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Previous topic: What is valuable content?
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The only people who can tell you with 100% certainty exactly what content is valuable are the readers themselves.
One of the biggest mistakes made by email publications is to focus exclusively on what the publisher wants to say and not what the reader wants to read. It mirrors the common copywriting error of focusing on features, rather than benefits. And the website error of talking about the company rather than how it can help the visitor.
Many email newsletters just provide information about their products, websites or organization. This is too much of a publisher-centric view. This mistaken approach forgets that readers are not as excited and interested in your product, website or company as you are. Value is defined by the reader and not by you.
Which readers?
The readers that are important to you are those that are best able to help you fulfill your objectives. So if you're trying to understand what content creates value, focus only on these readers.
Do not be swayed or influenced by those who might read your newsletter, but who aren't your real target readership.
If you have more than one target readership, then you'll need to mix up your content to appeal to them all. But here you need to strike a balance.
Reaching different targets with the same newsletter is possible to a degree. But there comes a point where you start to alienate one or another group by failing to provide enough value for them alone.
If your newsletter is in danger of becoming too broad-based, then consider refocusing, bringing out separate editions, launching a new newsletter or using personalization tactics.
If you have the technology and database capabilities, let readers pick and choose the content they want in their own customized newsletter.
Equally, too much focus may result in alienating those on the edges of your target group, or make it impossible to reach enough subscribers to justify the newsletter in the first place. As ever, you need to find the right balance for your publication, objectives and readership.
OK, so if the readers are the key, how do you find out what kinds of content your readers consider valuable?
- Identify your target readership.
- Identify their likely needs, problems and interests.
- Develop content accordingly.
- Encourage reader feedback and track reader responses.
The more you know about your readership the better chance you have of picking content which will appeal to them.
Draw on as much reader information as you have, and create a reader profile or profiles. Perhaps you have customer data you can use, perhaps you can simply define a "best case" profile according to your objectives; "I want to use my newsletter to sell more widgets, so my target readership should be those considering buying widgets".
Define your profile in as much detail as possible. For example:
- where do these widget buyers live?
- how much money do they earn?
- what kind of educational background do they have?
- who do they work for?
- have they bought from you before?
- how many widgets should they be likely to buy?
- when are they likely to buy them?
- will they need replacements or upgrades, too?
- what will they use the widgets for?
- will they use complementary products?
- etc...
When you're done, put yourself in their shoes - what content would you find useful, timely, relevant and unique?
Don't leave it at theory though; go and find out directly about their problems, needs and interests.
Participate in the discussion lists, forums and chatrooms frequented by your (prospective) readers. Visit the exhibitions and fairs they visit. Read the newspapers and magazines they read. Watch the TV programs they watch. Surf the websites they surf. Sign up for the email newsletters they're already reading.
If you're in business, go and talk to your marketing, sales and customer service people and find out what questions and issues (both business-related and personal) your customers and prospects keep bringing up.
If you've the resources, conduct some market research. Go out and ask your customers and prospects what they need to read about. Even the very smallest publisher can use online forums, or their own website, to pose a few questions and get some appropriate feedback.
Then use the information you've gathered to develop valuable content for your newsletter. We'll take a closer look at some examples at the end of this section.
Once you start publishing the content you think is valuable, monitor the reaction and adjust your approach accordingly.
Need more email marketing guidance? Try the email newsletter.