Business owners value receiving newsletters

As a result of a survey of 300 business executives BBI came to the following conclusion. "It is clear that small and medium businesses value the information they get from email newsletters," says Stu Richards, CEO of BBI. "Marketers right now should be investing resources in this form of communication because it offers an excellent vehicle to position their company as a trusted advisor." Here are some of the key findings:

65% of respondents said they read some issues thoroughly and skim others, 12% said they skim all of them, and 11% said they read every one completely.
When asked what is most important in deciding whether or not to read a vendor's email newsletter, 64% said it was who the newsletter was from. The subject line (16%) was secondary.
Four out of five respondents said they had at one point unsubscribed to a vendor's email newsletter.
The top reasons for stopping an e-newsletter? Irrelevant content (63%) and didn't want something that wasn't being read (58%).
The vast majority of SMB executives want to receive their email newsletters weekly (45%) or monthly (34%). Few want them daily (11%) or quarterly (6%).
Half of SMBs were indifferent as to what day they would like to receive email newsletters, but those that did express a preference preferred Monday. "First thing in the morning" or "anytime during the day" were the times they said they were most likely to read their e-newsletters.
A successful email newsletter can have a positive impact on the vendor's image. A third of SMB executives said they had an improved image of a vendor from its e-newsletters. However, the opposite may also be true when an e-newsletter is poorly executed – 14% said the email newsletter damaged the sender's image.

"By understanding what SMBs expect from the email newsletters they receive, marketers can deliver better communications that clearly meet those needs," BBI's Richards noted. "Business-to-business marketers should be using this information to refine their SMB-focused email newsletters to get the best possible response. And companies that currently don't communicate with their customers and prospects this way should consider launching their own information-driven e-newsletters."

What do they value?

The survey also asked these executives what it was they valued in the newsletters they received. Here is what they found helpful:

practical "how to" information (40%) was the preferred form of content
followed by company product information (26%)
management overviews on topics such as strategy or leadership (21%)
company news (19%) and case studies (17%).

Tips to improve your newsletter

Know your e-newsletter's goal. Do you to need keep your name in front of prospects? Position yourself as an expert? Show samples of your work? If you put out an e-newsletter, make sure it achieves your business goals.

Don't send an e-newsletter as a mass mailing through Outlook, Eudora, or Entourage with all your recipients' names in the BCC field. You won't be able to track whether they open your message. You need an outside company to send the e-mail for you.

Set up a publishing calendar and stick to it, such as the second Wednesday of each month. Many readers will actually look forward to your e-newsletter and expect to receive it on a regular schedule.

Target different audiences with relevant content. Break up your mailing list into categories - clients, prospects, providers and so on. Then focus what you say to each sector. This will increase your response rates when your e-newsletter shows relevance to your reader's needs and interests.

If you're not a writer, include links to interesting articles from other sites or invite your colleagues to contribute articles. Lead off the e-newsletter with an editorial note from yourself, and consider if having you photo will enhance the personal aspect of your newsletter.

Link back to your Web site so you can track what your audience is really interested in.

Review the statistical reports. You can find out what topics really resonated with people, and you can follow up individually those who show particular interest in a product or service.

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