Tip! Post a newsletter form on every page of your website.

An essential task of running a small business is continually gaining and keeping customers. Here are a few ways publishing an informative, timely newsletter can help you meet your business goals:

1. It will keep you in touch with your customers. If you want repeat business, you must keep your company’s name in front of your customers. Reading a helpful newsletter geared toward your business will keep your current customers thinking of you. They will know your phone number next time they need your services, and they will be more likely to recommend your services to friends or family.

2. It can deliver new product information. Keep your customers informed of any new or updated products your business now offers.

3. It can communicate sales information. Let your most important customers know in advance of any upcoming sales, or perhaps kick-backs they can receive from referrals.

Electronic newsletters offer additional benefits for your business:

First, they’re quick. With email newsletters there’s no waiting for printing and mailing. By-passing the mailbox also saves your business money on postage.

Second, they pass your information along word-of-mouse. With electronic newsletters, people can pass-on your information simply by forwarding your newsletter to friends, family or other potential customers.

Third, providing a link for feedback and comments also gives your customers a quick, easy way to reach you. For example, if you own a landscape company you could provide informative articles in your newsletter about caring for and choosing the right plants, when to plant, when to apply fertilizer, weed killer for the lawn, etc. Customers could easy email you with questions or to schedule an appointment.

Tip! Include the ‘Benefits of Subscribing’ to the newsletter, rarely do people sign up to a newsletter without knowing what is in it for them. For example you could write ‘Sign up to my free newsletter to learn all the latest cutting edge secrets and techniques for building a castle out of cards’.

If you don’t feel you can write your own company newsletter, hire a professional to do it for you. Just don’t miss out on the many benefits of this terrific marketing tool.

Diane Samson is a writer with The Lieurance Group, a freelance writers’ cooperative in Kansas City, Missouri. Samson can provide writing, reporting and editing services for magazines, newspapers, corporate communications and especially animal publications. Find out more about her writing services at http://www.lieurancegroup.blogspot.com or email her at dianesamson@birch.net