look. You don't need put every method of contacting you here, just the main ones -- maybe your phone number, if that's how most people prefer to get in touch.
3. Somewhere in your newsletter, either at the bottom of the front page or on the back page, put a detailed contact box. This should include most of the following:

• your business name
• your phone number
• your address
• your website address
• your email address
• your hours of business
• your location, if you expect people to call in -- for example, "one block south of Centre Street and Bayview Avenue".
• a map of your location
• a picture of your shop of office -- this helps people recognize it when they arrive and makes your location seem more real
• name of key contact person
• perhaps a picture of key staff

Also include a re-statement of your main offer -- give them a reason to contact you today.

(Photo on this post by asifthebes)

Elements of a successful newsletter: 9 - The Title

This is the ninth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 

9. The Title

Many people spend hours thinking about what to call their newsletter. I'm here to say that, really, it doesn't matter all that much.

The most important thing about your newsletter is not the title, it's the content. And of that content, it's the headlines that will get people reading.

So don't worry if you can't find the perfect title. What you have already is likely to be good enough.

Having said that, here are some pointers:

1) Avoid a title that is too cute or uses too many puns. If your title is too cute or clever, it's likely you will undermine your newsletter's authority.

2) If you serve a local area and are likely to be including local content, consider a title that refers to your locality. Then you'll make the newsletter appear immediately relevant to your readers.

3) If your newsletter is going to be mainly about your products or service (or topics surrounding your products or service) then choose a title that reflects what you do. But be certain that your readers are really interested in reading more about your product or service -- this goes back to the decisions you will have made about content.

4) If you intend to inject a lot of personality into your newsletter, consider including your name in the title. Then you'll tightly link the newsletter to yourself rather than the topic and, if you do it well, you'll closely engage readers.

If you're stuck for some titles, here are some words you can mix and match to come up with a good name:

• news
• times
• telegraph
• report
• reporter
• monthly
• post
• mail
• courier
• gazette
• dispatch
• sentinel
• herald
• world
• mercury
• tribune
• express
• journal
• bulletin
• guide
• voice
• recorder
• record
• ... and newsletter!

(Photo on this post by asifthebes)

Elements of a successful newsletter: 8 - Headlines

This is the eighth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 

8. Headlines

In a minute, I'm going to give you a way to write great headlines for your newsletter that is as easy as painting by numbers. But first...

Several years ago, I worked as an editor on a daily newspaper. I didn't write the stories, but it was my job to make sure they all appeared on the page -- and that as many people were attracted to read them as possible.

No page was more important than the front page. And no story on that page was more important than the 'splash' -- the biggest story in the whole paper.

So guess which story got the most attention? And guess which part of that story got the most care lavished on it?

Of the entire newspaper, the big headline on the front page was given top priority.

Why was this?

Because the editors knew  it was this element of the entire newspaper that was most responsible for daily sales. So the headline had to be the best it could be.

But there's no point in having a headline if all people do is read the headline and move on. The main purpose of any headline in your newsletter is to get the story underneath it read.

So here's a quick checklist for eye-popping headlines:

• Your headline should indicate the article contains information that is useful to readers
• Your headline should indicate the article contains information that is interesting to readers
• Your headline should inform readers about the content of the article but be leave enough unsaid to intrigue readers to read the entire article
• Your headline should be an accurate representation of the article -- in other words, it shouldn't mislead people into reading an article
• Your headline should (in most circumstances) be in the present tense
• Your headline should contain short words rather than long words

Take a look at newspaper headlines and magazine cover lines to see some excellent examples. (The editors at Cosmopolitan and The National Enquirer, for example, are masters at headline writing.)

Also see this post on great words to put in your headlines to get people reading.

Here's a golden tip you can use to create masterful headlines. Take a headline from a magazine that you think is good and then change it to make it relevant to your article.

For example (from Cosmo):

9 Naughty Sex Positions

9 Relaxing Vacation Destinations
9 Summer Gardening Tips

Gorgeous Skin -- The New Secret

Beautiful Walls -- The New Paint Secret
Healthy Dogs -- The New Diet Secret

Our Get-It Guide to the 21 Most Glam Jobs Today

Our Essential Guide to the 21 Most Useful Household Tips Today
Our Mouthwatering Guide to the 21 Best Restaurants in Florence

Do it that way, and it's as easy as painting by numbers.

(Photo on this post by asifthebes) 

 

Elements of a successful newsletter: 7 - Pictures

This is the seventh in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 

7. Pictures

While a picture may say a thousand words, the pictures you see in some newsletters -- unfortunately -- say a thousand words of gibberish.

Why are so many pictures not up to scratch? First, it's difficult to get high-quality photography -- unless you've got a big budget or you know where to go.

Second, it's hard to get pictures to look right in print if you're not an expert with image manipulation software such as Photoshop. You've probably seen printed images that are blurred or 'blocky' -- that's often because they are not created at a high enough resolution (300dpi) or they've been enlarged more than the image quality can bear.

While you can get away with writing the words yourself, a sub-standard picture will shout out 'amateur'. (Of course, if you are going for a kitchen table design, then you can get away with home-made pictures to some extent!)

So I say this: unless you can use quality pictures (and be sure they'll print well), it's better not to use pictures at all. After all, there's nothing wrong with a text-only newsletter. In most cases it's words that do the selling for you, not pictures.

But if you can use high-quality images, here's some ideas:

• If you have a product or service that lends itself well to pictures, use them.
• Print before-and-after pictures that illustrate the work you have done for a client.
• Use a picture of yourself alongside your personal column.
• Use pictures of satisfied clients next to their case studies or testimonials.
• Use a picture that will attract attention -- only if it's relevant to what you do or the content of your newsletter.
• Use pictures and illustrations to break up text so that your newsletter doesn't look too 'gray'.

How can you get quality pictures? Either learn how to take and manipulate them yourself, hire a professional photographer or, if suitable, use stock photography. There are lots of good sources online for pictures, but check for any copyright restrictions on their use. You can't just take a picture off the web -- not only will the quality probably be not up to scratch, but you could also be violating someone's copyright. My favorite website for stock photos at the moment is http://www.istockphoto.com. But there are plenty others.

(One thing to watch for with stock photography -- if you use too much of it, you start to get a very bland, corporate look with pictures that could be equally at home in any newsletter for any business. Watch out for that...unless it's the look you are going for!)

One more note about pictures: if you use a picture, give it a caption. After headlines, picture captions are one of the most-read parts of a newsletter, so make that space pay!

(Photo on this post by asifthebes)

Elements of a successful newsletter: 6 - Writing Style

This is the sixth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 

6. Writing Style

Your main task as a newsletter writer is to get your newsletter read. Period.

So that means  your writing should not get in the way of what you are trying to say.

What do I mean by that?

Simply that your writing is a means to an end; a way to convey the message you wish to convey. It should be clear, concise and use language that is familiar to your readers.

Take a newspaper article as an example. It starts with a headline that telegraphs clearly what the article is about. Then the first paragraph is either a summary of the story or some kind of teaser to encourage you to read more. The rest of the story gives an increasing level of detail, but nothing is repeated and no space is wasted. There are no extra words -- no waffle -- and the words that are used are simple and direct.

I'll deconstruct a typical article in a later post to show what I mean more clearly.

Now, as I said in my post about design, your writing style should match your business brand. If, for example, you set a formal tone for your business, then make the content of your newsletter formal too; if you prefer a more informal atmosphere for your business, then make your newsletter more informal and chatty.

But the most important thing is to get your newsletter read. So don't let your writing get in a way.

For a cheat sheet of 5 ways to improve readability, see this excellent post by CopyDiva. She lays out these rules:

1. Use the active voice:
2. Use simpler language
3. Vary sentence length
4. Use the language of your audience
5. Drop the word “solution” from your vocabulary

Worth sticking up on the wall.

(Photo on this post by asifthebes)

Elements of a successful newsletter: 5 - The Design

This is the fifth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter. 

5. The Design

This is an overview of newsletter design. I'll go into more detail in later posts.

There are 2 key things to remember:

1) Your design should make your newsletter easy to read

2) Your design should reflect the brand -- the ethos -- of your business

Clearly, you want your design to contribute to getting your newsletter read. That means there should be no barriers between your design and the reader. Readers shouldn't have to squint to read  tiny text, it should be clear where articles start and end, your headlines should be big enough to look like headlines, and your pictures should be big enough to see what is actually in the picture.

Second, your design should reflect your business' brand.

Now, the word 'brand' is much used and overused...and sometimes people don't know what it means. Indeed, many small businesses don't consider branding at all.

Your brand is everything your business stands for. It's whether you are corporate or home-based, whether you are formal or informal, whether you are upscale or downscale, high-priced or low-priced. It's where you stand in the marketplace; it's your company's DNA.

So your newsletter design should reflect that. If your business is small and friendly, then make your design match -- don't make your newsletter look like a corporate publication. If your business is upscale, don't put out a newsletter full of mistakes that looks like it's been put together on the kitchen table. If appearances matter in what you do, then make your newsletter look fantastic also.

Those are the basics. I'll write more about the details of design in later posts.

(Photo on this post by asifthebes)