Inkwell PR | Newsletters

So, why a newsletter?
While it is true a newsletter may not always be the most appropriate method of customer communication there are reasons why you may choose one over print advertising.
Newsletters go to a selected audience, making them more cost-efficient (especially when you have detailed information to impart) while satisfying the need of your customers for direct communication. The extra benefits of a customer newsletter start to sound like a bargain when compared to escalating advertising rates.

How many customers responded?
The average time spent reading a newspaper or magazine advertisement is 3 seconds. Customers will spend significantly more time reading your newsletter, which is more likely to provoke a response because a newsletter is a shared environment that benefits both your customer and your company. This response could be heightened perception of your company, increased sales or the return of lost customers.

Don't tell them - let them find out
A newsletter encourages a probing approach to discovering information. Customers are becoming more sophisticated and sceptical about advertising claims, which is why editorial content is proving to be more important than banal media advertisements. A customer newsletter will get your message across in a manner readers will more readily accept - it's a form they are familiar and comfortable with.

How does P.R. fit in?
Elsewhere on this website we explain that P.R. gains credibility for a company in a way advertising rarely can. But marketing communications is not an exact science, so it is prudent to present a mix to the customer - don't put all your eggs in one basket.

How do I extend the reach of my message?
It makes sense to use newsletters in tandem with media P.R. so that your reach extends beyond existing customers to a wider audience. Successful media coverage alone could pay for the cost of your publication. And, if we are writing your newsletter, the newsgathering on those stories will largely be complete, so the cost of your P.R. will be reduced significantly.

If you are already spending a large amount on advertising, you should supplement that spend (or utilise some of it) by engaging a P.R. company - like Inkwell. The goodwill you have built up through advertising with those publications will improve your chances of achieving media coverage.

What we won't do

>We won't expect you to find stories for each issue of your newsletter

>And we won't try to sell you a website, a brochure, a marketing strategy or an ad campaign

But we will raise awareness about your company and products through good P.R. and produce a well-composed, targeted publication with impact and readability.

>Provide leadership

>Acknowledge excellence

>Manage expectations

>Manage change

>Recognise stakeholders

>Discuss detailed propositions/objections

>Provide a focus for the staff community

>Help direct and steer the staff agenda

>Engage your staff (if it doesn't, your target audience may be too disparate, in which case you may need to produce more than one newsletter edition).

A staff newsletter can combat forces working against the objectives of the company and managing information about it. These forces could be ...

>A disgruntled employee 'poisoning the pool' against you

>A dissatisfied customer intent on bad publicity for you

>Apathy within the workforce

>Poor middle management

>Scanty information-sharing at certain levels of the organisation

>Little fiefdoms in far flung parts of the organisation

>Too much 'fire-fighting', too little foresight

So, why should you commission a customer newsletter rather than, say, spend more on advertising or take a trade stand at another industry exhibition?

> newsletters work because customers read them

> newsletters work because they present a good environment to serve/enhance the media message by entertaining readers

> newsletters work because they increase customer loyalty by reminding customers of specific benefits of the brand which may have been forgotten

> newsletters work because they bring customers closer to you by inspiring, surprising and engaging them

> newsletters work because they deliver measurable results by encouraging customers to spend more

> newsletters work because they bring other communication tools to life such as driving new visitors to websites

> newsletters work because they help confirm the personality of the brand by offering it in a form the customer likes

> newsletters work because they build profitable customer relationships by introducing new products and services.

Research
After an initial consultation with you to define the goals and purpose of the publication we will develop ongoing ideas for the year ahead. We research your company so that we are familiar with your field of work. With your permission we speak to staff, customers and suppliers to dig out stories we can use for the newsletters. The newsletter will take on an important function so we will be sensitive to and supportive of your other staff communications. The day-to-day newsgathering is carried out in the same way any magazine or newspaper would function.

Design
The design of the newsletter says a lot about your company and the way you feel about your staff. We will produce some draft options that we feel would meet your requirements, but the final decision is yours.

Editorial
Quality writing is about knowing the readership. We don't write for ourselves or your board of directors (unless that's what you want), we write for your readers. We not only write well, we write about the right subjects. We know how newsletters fit into the marketing mix and we will be sensitive to and supportive of your other communications. We can include contributions from your staff and management which we will copy edit if required.

Questionnaires
It makes sense to use the regular contact you maintain with your staff or customers through the newsletter for other purposes. Questionnaires can ask what people think of company objectives, operational changes or even the newsletter itself.

Ad sales
Sometimes there is scope to take on some third party advertising. This is not always necessary or desirable, but surrounding your products and editorial with well-chosen ads can be mutually beneficial as it shows you are supported by quality brands/suppliers and gives the sense that the magazine is not a 'one trick pony'.

Print production supervision
We will ensure superior printing. You will sign off on both our in-house copy draft and the pre-print layout draft in .pdf format.

Final distribution
How will your staff or customers receive the magazine? We can deliver to your outlets or we can mail-sort for large print runs to cut postage costs.

Web integration
It is a relatively simple matter to upload a regular newsletter to a website. This is a good way to keep your site current and provide a good reason for return visits as well as a way to make new contacts. The 'voice' of both the newsletter and the website should be aligned so the reader receives one clear message.
Most new visitors to websites come from print magazines, so if traffic is light it may be because people have not had a 'real world' recommendation. Your newsletter will remind customers of the benefits of logging on in each issue.

How did I get landed with this?

Of course, many companies produce their own newsletters in-house. This usually shows some enlightened person with a dynamic personality (we’re slightly biased, here!). If you are this person and doing a good job you should be congratulated.

But many times we hear of people (often in very senior positions) who have this responsibility thrust upon them for a temporary period and then the job remains a permanent feature in their in-tray. They, and only they, know what a big job it is.

Remember that editorial committee meeting in the not-too-distant past when it was agreed a newsletter was going to be the best thing since mashed potato? How it was going to cure all your communication problems? And how everybody on the committee was going to contribute each month? And how they would do all the work and you would 'just pull it all together'?

The people on that committee have now found 'more important' things to do since then and it's left to you to sort out. Hey, this is a major part of your workload and it's not even on your job description!

We suggest you...