Today I want to share two easy ways to boost response to your newsletter. They are both being employed by one of my clients, an insurance agency in Hobe Sound, Florida.
Indeed, one of the ideas was his.
The secret behind both ideas is this: Relevance.
Make your newsletter relevant to your readers and you are half-way there. After all, people want to read stuff that is for them, not about you.
1. Make it relevant to ‘now’
This idea is simple but my client reports it gives his response rate a boost. Together (this client takes advantage of Ready to Go Newsletters’ enhanced service where we work together to customize the newsletter) we give the newsletter a theme each month. December = Christmas; February = Valentine’s; March = St Patrick’s Day. You get the picture.
What we do is find a picture and add it to the top of the newsletter, and then change some of the newsletters’ colors to match.
It’s a very easy way to make the newsletter relevant to what’s going on today – relevant to what is in people’s minds.
2. Make it relevant to readers’ concerns
Ever been in a crowded room and suddenly – amid all the noise and conversation – you hear your name? What’s happening here is your subconscious is taking in all the data and words that your ears are hearing, and when it notices something that is relevant, it tells your conscious mind to listen.
The same thing happens with your client’s email inbox or postal mailbox. Both are crowded with noise, but when something relevant to you pops up, it gets noticed.
Here are a couple of articles that were used (and the headline became the subject line of the email newsletter.)
- What’s Going on With Home Insurance in Hobe Sound? (About changes in insurance rates people are paying. Note that it has the town’s name in the title. That’s relevant.)
- Why are Florida Auto Insurance Rates so High? (Anyone in that state with a vehicle is going to want to read this. The article contains some very interesting information about some people taking advantage of Florida’s rules on insurance claims, pushing up rates. Not only is the article relevant, but it shows that the agency knows what it is doing.)
These are just some examples of how to make your newsletter more effective. This client works closely with Ready to Go Newsletters to customize his insurance newsletter each month. If you’d like our help, contact us.
