The Enduring Power of the Printed Newsletter

THINK INK!!!

By Dale W. Hutchings

I get my fair share of e-newsletters every day in the tsunami of e-mails that come to my mailbox. With each one I quickly ask myself, “Do I want to take the time to read this?  Is this newsletter really important for me to read at this minute or some time today?” Within seconds I have made a decision. Many of them quickly make it to the trash.  A significant smaller number get saved in a folder for a rainy day, which we know isn’t often for many months in Florida.  And an even smaller number get read by me at that very moment or sometime in the next 24 hours.

In comparison, from the U.S. Postal Service I can expect to get a little more than a handful in six months.  Because of their rare occurrence, there is a better than even chance I will take the time to read each of them, especially if the newsletter is eye-catching, well-written and has educational value, not merely a sales promotion piece.

This may be a surprise to you, from someone who specializes in out-of-the-box marketing for a living, but I say the traditional printed newsletter can still be an effective marketing tool. In fact, in a highly competitive business, such as real estate or financial planning, you may get a stronger response mailing a printed newsletter than trying to compete with all of the online newsletters being published by your competition.

Hence, the printed newsletter is not dead yet; it is still being read.  Especially by those of us, say over 30, who for most of our lives have received much of our information from print mediums. Print, for many of us, remains an acceptable way to communicate, especially when you consider how many hours per day a large part of our population spends in front of a computer.  Doing something that doesn’t require reading from a computer screen can truly be a welcome respite for many individuals.

According to a recent study by ContentWise, formerly Publications Management -- a national, leading monthly newsletter that covers how best to create, produce and deliver an organization’s message -- printed newsletters are still the preferred publishing medium for 40% of those targeted by the corporate world. This was validated in yet another study by Northeastern University for Standard & Poor’s Financial Communications. They surveyed 4,000 clients of mutual companies, brokerages, banks, insurance companies and retirement plan providers and got these results: 33% of respondents favored a print newsletter compared to just 21% preferring an e-mail version, with another 41% wishing to receive both.

Sure, an e-mail newsletter is less expensive to produce and is easier for keeping track of subscribers, but a printed newsletter has its advantages, too. A printed newsletter tends to have a longer life span, since for many people it is easier to file and keep for future reference; and as mentioned earlier, a printed version may be more effective when targeting more mature adults and seniors, both of whom have spent much of their lives reading printed media.

Regardless of the format, here are some basic elements you need to keep in mind to maximize readership:

1. Be Sure Your Newsletter Is Attractive/ Has A Professional Look. Avoid clutter. Make it reader-friendly. (If you are not artistic, then hire someone who is.  A good graphic artist can do wonders for your newsletter.)

2. Make Copy Concise, To The Point.  Articles that are short and packed with useful information should always be your objective for copy content.  If you have a subject that requires a detailed explanation, put the opening paragraphs of your article in the newsletter; then refer the reader to your website to read the complete article.

3. Keep Sales/Advertising Content To A Bare Minimum. It’s okay to have a discount coupon or ads from other businesses to help reduce costs, but keep these to a minimum. The vast majority of the publication ought to be news and information. After all, it’s a newsletter; hence, it should have news first and foremost.