Newsletters can be short (in fact, we recommend it!). A picture is worth a thousand words. We are in the image-creation business - so it is EASY for us to show rather than tell! doodle + note zone Here are some ideas to get you started... Highlight any special sessions/promotions you have coming up Showcase a new product you are carrying Show off a wall gallery in a client s home Get your clients thinking about all the fabulous ways they can enjoy their images Include a client testimonial Offer photo tips Provide a what to wear article that ties into the current season Include a personal story (help them get to know you!) Introduction to referral program Behind the scenes (clients love these!) Contests (maybe clients can upload an image of your work displayed in their house on your blog or facebook page...and one lucky person receives a print credit, or bonus gift) Are you fun and playful? More reserved and formal? Try to keep a consistent tone to match your company s brand. And keep the delivery consistent. Are you emailing once a month? Every two weeks? What day of the week? (you can play around with send dates and see if you have a better open rate on certain days). When are your client s checking email? During the day? After dinner? You want to send it out when people are most likely to open it (as open rates drop after the first hour of delivery) Plan your enews in advance. If you have used our Free Yearly Planner, you should have a rough idea of
the types of marketing activities you will be planning throughout the year. Figure out when you will start dropping hints about upcoming promotions. Or, if you are going to be bringing in a new product line. Or a new referral program, etc. doodle + note zone Set aside a few hours to get a jump start on the next 3-4 e-newsletters. Your first one is going to take some time to set up, as you create the banner, work on the style/theme so fonts + colours match your branding. But once that first one is created, you can simply copy it and tweak the content. Once you start sending them out, you can pay attention to the statistics. Watch your open rates. See what links are getting clicked on the most. Do you see a pattern as to what your clients are intersted in? What time of day do most opens happen? Start sending out the enews at that hour. BUT - don t get hung up on reports! At the end of the day, what is important to know is, do I book more clients and increase client loyalty with my e-newsletters We are faily certain the answer is YES! And, with no cost (and just a little time) involved, what have you got to lose by trying!
Brainstorming time! List all promo ideas you are thinking of running this year List all the different products you currently offer, or are planning on offering in the future!
Brainstorming time! Come up with a list of photography-related topics you could write about (ie: 3 tips to take better photos of your kids, the key to better vacation photos - now, you don t have to write these - you can also find resources online that allow you to reprint with proper credit given Personal stories clients might be interested in...(ie: vacation story, funny family photo and story behind it, why you started your business, etc...be authentic!)
Brainstorming time! Testimonials/Featured families Do you have some favourite clients you know would give an awesome testimonial? Or, maybe you already have some that have been emailed. List them here (then get permission to use for your news!) Random Fact/Favourite Quotes Sometimes it s fun to share something you find beautiful, or funny...and it has NOTHING to do with photography...however, it DOES offer a connection with you! List some favourite facts + saying here
Let s get planning! If you want to really maximize your productivity, it s a good idea to work on a few months of enews at a time. Why? You are in the zone and in your email program. You ll find whipping up the second + third newsletter goes much faster after you have completed the first - especially if your newsletters follow the same formula. You can always go back to tweak your promos, and features, but at least you will have something prepared, so you don t find yourself the night before your news it set to go out with a blank screen! Use the items you listed on your brainstorming sheets to fill in the blanks! Theme January February March April May June Promo Feature Misc Theme July August September October November December Promo Feature Misc Don t feel trapped by the usual holidays...check out some bizarre ones and talk about those! http://holidayinsights.com/moreholidays/index.htm