Marketing For Power Packed Business Growth

You’re in Business and you know you need marketing. Marketing can be through your adverts in yellow pages, copy in newsprint and the media, web sites, sales letters, even business cards.

There’s an absolute classic book for anyone who aspires to write working copy for almost any purpose by the late master marketer Claude Hopkins called “Scientific Advertising”.

David Olgilvy said, “Nobody, at any level, should be allowed to have anything to do with advertising until he has read this book seven times".

I agree. That’s why I’ve put some investment into making an ebook version of Scientific Advertising available for you. The reason? You’ll understand more about what is good practise for advertising in all its forms and be able to choose the best value copywriter for your own work.

In it Claude Hopkins writes well, as you’d expect, and tells some home truths, like:

• “The only purpose of advertising is to make sales” (page 8) ... does your advertising agency talk to you about branding rather than sales?
• Ads “...are written to please the seller. The interests of the buyer are forgotten” (page 11) ... do you think times have changed? They haven’t...
• ”Human nature is perpetual. In most respects it is the same today as in the time of Caesar” (page 23) ... that means what Hopkins writes applies now as it did then. Does your agency think that way?
• “An ad-writer to have a chance of success, must gain full information on his subject” (page 41) ... does your agency ask you for all your previous ads, letters, yellow page and internet site details?

• Direct response letters ,,,”you act on or the ones you keep have a headline which attracted your interest” (page 65) ... remember headlines are the only way people are attracted to read your ad, email, web site page or your letter

It contains over 70 pages of easy to read, grasp and apply material written by probably one of the top ad men of all time.

To get yourself a copy subscribe to my blog (either by email or using RSS - both on the right hand side of the blog).

Once you’ve received the ebook if you wish you can unsubscribe. If you’d prefer to read the book online Michel Fortin has put a copy of Scientific Advertising into HTML.

(Note to my existing subscribers: I won’t send you a copy unless you email me requesting one so you don’t suddenly receive something by email you weren’t expecting!)

Darren Rowse at Problogger.com asked Guy Kawasaki (the author of "The Art of The Start" and "Rules for Revolutionaries" ) one question along the lines of: What would you do differently if you had to start your blog again?

(25-01-2007 Update: I put Guy down as the author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad - which is incorrect as Karl Blanks was kind enough to point out. As I own Rich Dad, Poor Dad I should have remembered! Anyway thanks Karl)

Guy’s Kawasaki’s answer was

“I have a slightly different take on this. If I could start all over again, I would not have created a web site (ie, www.guykawasaki.com). I would have started with a blog and used my siderail for all the “brochure” functions of my site.”

Guy goes on to explain that his site had about 500 people a day visit compared to his blog which has 10,000 people either reading or subscribing to it.

In reality a blog is a web site. It’s just taken the content management out of the technical people’s hands more. So people can add content almost at will. Even editing templates is not beyond the wit of many internet users.

Does that mean we should ditch web sites?

I think most companies still benefit from a recognisable web site. The thing to do is to post your blog to your web site so you’re getting the advantage of constant new content for your site. Provided it’s useful of course!

Wikipedia: Darren Rowse, Problogger, Guy Kawasaki, Blogging

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I’ve a Wordpress blog which I’m seriously considering moving to. I’ve just added a post titled “How To Live Happily With A Great Marketer” which lists some of the points that business should remember when employing great marketing people. It’s created using a list devised by Seth Godin for Designers and their employers as the base.

It’s slightly tongue in cheek and true at the same time!

Enjoy

PS The main thing that’s currently stopping me from moving to Wordpress.com is the lack of access to the template.

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Wikipedia: Wordpress, blog, Seth Godin , marketing
Google: Wordpress, blog, Seth Godin , marketing
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Rich Brooks from Flyte blog posted about a viral marketing email that uses pictures of monkeys and allows you to add voices and clothes.

So I thought I’d use their components to make a talking chimp as a tongue in cheek viral demonstration of a receptionist damaging your company. (note the receptionist is holding a sparkler not a stick of dynamite).

You can try it out yourself too.

The company who provided the tools to create these monkeys is www.oddcast.com They have a whole host of ways to help companies produce their own viral messages.

While catching up on reading Seth Godin’s blog I came across a post about receptionists that really a lot of SMEs never consider.

Seth works out the cost of not hiring an exceptional receptionist.

Think about this...

Let’s say you wanted to buy some really nice high class coleslaw from a delicatessen. And as luck would have it across the road from you there are two delicatessens.

You look in through the first one’s window. It’s difficult to see through as the windows that looked clean are actually smeared and it distorts the food, and in particular the coleslaw, inside so it looks grotesque. Then you step over to the other delicatessen and look through its sparkling windows. You can see directly into the shop where the coleslaw is piled high on a gleaming white dish.

Which shop would you buy your coleslaw from?

Now you realise why it’s important to appreciate that a receptionist has the power to enhance or detract from your visitors experience with your business.

Are you a great business but one who has a distinctly mediocre receptionist who is going to distort your visitors view of your firm?

Think about it. Visitor perception is their reality. If they think you’re a poor firm to do business with that will come through in your sales.

6,751 unread email messages in my inbox.

Is that a record I wonder?

Certainly that was the number that confronted me on Monday last week.

I’d already set-up rules to move emails I didn’t want to read immediately into grouped folders.

As I’m keenly interested in Marketing, Sales and PR I’m subscribed to a vast number of ezines.

Usually I read each issue until I decide whether I want to continue reading them or just want to occassionally search through them for inspiration. Then I set-up a folder and rule to ensure they don’t go stay in the inbox. Unfortunately the system broke down a few months ago and I didn’t get round to sorting it out until last week!

Anyway I thought it might be intriguing to see how many folders I currently have set-up that hold ezines and emails from various experts, gurus and others.

I’ve split them into groups. Although some people really overlap into these different groups.

The groups are:

• Affiliate marketers


• Star marketing and/or copywriting people


• Other marketing people


• PR


• Sales

Interestingly PR and Sales have less people in because if their ezine starts straying into marketing it gets put into the marketing group.

I have missed some people off and I’ll explain why after the groups.

So in the groups we have:

Affiliate Marketers

Chris Attwood, Cody Moya, Daniel Levis, Darren Yates, David Frey, Dearl Miller, Ian Herculson, Jeff Walker, Joe Cooper, Keith Wellman, Kirt Christensen, Melvin Ng, Michael Green, Peter Woodhead, Shawn Casey, Ted Ciuba, Tom Hua, Tony Woodcock

Star Marketers And Copywriters

John Reese, Alex Mandossian, Armand Morin, Bob Bly, Brian Keith Voiles, Carl Galletti. Craig Garber, Dan Kennedy, Fred Gleek, Gary Bencivenga, Gary Halbert, Jay Abraham, Jim Edwards, Joe Polish, Joe Vitale, Joel Christopher, John Carlton, John Jantsch, Ken Evoy, Ken McCarthy, Marlon Sanders, Michel Fortin, Mike Litman, Mitch Meyerson, Perry Marshall, Steven Pierce, Ted Nicholas, Roy H. Williams, Willie Crawford, Yanik Silver

Other Marketing People

Alan Forest Smith, Alan Rosenspan, Arielle Ford, Josh Anderson, Bernadette Doyle, Alice Seba, Bob Serling, Brad Callen, Brad Fallon, Brandon Hong, Brett McFall, Bruce Carlson, Bryan Kumar, Carlo Selorio, Charlie Cook, Chris Cardell, Chris Marlow, Clifford Mee, Colin Bates, David Beroff, David Frey, David Guindon, David Lakhani, Debbie Jenkins, Frank Kern, Glenn Dietzel, Henry Gold, James Maduk, Jeff Dedrick, Jo Han Mok, Joe Cooper, Joe Lavery, John Forde, Kelley Robertson, Ken Reno, Kenrick Cleveland, Kevin Bidwell, Kevin Donlin, Kevin Hogan, Kevin Nunley, Kevin Wilke, Kurt Mortensen, Larry Dotson, Lee Benson, Leon Klepfish, Lorrie Morgan-Ferrero, Marcia Yudkin, Mark Hendricks, Martha Retallick, Matt Bacak, Matt Callen, Matt Gill, Michael Cheney, Michael Green, Michael Kimble, Michael Rasmussen, Michael Senoff, Michael Wolfe, Mike Bresica, Mike Filisame, Neil Stafford, Nick Usborne, Pat O’Bryan, Patric Chan, Peter Twist, Peter Woodhead, Rich Schefren, Rick Raddatz, Robert Imbriale, Robert Middleton, Robert Puddy, Robert Ringer, Roy Young, Sean D’Souza, Stu McLaren, Veronica Lim, Warren Whitlock, William Arruda

PR People

Annie Jennings, Bill Stoller, Paul Hartunian, Joan Stewart

Sales People

Brian Tracy, Frank Runbauskas, Michael Oliver, Shamus Brown

As you can see quite a few folders are needed to control the massive amounts of ezines I get.

In addition there are ezines where I’ve not assigned a person’s name, often because it’s a group effort. For example Marketing Sherpa and Selling Naturally. I’ve also missed out Seth Godin and Dave Taylor because I often drop by their blogs and have never subscribed.

Who’s In My Top Ten For Marketing, PR And Sales?

As always my choice is different to yours. Because it all depends on your own level of expertise, your interests and what you’re trying to achieve.

It’s a difficult choice but if I was only allowed to choose 10 ezines my top 10 would, in no order, be as follows:

• Gary Halbert - in particular wonderfully written copy


• Marketing Sherpa - fantastic marketing case studies


• Michel Fortin - great copywriting and fantastic forum


• Brian Tracy - salesman par excellence


• John Jantsch - Duct Tape Marketing is a fun read


• Roy H. Williams - Concentrates almost exclusively on better advertising


• Ted Nicholas - Master copywriter, business owner and marketeer


• Dan Kennedy - marketing thoughts


• Joan Stewart - The Publicity Hound - great on PR


• Gary Bencivenga - amazing “apparently effortless” copywriting

You’ve probably noticed that I’ve missed out Jay Abraham? That’s because he doesn’t really use an ezine, although he does partner with other people to offer his thoughts and products through their ezines.

If you’ve not see/heard of these 10 and you want your business to grow you should check some of their articles out and use them in your own business.

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Wikipedia: Copywriter, Marketing, Affiliate Marketers, Star marketers, PR, Gary Halbert, Marketing Sherpa, Michel Fortin, Brian Tracy, John Jantsch, Roy H. Williams, Ted Nicholas, Dan Kennedy, Joan Stewart, Gary Bencivenga, Jay Abraham
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Technorati: Copywriter, Marketing, Affiliate Marketers, Star marketers, PR, Gary Halbert, Marketing Sherpa, Michel Fortin, Brian Tracy, John Jantsch, Roy H. Williams, Ted Nicholas, Dan Kennedy, Joan Stewart, Gary Bencivenga, Jay Abraham
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I've just read a nice article on blog marketing by Lee Odden. In his post he gives "25 tips for marketing your blog".

Including Lees and to make 35 tips in all I've added a further 10 wrinkles for blog marketing:

26. If you've never blogged before try it out first using one of the many FREE services such as Blogger or Wordpress before deciding to invest in a paid service

27. Always use an offline client (such as Elicit, there are others) to prepare your blog posting. It means you have control over your posting and you don't lose it if your blog site goes down, or you lose network connection

28. Spell check each post

29. When you've posted re-read it and don't be afraid to re-jig the post to make it read better

30. As always remember that the Internet has a long memory. Anything you say can be reviewed long after you wrote it. If you've something controversial to say write it in draft and review it the following day. If you're still happy with it post away.

31. Use interesting headlines and remember that some feed readers cut off the headline after so many characters

32. Always post assuming you're being read and don't assume you're not being read because you've no comments

33. Provide extra resources like links to files and books for your readers

34. A specific niche blog is going to attract a lot of that markets online readers

35. As with web sites content is king. With no good content your blog is spam and may get visited but nobody will link to it and you will get no subscribers to it

blog, blogging, blogger, wordpress, top tips, blog marketing

If your motto is "let's just get it done" you've the drive to become highly successful at what you do. If your motto is "Let's see what happens to other people then copy them for success" you have the potential for success.

Unhappily if your motto is "let's keep trying stuff" you're either broke, bumping along making minimal profits or you're bankrupt.

Years of working with entrepreneurs and others has convinced me that these three types exist. It's not to say you can't graduate from one to another. It's just that typically there's only 3 main types.

When it comes to marketing it's interesting to see how each operates.

Mr. "Let's Just Get It Done"

Typically he will have loads of ideas for his business. They may or may not work. His drive ensures that though he might fail 90 times out of 100 the 10 times he does well more than balances out the failures. Unfortunately it's rare that this type knows enought about marketing to really make the profits he deserves.

Often they'll know about marketing, even use it but not be fully aware of how much more they could provide for their clients. In fact how much more their clients would like them to provide. And in doing so make more profits.

Mr "Let's see what happens to other people then copy them for success"

They'll find an idea they like the look of and investigate and analyse it to death. They tend to spend a long time on the sidelines watching how other successful businesses work. Then once they're happy that the business they've chosen works well they'll set-off, ready to cut their losses if it doesn't go well and retire back into paid employment.

They may know some marketing but in copying another business all they're doing is giving people more choice. More choice means pressure on margins and unless they can differentiate themselves they're doomed to lower profitability than they should have. 

Mr. "let's keep trying stuff"

This type gets into business for a variety of reasons. They don't think through what they're trying to achieve. There is no marketing strategy. Instead there are a series of marketing mistakes. Where typically they "try" a marketing tactic they like the sound of. If it doesn't work then obviously that method of marketing is rubbish, "let's try another."

Because they have not stepped back and positively decided what they're selling and who their target clients are any marketing they attempt will definitely fail. They may stay in business by feverishly selling their product and services. But they'll never be able to relax and they'll always be concerned about where the money is coming from.

Which One Are You?

Be honest with yourself.

If you're the "let's keep trying" type at least you're persistent. And you need to invest in a coach to get you focused on creating a strategy, define your market and then decide the tactics to use to get repeat business.

If you prefer to copy remember if you copy a business that's heading down the tubes that's where you'll end up. Instead work out what your business aim is and think for yourself about the marketing strategy you need to meet your aim(s). Then go implement it.

If you prefer to "just get it done" that's great on one level. The only thing is how do you know that what you're doing is consistent with your long-term aim(s) for your company? Step back for a short while assess what your company is and decide what you need to do consistently and go and do it.

And when you choose your coach make sure they understand your business, make sure they know marketing, make sure they look at strategy with you.

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entrepreneur, going down the tubes, marketing strategy, marketing tactics

If you write copy that pulls response the phrase "Copy, in one form or other, is the heart and soul of advertising" really speaks deep down to the furthest reaches of your own soul. Or at least it should if you want your advertising to work.

I've quoted the phrase from an article called "Profitable Showmanship" by old-time copywriter and legendary author Kenneth M.Goode in Jo Han Mok's Copywriting Empire Blog.

I would thoroughly recommend you read the article on the Copywriting Empire Blog, not because Kenneth M. Goode is a famous copywriter, because what he says still rings true today.

One of his arguments is for you to look at the amount of white space in editorial (practically nil) whilst adverts tend to have quite a bit. So you're paying for your white space.

He also recommends that you look through a magazine you intend to advertise in. Does your eye stop and read the adverts? Obviously the answer is usually no, or not for long. So why he asks do you think that the general public would stop and read your advert?

Often I come across people who show me ads that do look good but don't actually help them sell.

For example I met up with a entrepreneur today who's advert I'd been sent. It looked good but there were several things wrong with it.

The top and bottom of the ad had some great artwork but they didn't contribute to selling the product. Some of the main issues were as follows:

• There was no mention of the fact that the product was only going to be available until December 2006
  
• Nothing about only having a limited quantity of the product available
  
• Although the entrepreneur knew the product price it was given as a round figure (not very believable)
  
• The product had many benefits but none of these were spelt out in the ad
  
• The headline was uninteresting and wasn't attractive to the target market

It's easy for me to pick apart any advert and point out where it could be improved. But this advert had already run several times. What might it have pulled if it had been more informative and attracted people to it sooner?

A good copywriter would have found all those issues with minutes of picking up the ad.

This illustrates the hidden costs that entrepreneurs go through all the time until they start using people who understand marketing. And I truly believe in the saying: "you just don't know what you don't know."

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marketing, advertising, advertising copy, entrepreneur, copywriting, copywriting empire blog, Jo Han Mok, Kenneth M.Goode , Profitable Showmanship

Search engine optimisation with all it's black hat and white hat methods of tricking or attracting the search engine bots is not the most important thing to look at for your web site.

It's vital that your web site showcases your ability to deliver the services and/or products you offer.

A poorly designed web site that's badly laid out, has poor content or little to no focus loses in the credibility stakes when a buyer compares you with your competitor. The result is a buyer may check your web site and immediately discount you as a supplier. Even if they do ask you to quote they know your web site is not as good as your competitors so you're immediately in the second division.

That means you're only going to be able to get second division fees for your products and services.

You may even get pressured into lowering your fee rates and/or your client worries less about upsetting you with late payment. After all they reason if you don't like it there are plenty of others who can do provide your service.

Of course you know that your service is better than anyone else. The problem is relationships you build with prospects is all about perception. If their perception is that you're second divison and a commodity that's the way you'll get treated.

That perception may change once you've delivered a good service for them but you can bet it's going to be tough to get the premier league or even first division fees you know you need to invest and survive after you've gone in on second division fees.

Does that matter?

Realistically it does.

Every company needs to be paid what they need to survive and to make a reasonable profit to off-set the risk of being in business. Otherwise everyone would just want to work for someone else!

Look at it from a football viewpoint. If you're a premier side but you only get second division gate receipts you wouldn't be able to keep paying your superstar players and you'd soon drop into a lower league and eventually end up in the second division or lower.

That means it's important that every piece of marketing you do resonates with the division you're pitching yourself in.  It's ok to get second division fees if you are second division and there's nothign wrong with that.

Just make sure that one of the first contacts people have with you nowadays  (your web site) matches your aspirations.

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marketing, internet marketing, web site design, search engine optimisation, brand, branding

I was watching my middle daughter's sports day this morning.

And as usual I met up with Stuart who rents out an enormous building that's used as a nightclub in a neighbouring town. When Stuart and I get together we talk about ... business.

I find it fascinating, still, after more years than I can probably even remember.

To others it seems like it's just two people talking about work.

It is and it isn't. Because apart from a good story about the ups and downs of business life you can also pick up pointers to avoid mistakes or pointers to improve your own business.

I know when I go networking I see certain people straining at the leash to brain dump on everyone they can grab and say how their business "...can really help yours. Oh and by the way what is your business?" Yet what they should be doing is telling stories about their business. So they each learn from each other.

Networking should be relaxing, fun and the aim should be to help others in a similar situation to yourself. Because what goes around comes around. People remember that you've helped them - either with a supplier or a client contact.

The other point you really should bear in mind with networking is that each person you meet knows lots of other business people. People who may need your product and service. So avoid the braindump and go for the mutual learning experience and you'll both know more and know more about how your business can help people they know.

While we're on the subject of networking I don't attend those where you are pressured into providing leads each time you meet or the group is restricted to one of each type of company.

The reasons?

1. I believe if you're put under pressure you'll give inferior quality leads that may irritate your own client and will definitely waste the time of the person you gave the refferal to.
   
2. If you restrict a networking group you stop the different viewpoints that other companies in the same sector bring. That's better than trying to use a company that doesn't fit simply because they belong to a networking group.

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Marketing, networking, business networking

Breakthrough marketing is happening all the time all around you.

It's just that you don't see it.

You want to know why?

It's because you're interested in your particular business. You're concerned about getting leads and sales for yourself. What your competitors are doing may interest you for a short while but that interest usually dies quite quickly.

And often companies in the same market tend to approach the market in the same way. Because "it works...".

As far as they know.

Yet there might be a strategy used by another sector that would be the breakthrough for you. Unless you keep your marketing radar on and test and re-test different approaches you'll get the same sort of business veryone else does in your sector.

Using someone who's worked in different sectors, markets or countries can give you insights you can apply in yout business. That's part of the reason for using a coach, particulalry one that's been around a bit. The chances are they'll have worked in different areas than yours.

So breakthrough marketing is really commonsense but as I'm sure someone famous remarked, "common sense is commonly not applied sensibly". That's why an external viewpoint helps to apply the "common sense" to your business.

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Breakthrough marketing, marketing

Billionaire oil magnate John D. Rockerfeller founded Standard Oil in 1870 in the USA and by 1900 controlled 90% of the oil refined there.

So he knew a little about how to make money.

And one of the revealing points he made during his life was this:

"Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing is to let people know you are doing the right thing" - John D. Rockefeller.

It's the "even if you build the best mousetrap in the world don't expect the world to beat a path to your door" viewpoint.

That's the reason marketing is a key way to make business more visible.

Of course marketing a sow's ear as a silk purse, as we've discussed before, wastes your time and your clients. You may as well shut-up shop as you're going to have a hard time persuading people that your product is great for them. When you know it isn't!

Great products already have good sales, or reasonable sales. When you apply appropriate marketing strategies you can double and triple your sales.

Yet so many organisations are complacent about sales. That is until the "me-too" operators start eroding their market share. Too late. You could have had more profits earlier, not now because you'll never stop the "me-too" men.

selling, me too marketing. marketing strategy

The Ostrich in question is actually something I'm picturing in my mind. It's a lovely big black and white plumed bird with yellowy-orange gangly legs. It's swaggering slowly down one of the main roads near you scaring the wits out of the oncoming pedestrians. At the same time imagine it's got a placard round it's neck on which is scrawled the words "Keep Your Head Out Of The Sand!"

I can see you're wondering, "Is it a reminder to itself or an instruction to the rest of us?"

Did you see the ostrich in your mind's eye?Apart from the story being slightly unusal it's meant to get you involved and telling yourself a story. You fill in the gaps and make it a picture for yourself.

That's what a good copywriter does. They look at situations, your products, your services and come up with a creative way of getting through to their target audience. Often by telling a story and getting some emotion into it.

If you write your own advertising copy try and tell your story. Get your audience emotionally involved. But don't pinch my ostrich I may use him elsewhere.

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story telling, marketing, copywriting, copywriter

Happy 4th July!

If you've been reading a while you may remember that I said I was going to test eBay Sales. By using the second and better edition of my ebook "How To Leap Ahead Of Your Competitors" I wanted to test different forms of copy, headlines and categories.

If you go to eBay and search on the original Ad for the item you'll see that I've changed the headline at several stages, included a subhead, changed some copy and tried different prices.

So for a minimal investment I'm getting some good feedback as to what categories sell the ebook, what headlines help and also how attractive the book title is too.

While it's too early to say exactly what works best I thought I'd share with you the current state of the advertising copy, enjoy:

Do You Know These Ways Of Stopping Your Boom And Busts Sales Approach?

Or Do You Depend On Sporadic Marketing?

Think again...

Whenever you stop marketing your leads start to dry up, your competitors build better relationships with your customers!

Do you worry where the next job is coming, or whether that referral will come in on time to help your cashflow?

Just marketing as you're coming to the end of your project leaves you exposed to those customers who "just want a change".

This report is a new improved second edition and smashes through wishy washy marketing-speak and tells it like it is.

Listen To What The Gurus Say On Marketing

Ted Nicholas, world famous direct marketing guru says,

"Marketing mistakes are by far the primary reason businesses do not survive".

Peter Drucker said, "Business has only two functions - marketing and innovation".

Ways To Better Marketing

This eBook maybe short but it packs in what you need to know for more profitable business:

• Grab your business objectives by the short hairs
  
• Drive the steel rod of focus through your business
  
• Think you know what you're selling? It may not be what you think
  
• Let Edwards Deming, quality guru, help you like he helped Japan and Ford
  
• Unveil the two well-known but misunderstood marketing techniques that properly applied can explode your business
  
• Discover a Step by Step process for planning and implementating projects and campaigns
  
• Unearth your risks and manage them
  
• Welcome complaints as a great way to make your customer service department a profit centre

This 36 page report in ebook form helps you with all this and more.

You'll Kick Yourself If You Miss This Report

The author a well known consultant provides further secret resources that can double or treble your profits.

This is my secret eBay testbed. I don't want any of my competitors to know what I'm doing because I'm trying out several different low-key auctions to test the reports marketing.

As soon as the tests are completed this report is going to be sold at a fixed price on my normal eBay account.

So get it now before I finish testing and the book price gets fixed.

Jim

PS To get the results I describe you must take action. If you're thinking of buying the report "for later" don't bother. If you've looked at this listing you know you need it now. So get it and apply it.

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ebay, ebay marketing, marketing, copywriting, testing headlines

Dan Farber, writing in ZDNet comments on a study about email newsletters by usability guru Jakob Nielsen.

Both the article and Nielsen's email newsletter study summary are well worth reading.

The Nielsen study findings that I'm going to find useful include the following:

• users scanned a newsletter for 51 seconds on average
  
• The best newsletters:
  
  
  
  
  •  Are specialized to the receivers needs
    
  • Are timely
    
  • Are Short and scannable
    
  • Have a predictable schedule
    
  
  
• More mainstream users are using multiple email accounts

Nielsen Study Recommendations

• RSS feeds should be renamed, maybe "newsfeeds"
  
• Write good subject lines to help user distinguish the newsletter from spam
  
• Include content from the newsletter in the subject line
  
• keep newsletters brief

Are Email Newsletters Still Worth Doing?

The study asked users why they liked email newsletters, roughly a third indicated the following:

• Informative and keep users up-to-date
  
• They're convenient 
  
• Timely information
  
• Real-time delivery.

The study found the most frequent complaint was for newsletters that arrived too often.

Bottom line: Firstly email newsletters are worth doing if they deliver content people want! Secondly people don't care about RSS particularly. It wont die but it's likely the name will change from RSS to something like "newsfeed", so the name is going to die out...

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Jakob Nielsen, marketing, email marketing, ezines, email newsletters, newsletter study