 Marketing
Best Practices
Your News is Good News!
By Leslie Joy Ickowitz
What’s new with your business? Surely you can think of
something. Perhaps you landed a new account, won an
award, or sponsored a charity event. Did your firm
employ a new computer program to streamline day-to-day
productivity? Maybe you purchased a special new pencil
that you are so impressed with, you want to scream it
from the rooftops for all to hear! News can be as simple
as that.
A day spa might add a luxurious new treatment to its
list of services. They could represent a new product
line or hire an aesthetician from Europe.
The point is, there is always news to report and
newsletters are the perfect vehicles with which to
spread the word. Keeping your name in front of your
customers is the name of the game. Newsletters
effectively build customer loyalty in your existing
client base and they help to generate new and referral
business.
Beyond the main feature story, each issue of your
newsletter should include something on the lighter side.
Something for your readers to sink their teeth into and
make them look forward to receiving your newsletter
regularly. Trivia, seasonal recipes or calendars of
events are good examples to try.
Newsletters can be published in print or email formats,
or both. Choosing the right format for you should be
based on the type of business you do. Every person who
enters a day spa should be handed a printed newsletter
to enjoy before, in between, or after treatments.
Including a special offer with each issue keeps your
door swinging with loyal clients coming back for more.
Email newsletters can be “blasted” out to your entire
electronic mailing list in the blink of an eye. Many
companies provide this type of email marketing and
include reporting and statistics to help you track who
is reading what, who is subscribing to your newsletter
and more.
Newsletter marketing is all about quality over quantity.
Where advertising on radio, television or in print ads
may reach a broad demographic, newsletters allow you to
swiftly target your ideal audience. For example,
existing customers are likely to return and take
advantage of your special offer, and will often spread
the word about your product or service to nearby friends
and family. With a little creativity, attracting new
customers comes with the territory too. In many cases,
it only takes one, two or three sales to cover the cost
of producing your newsletter.
How do you get started sending out newsletters? Begin by
collecting physical and/or email addresses from everyone
you come in contact with and ask if they would mind
being included on your mailing list. From there,
building your mailing list is as easy as including a
contest as part of your content. The day spa may offer a
free pedicure for the person who signs up the most
friends as subscribers to its newsletter.
Mailing newsletters is an effective distribution option
but with a little creativity, you can save money on
postage. If the day spa is located in a strip center
with a gym, a smoothie shop, a pizza place and a bikini
store, asking the fellow merchants to keep copies of the
newsletter by the cash register is a good idea that
doesn’t cost a thing.
Another trick to reduce cost is to have your newsletter
sponsored by another business interested in reaching
your audience. Sponsorships are equivalent to someone
advertising on your newsletter.
Terrified of writing? Too busy doing business to produce
your newsletter regularly? Professional help is
available to custom craft your message for your audience
and to keep them wanting more.
Just imagine: instead of getting lost in a sea of glossy
competitor advertisements, you can have your own
personal publication. And that comes with a touch of
prestige too.
Start spreading the news!
Leslie Joy Ickowitz is president of Empire Public
Relations, a boutique agency that specializes in
producing captivating custom newsletters for luxury
lifestyle industries. She can be reached at
Leslie@EmpirePublicRelations.com.
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