Even though there are hundreds of thousands of newsletters you can elect to receive via email thanks to the power of the internet, a lot of people still like to receive a paper copy that they can keep. At a time when everything is so easily disposed of, it’s arguable that a paper newsletter actually has a longer shelf life, since it’s much harder to throw away something tangible than it is to hit a button and delete it out of your inbox.
But how easy is it to set up your own snail mail newsletter service? Surprisingly, it might just be easier than you think…
So what makes a successful snail mail newsletter? They are easy enough to create these days thanks to desktop publishing, and if you hit on a popular subject and end up with hundreds of subscribers you can get the newsletter printed up properly.
But the key factor is the subject you pick. What are you going to write about? You need to be able to charge enough for the newsletter to cover your costs and make some profit, but you need to provide information that can’t easily be found elsewhere.
The great thing about a newsletter sent in this manner is that it can literally be almost one hundred per cent information and nothing else. So for example you can have something like an eight page newsletter (or maybe even less) that is packed with information and no fluff, and charge a reasonable amount for the info you provide. And with a newsletter that size you can put it into a normal envelope and post it at the cheapest rate possible because it will be so light.
You can get some use out of the internet when you are thinking about creating your own snail mail newsletter, because you can use it for research. What subjects could you use for a newsletter? Is there anything you already know a lot about that enough people would be interested in? You also need a unique angle so find out what else is being offered on that topic and position your own offering differently if you can.
The next step is where to find customers – and this is where you can use the internet to help you even more. Ideally you should set up a website that promotes the newsletter which will draw people in from the search engines and hopefully encourage people to sign up to pay you for the newsletter. A blog on the same subject can also be a good idea, as it gives you a chance to demonstrate to prospective customers that you know what you are talking about and can be a good source of information.
But how often should this newsletter be produced for the maximum effect?
Monthly is generally the best idea for a snail mail version, since it will give you plenty of time to gather new material together, write the newsletter and get it printed and mailed out each time. It’s a good idea to get off to a good start by making sure you have enough material for two or three newsletters so you don’t have to panic about doing the next one as soon as the first one is mailed out. This will also give you additional time to make sure you can attract plenty more subscribers.
I can’t stress enough the importance of doing your homework before you get started though. Making sure you choose a good subject, you have enough material and you can provide something that no one else can is guaranteed to give you the best shot at creating something that is likely to stick around for some time.
Think about having regular columns as well, as this helps to create a familiarity with the newsletter that you wouldn’t have otherwise. And offer people a free sample issue to get started – it will bring in a lot more subscribers as a result.
So – are you ready to start your own snail mail newsletter? If you are, leave a comment below to let us know how this blog entry helped you! And good luck.