Are you sending a regular newsletter to the members of your association? If not, it’s time to set one up! A newsletter enables you to:
A good newsletter is not just a sales pitch asking your members to buy products or register for events. It’s a chance for you to speak directly to your members and provide them with information they need. This could mean including a column from your president about current trends in your industry or updates about the impact of new legislation. You could also highlight stories of members who have used your organization’s tools and resources to accomplish their goals.
How often should you send a newsletter? For many groups, a monthly cadence hits the sweet spot. As you decide what’s right for your association, you should consider both your internal capabilities (how often can your team write and set up an email?) and the speed of change in your industry (is there news to talk about every week?). It’s better to start slow than to blast your members with weekly emails that don’t have enough content to justify their existence. You should plan to include 3-5 articles or sections in your newsletter, containing a combination of updates and resources.
If you’ve already built a newsletter, it might be a great time to refresh your emails and to plan your content for the next few months.
When did you last update the art or the layout of the newsletter? Even the best designs get stale after a couple of years, and it’s worth taking the time to develop a new look that will catch your members’ attention.
And as you think about your content calendar, be sure to consider formats beyond simple informational articles. Have you created videos that you could highlight? Are there discussions on your community forum that your members might want to check out? Could you include a survey question that allows your members to share their thoughts with you? The options are endless, so consider what will be relevant and useful for your members.
Why should you put all this effort into an email that delivers no immediate return on investment in terms of sales dollars? Because you need to stay in front of your members all year round. Only a portion of your members will remember to visit your website to look for updates or to dig through your resource library. An even smaller percentage will attend your events. Your newsletter shows up in the place they’re already spending time–their email inbox. If you use this tool effectively, they’ll remember the value they’ve received all year when it’s time for them to renew their membership.
Want help building a newsletter or developing a strategy to engage your members throughout the year? Reach out to the experts at MGI. Contact Michelle Peterson, Managing Director, Account Services at mpeterson@marketinggeneral.com or 703-706-0327.