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From Denise's Desk: Begin Planning Now for Your 2008 Newsletter Program
I've written often about the importance of including a newsletter in your marketing program - especially when the industry is healthcare. Regardless of whether yours is a small Mom & Pop organization or a mega-agency, if you don't yet have a newsletter in your marketing mix, (or even if you've been publishing one for years) now is the perfect time to begin planning for next year's Newsletter Program.
Here are three reasons why:
- Newsletters position your company as an expert/leader in your field.
Using the newsletter platform is an opportunity to become the "go-to resource" for a specific industry and/or topic. The fact that traditional, in-house newsletters are also one of the most time-consuming marketing mediums means that competition is less prevalent than with print and/or broadcast advertising.
- Newsletters establish credibility for your agency.
The adage that knowledge is power extends to the newsletter as an educational format. When the newsletter is made up of educational and/or informational content that readers will find valuable (even more reason to avoid the "fluff"), then the credibility of your agency will rise as well. Having said this, it's important to also note that simply putting out a newsletter, when it's filled with poorly written or uninteresting filler articles, can actually do more harm than good. Particularly when it comes to newsletters, you get out of it what you put into it. So make it a quality marketing tool; you'll be rewarded with greater returns for your investment.
- Newsletters foster reader loyalty.
When you create and distribute a newsletter on a consistent (and I emphasize consistent) basis, you are creating an assumed relationship with the reader. Loyalty won't happen with a single, one-time effort but over time, given that your newsletter, your brand and your agency will grow in awareness and recognition.
Getting started now will enable you to put the necessary steps in place to ensure that your newsletter hits the right target with the right message in 2008. Begin by getting a solid idea of your target audience (beware of trying to make one newsletter serve too many diverse audiences) and then spend time determining the topics that they'll find most relevant. Unless your audience is Nuclear Scientists, you'll want to avoid making the articles too lengthy - newsletters are not intended to be journals - keep the articles brief and guide them back to your website if you feel you need more space to adequately cover a subject. And, above all DO NOT allow your content to fall into the "Fluff Zone". A good resource for article ideas is your own industry journals - if you find that you are going to the internet in search of too many recipes or filler copy, it might be time to take a step back and refocus on your original objective.
Many hospice and home health agencies have found tremendous savings in both time and money with customizable newsletters from TAG Marketing and Recruiting. Our newsletters, developed for both home care and hospice, provide a low-stress solution for a professionally designed and content-rich newsletter that can be customized for your agency. We have designed these 11" x 17", full-color newsletters with plenty of opportunity for making it a turn-key branding and awareness building tool. For more information on our newsletter templates, call Joe Estok at 866-695-9707.
