Ask The Expert
Should I Send A Paper And Email Version Of My Newsletter?
Q: “My business is made up mostly of individual clients, some of which are older and they don't use computers. I'd like to send an email newsletter to some and a paper copy to others. Is that possible? Is it worth it or should I just concentrate on those who have email addresses?”
Good for you for choosing to do a newsletter! It might seem like a small step now, but it’s marketing efforts like these that lead to incremental growth down the road.
Some people do choose to send out both an email and paper version of their newsletters, but whether it’s worth it for your business is determined by the content you provide and the nature of your clients.
Since you mention the majority of your business is made up of seniors, it could be worth the extra effort to mail out a paper version, since it’s still the preferred media for that demographic. Your newsletter could be one of the items they look forward to receiving in their mailbox every month, especially if you can consistently deliver useful news and tips.
Depending on how you create your e-newsletters, they can be very inexpensive, and the only time they require is pulling together the articles, tips and news to fill it. With mail you will have to invest more in printing and postage. Plus there’s the extra time you need to spend stuffing envelopes and the trip to the post office.
The other benefit of email is you can track how many people open and read your newsletter. This is invaluable information when gauging whether your efforts are worth it, or if little tweaks you make improve readership. With mailed newsletters it’s difficult to know what’s working and what isn’t.
My suggestion would be to start with just the e-newsletter, and see what kind of response you get. Tackling the online version first will let you see how much time to budget for developing your content before adding on the mailing. Keep in mind your email subscriber list may be an entirely different demographic than your mailing list. If that’s the case, the response you get to your e-newsletter might not be duplicated when you send out a paper version.
Once you think you’ve struck the right balance of content, you can send out a batch of paper newsletters to your clients. You may even want to send out a small “test” batch before sending to your entire mailing list. Make sure there are a few enticements for people to contact you sprinkled amongst the educational content. One way to elicit feedback is to have an “Ask the Insurance Expert” section. Invite readers to send you their insurance questions and concerns. You can also include an update on a new or existing product, and invite readers to contact you to learn more.
After a few months, you may even want to send out a reader survey. Ask them what they find the most helpful and if they’d ever pass it on or show it to a friend (a true test of your newsletter’s value!)
You may find the paper version is a great relationship-building tool, or not worth the effort. The important thing is to first set your goal for the newsletter, and try your best to measure the results.
For both your e-newsletter and paper version, make sure you us a 14-point font. It’s a lot friendlier on senior eyes.
For more info on how to send an e-newsletter, check out August’s Ask The Expert.
 Jeremiah Desmarais and his team have won 3 awards in 2006 for their marketing initiatives that touch Norvax' client base and carrier relationships on a daily basis. He is author of several white papers including the applauded ‘Selling Insurance Online: Identifying 9 Top Trends for 2006’, and has been a contributor to the Agent’s Sales Journal, Health Insurance Underwriter as well as a guest speaker at various carrier events and workshops. He is a member of the Society of Industry Leaders. He welcomes feedback at jdesmarais@norvax.com
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