In this e-newsletter review, Michael Katz, e-newsletter expert, has a few key suggestions for Darryl Antonio’s travel newsletter: tame the marketing and boost the content! Read this review for some specific suggestions that may apply to your own newsletter.
Darryl:
Just read your article in Murdok and was wondering if there was anything that we need to do to improve upon our own weekly newsletter.
We are http://www.all-destinations.com an established travel web site based in the UK. Please see a sample of our weekly newsletter featuring special offers etc. http://www.all-destinations.com/special%20offers2.htm.
Our opt-in list is quite small at present but growing and we’re currently experiencing an unsubscribe ratio of less than 1%
Like most companies though we’re constantly striving to better our conversion ratios and any ideas or suggestions that you may have will be very welcome. We’d also be happy to hear about any reputable opt-in list brokers that you may have come across.
Look forward to hearing from you shortly. Many thanks.
Kind regards,
Darryl Antonio
http://www.all-destinations.com
Michael:
Thanks for your email.
I took a look at your newsletter and think you’ve done a nice job of laying it out. It’s hard to make sweeping comments that are of value without knowing a lot more about your objectives, audience, metrics, etc., but here’s a few things to think about:
Personalize it more on your end. Have it written (and signed) each week by a real person, so it feels like there are real people behind All Destinations. I’ve done this with one person companies and companies with thousands of employees, and this gives the company a more human feel, which lends itself well to email. By the same token, if you can tone down the marketing speak just a bit, so it reads less like an ad and more like a real person talking, that also will help I believe.
Can you provide travel tips or insights beyond the destinations themselves? You have an opportunity to establish your company as a travel expert/guide, rather than just the providers of today’s specials. It’s fine to promote specials, but you’ll build a great deal more loyalty and brand value if you can position yourself as travel experts, and distinguish yourself from merely selling the commodity of trip packages.
Hope that’s helpful, and thanks again for writing.
All the best,
Michael
Do you have a question for Michael, or a topic you’d like to discuss with him? Visit his expert page and send him an email!
Michael J. Katz is Founder and Chief Penguin of Blue Penguin Development, Inc., (http://www.BluePenguinDevelopment.com) a Boston area consulting firm that helps clients increase sales by showing them how to nurture their existing relationships, and that specializes in the development of electronic newsletters. He is the author of the book, E-Newsletters That Work.
