Great content is essential if you want to build the subscriber-base of your email newsletter--and if you want to turn those subscribers into repeat customers.

What is the key to great content? Tell your readers something they want to know!

In his new book, The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing, Eric Groves with Constant Contact explains why sharing your expertise is the key to email marketing success:

"Great subjects resonate with your recipients, engage them, educate them, make them want to do business with you, and have the added benefit of being shared with others. If you share great insights with your audience, they will reward you by sharing your ideas and your business with others. It's human nature."

Solicit feedback from your readers--via online surveys, blog comments, or in person, to figure out what they want to learn. Then deliver! This will give the members of your audience something to forward to their friends. If you master this skill, you will soon find that you are the "subject matter expert" in your circle of influence--and that circle will continue to expand as your "champions" spread your words far and wide.

Great email newsletters don't consist of endless repititions of "buy our stuff." Great newsletters consist of great news that your recients want to read. If you provide that, you will become a valuable resource to your recipients--as well as the "go to" business when they have a problem in your area of expertise. That's how readers become customers.

Martin Lieberman has an excellent post about email content on Constant Commentary, the Constant Contact Best Practices blog.

What do you consider to be great subject matter for an email newsletter? Share your thoughts below...


About the Author: Brian S. Pauls graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts from Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. His 17 years of experience in the computer field have shown him an unmet need--the application of technology on a truly individual level. In an industry filled with "hardware" people rather than "people people," Brian's background in communication has been a tremendous asset. He founded PerAspera Consulting, LLC to bring individualized technology solutions to clients who are tired of the "one size fits all" approach.

 As a a Kansas City-area Constant Contact Business Partner, PerAspera Consulting, LLC works with business owners who are uncertain how to execute a successful email marketing campaign that will grow revenues for their company.

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