is far more lucrative to a business or medical practice to keep a current customer than it is to attract a new one. Newsletters zero in on these highly valuable individuals. These are your most valuable contacts, and you show respect by giving them the best.

The form of a newsletter can be a bit of a puzzle. Email newsletters are gaining in popularity and can be done as emails (where the newsletter is the body of the email) or as attachments (in which a file is attached to a short e

Most marketing people think of newsletters as quaint old things, like handwritten letters or mimeograph machines. While marketing is not immune to fads, newsletters are an absolute evergreen. After all, how can direct communication with your customers ever be a bad thing? And if you do it right, your customers will actually look forward to hearing from you!

One reason newsletters are so hot is that no one is doing them. Some marketers may think they're hopelessly old school. Others may have tried to do them and failed (they're harder than they look). And still others are so buried under the avalanche of everyday emergencies that doing something as benign and friendly as a newsletter sounds almost unproductive.

Newsletters are powerful. Think about what they are for a minute: it is a way for you to communicate directly with your customers at regular intervals. Most other marketing communications efforts are hit-or-miss. You place an ad that is seen by people who might be interested in your product but also by many others that will never want your product. A brochure can be put into the hands of many people, including a lot of highly disinterested parties.

But a newsletter goes right to the heart of your business: your real customers. The mailing list of your customers is pure gold. These are people who know your company, know what you sell, and have at least given you the impression that they like what you do. This isn't just preaching to the choir, it's fish in a barrel.

Think of a newsletter as permission to have a standing meeting or get-together with your customers at regular intervals.

Newsletter writing is not the same as writing copy to persuade. With non-customers, you have to convince them to try your product or service. With customers, that persuasion is no longer necessary. You can talk in detail about your products, services, vision, and plans.

Most marketing studies of customers have shown that it is far more lucrative to a business or medical practice to keep a current customer than it is to attract a new one. Newsletters zero in on these highly valuable individuals. These are your most valuable contacts, and you show respect by giving them the best.

The form of a newsletter can be a bit of a puzzle. Email newsletters are gaining in popularity and can be done as emails (where the newsletter is the body of the email) or as attachments (in which a file is attached to a short em

ay have tried to do them and failed (they're harder than they look). And still others are so buried under the avalanche of everyday emergencies that doing something as benign and friendly as a newsletter sounds almost unproductive.

Newsletters are powerful. Think about what they are for a minute: it is a way for you to communicate directly with your customers at regular intervals. Most other marketing communications efforts are hit-or-miss. You place an ad that is seen by people who might be interested in your product but also by many others that will never want your product. A brochure can be put into the hands of many people, including a lot of highly disinterested parties.

But a newsletter goes right to the heart of your business: your real customers. The mailing list of your customers is pure gold. These are people who know your company, know what you sell, and have at least given you the impression that they like what you do. This isn't just preaching to the choir, it's fish in a barrel.

Think of a newsletter as permission to have a standing meeting or get-together with your customers at regular intervals.

Newsletter writing is not the same as writing copy to persuade. With non-customers, you have to convince them to try your product or service. With customers, that persuasion is no longer necessary. You can talk in detail about your products, services, vision, and plans.

Most marketing studies of customers have shown that it is far more lucrative to a business or medical practice to keep a current customer than it is to attract a new one. Newsletters zero in on these highly valuable individuals. These are your most valuable contacts, and you show respect by giving them the best.

The form of a newsletter can be a bit of a puzzle. Email newsletters are gaining in popularity and can be done as emails (where the newsletter is the body of the email) or as attachments (in which a file is attached to a short e

ight be interested in your product but also by many others that will never want your product. A brochure can be put into the hands of many people, including a lot of highly disinterested parties.

But a newsletter goes right to the heart of your business: your real customers. The mailing list of your customers is pure gold. These are people who know your company, know what you sell, and have at least given you the impression that they like what you do. This isn't just preaching to the choir, it's fish in a barrel.

Think of a newsletter as permission to have a standing meeting or get-together with your customers at regular intervals.

Newsletter writing is not the same as writing copy to persuade. With non-customers, you have to convince them to try your product or service. With customers, that persuasion is no longer necessary. You can talk in detail about your products, services, vision, and plans.

Most marketing studies of customers have shown that it is far more lucrative to a business or medical practice to keep a current customer than it is to attract a new one. Newsletters zero in on these highly valuable individuals. These are your most valuable contacts, and you show respect by giving them the best.

The form of a newsletter can be a bit of a puzzle. Email newsletters are gaining in popularity and can be done as emails (where the newsletter is the body of the email) or as attachments (in which a file is attached to a short e

choir, it's fish in a barrel.

Think of a newsletter as permission to have a standing meeting or get-together with your customers at regular intervals.

Newsletter writing is not the same as writing copy to persuade. With non-customers, you have to convince them to try your product or service. With customers, that persuasion is no longer necessary. You can talk in detail about your products, services, vision, and plans.

Most marketing studies of customers have shown that it is far more lucrative to a business or medical practice to keep a current customer than it is to attract a new one. Newsletters zero in on these highly valuable individuals. These are your most valuable contacts, and you show respect by giving them the best.

The form of a newsletter can be a bit of a puzzle. Email newsletters are gaining in popularity and can be done as emails (where the newsletter is the body of the email) or as attachments (in which a file is attached to a short e

is far more lucrative to a business or medical practice to keep a current customer than it is to attract a new one. Newsletters zero in on these highly valuable individuals. These are your most valuable contacts, and you show respect by giving them the best.

The form of a newsletter can be a bit of a puzzle. Email newsletters are gaining in popularity and can be done as emails (where the newsletter is the body of the email) or as attachments (in which a file is attached to a short email). The electronic newsletter has a few advantages: it's relatively cheap to produce (no printing) and distribution is inexpensive (no postage).

When producing an electronic newsletter there are a few considerations. First, if you're working with HTML (the stuff that builds website images and text) or an attachment, do not skimp on color. Color costs extra at the printers, but not in the electronic world. You can send images, colored charts and graphs, as well as text as cheaply as you can send a block of text. On the other hand, don't make your files too complex. A big fat email can jam an inbox (marketing rule number 1: it is generally not good business to irritate your customers) or be slow to download. Some people routinely block pop-ups or employ firewalls or filters for their mail; an image-packed e-mail can wind up in the junk file or the recipient may not be able to open it. Be aware, too, that some hand-held devices work great with all text emails but not so well with the fancier kind.

The traditional print newsletter requires layout, printing, and distribution, so it's generally a more costly proposition. However, there is something incredibly powerful about a printed piece, especially one that is very sharply targeted. Think of a good newsletter like an actual letter. With digital printing technology and a bulk rate mail permit, a print newsletter can be relatively economical. The beauty of a printed piece is that it is more like to get into the home of your customer, to linger on a coffee table or desk. It might get picked up and read a couple of times. From time to time, one reader will physicially share your newsletter with a friend, colleague, or family member. That's much less likely for electronic documents.

There are some new takes on how to produce a newsletter. I subscribe to a monthly newsletter that is a hodge-podge of media. Opening each issue is like getting a bunch of presents. It generally includes