How many email newsletters that land in your inbox do you actually read? Do most of them get the ‘delete’ treatment before you’ve read them? Is there any point in spending loads of time and effort writing a newsletter, if people will just bin it?

Click here to watch a short video about what I think about email newsletters.

I’ve been a fan of email newsletters for a long time and I know that many people wonder why bother. There are a number of myths surrounding email newsletters. Here’s what I think of those myths:

“I don’t have time to write a newsletter.” An email newsletter is a marketing tool and you need to find the time to market your business, however you do it. If you’re not a copywriter, it might take you a long time to write an article for a newsletter. So you could ask someone else to write it for you; or you could write a very short newsletter. Every week I read a newsletter from Kevin Mapplebeck, because it’s short and gives me a quick sales tip. Click here to subscribe to Kevin’s tips.

“Email newsletters are spam.” They are if you send them to people who don?t know you! One of our clients, Michelle at Persona People Management, asked us to write a newsletter for her every two months because she was struggling to find the time to keep in touch with her contacts. Her mailing list is very targeted with less than 100 people on the list. Last year, as a result of sending a few issues of her newsletter and reconnecting with past clients, Michelle’s newsletter generated a project worth £20,000 that is keeping her very busy!

“I delete most newsletters I receive because I don’t have time to read them, so most people will just delete mine if I send one.” Short, concise newsletters don’t take long to read and if you provide useful content, rather than sales pitch, people will read them. (This issue of Scribbles is only about 700 words long.) Even if they don?t open your newsletter and read every word of it, just sending something with your branding on is a great way of keeping your business front of mind.

“I don’t know what to write about.” Every month, we have a Marketing meeting at Appletree, when we plan the topics we’re going to write about in Scribbles and in our blogs. When you do this planning in advance you’ll find it easier to come up with ideas, because you’re not under pressure to think of a subject. Knowing your topic in advance means you can collect information throughout the month; and it makes getting started much easier. Click here to download a free factsheet that will help you come up with ideas for your newsletter.

“It takes too long to turn a reader into a client.” Actually this one is true! But good marketing can take a long time. It’s about building up a reputation and relationships. We’ve taken on clients who have read Scribbles for up to four years before they decide that they’re ready to ask for our marketing help. It’s the easiest way for us to keep in touch with people who don’t need us now, but may do in the future. Keep doing it consistently and you’ll be able to build up the reputation and the relationships you need for your business.