If you’re reading this article, then you’re already aware of IBS’ monthly e-newsletter. Newsletters offer businesses the opportunity to communicate with their clients and prospects on a regular basis. By producing regular communications, clients anticipate receiving information from your business and actually look forward to it.

You don’t need to bombard your customers with long newsletters describing the virtues of your products or services. Rather, you should use newsletters to remind your customers of your unique selling proposition (USP) and inform them of any new developments in your business.

When writing the content for your newsletter, keep sentences as short as possible. Don’t be afraid to share your knowledge, as this helps build credibility in your expertise. I know I’d personally prefer an expert to be helping me with my printing than someone who doesn’t know what they’re talking about. I’m also more inclined to deal with someone who’s willing to help me, through education, than someone who dismisses me. Newsletters allow you to build these types of relationships in an informal, but highly effective, way.

It is important to design your newsletter to grab your customers’ attention and maintain it. Images can help with this; choose from photos of your staff or products, graphs or charts that emphasise statistics, illustrations that explain benefits or humorous cartoons to entertain.

Your newsletter can either be in an electronic or printed format. When deciding which will work better for you, consider your audience and the main way you already communicate with them. If you are sending many of your customers monthly statements by mail, it may be just as easy to include a printed newsletter in the envelope. You can also include samples of products on sale or the high quality printing you offer. On the other hand, if you think your clients would prefer an emailed version, do this. With either option, remember to consider the costs and include the activity in your budget.