We are unashamedly biased about the power of printed marketing materials, but we also only ever recommend marketing practices that have a proven track record. And printed newsletters really can connect and help to build lasting relationships with your customers. Of course, digital newsletters have plenty of advantages: they’re easier to put together for one, but we’re not arguing for one over the other, but a combination of printed and digital marketing collateral to give you the best of both worlds.
These are just some of the advantages of adding a printed newsletter to the mix:
And, to back this up, according to research from Royal Mail’s MarketReach unit:
Advertising received through the post is also kept in a household for an average of 17 days and as this infographic shows mail is far more valued than email.
Demonstration of the Value Effect
The emotional impact of mail versus email, showing the ‘Value’ effect
So, here are our top five ways to use a printed newsletter to grab your customers’ attention and show them you care.
1. Be opinionated
You might say BISON wrote the book on this one, but hopefully we prove the case that being opinionated can be a good thing, if used in the right way. Your newsletter is an opportunity to let your expertise shine through: print carries more authority, the format gives you the freedom to go more in-depth and for your insight to be kept for future reference. By sharing your opinions, industry knowledge and ideas you also share your philosophy and the benefit of your experience, build trust and strengthen your reputation with your customers.
2. Human interest
The popularity of boxsets tells us everything we need to know about the power of stories and how much we like to learn about the experiences of others. You can reveal something of your business’s personality if you talk about your people – charity work, team outings, glimpses of personal life, and goals and aspiration – then you paint a picture.
Your customers can also tell your brand’s story for you. Success stories are a tried- and-tested way of showing how your business solved a problem and got results, and it’s so much more powerful when a client volunteers praise and endorsement. It’s also valuable for your customer to be recognised in your newsletter because it will be meaningful to see themselves in print.
3. Make a quality impression
Because a newsletter is physical it’s a real opportunity to make a statement in a way that you can’t with digital media. A newsletter already shows your customers that you’ve invested time and money in providing useful information to help them, but you can score bonus points by making a quality impression. You’ve got many tools to use to your advantage: colour, layout, print finish, paper stock and binding. And BISON can help you to make the right choices.
4. Make it a sales tool, too
To stretch your investment in your newsletter, you can extend its shelf life by using it as a leave behind for sales meetings, a handout at an exhibition or after a public-speaking event. It might help to expand on that first encounter and reinforce that your business is a good communicator, relationship builder and keen to add value.
5. Integration
You will have useful online content that you can use in your newsletter – taking it to a new audience and helping you to get more from the investment you’ve made in the content in the first place.
Newsletters are an invaluable element of the marketing toolkit and so should fit with other brand communications, from your signage to your website. A customer familiar with your brand should recognise the newsletter instantly as being from you. Likewise, if a customer visits your website for the first time after reading your newsletter the visual clues and style should be the same.
Also, a newsletter can refer people online for similar articles, galleries or video content.
How BISON can help
BISON can manage your newsletter from beginning to end. Our comprehensive service includes: creative design, layout, photography, copywriting, editing, proofreading, print, finishing and mailing.
Find out how BISON can increase your business’s exposure with a printed newsletter. To start the conversation today, call Managing Director Mark Bidewell on 01622 677541 or email mark@madebybison.co.uk
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