Yes, we confess that the re-launch of Sequences, our Sequentia newsletter has been long coming. We are guilty of neglecting our own communications to make sure that our clients' e-newsletters go out on time and with the best possible design and copy.
But consider it neglected no longer! We’re making sure we use this important channel to keep you, our friends and colleagues, in the know about e-marketing do's, PR tips, industry trends and what’s happening with us. So stay tuned for monthly issues of Sequences.
And as for what’s happening with us, if you’re receiving this newsletter, then you are one of the first to know that Sequentia Communications was just named one of Profit Magazine’s 50 Hottest Companies. Just one of the great things that has been happening to us lately! It’s been a busy summer and we’re looking ahead to an even busier fall. So that said, we hope you enjoy this issue of the re-launched Sequences . As always, if you have any questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you. Please keep in touch…Yours,
Jen Evans
President, Sequentia Communications
E-Newsletters: 5 Do’s and A Don’t
What’s your excuse for not pulling together an e-newsletter? Ours was timing and resourcing. But the truth is that we needed to practice what we preach and follow our own best practices to get this newsletter out the door. So for those of you who still haven’t and for those of you who already do, here are five of our top newsletter do’s (and one important don’t).Do…
Create an editorial calendar. Not sure that you can sustain a newsletter? You’d be surprised! The easiest way to do this is to create a calendar and map out a theme to each issue. Then start collecting and compiling articles of interest, and brainstorm on key pieces based on the theme. This way you can even work ahead.
Create a newsletter template. Don’t keep recreating the wheel. Create a newsletter template that you’re happy with and then modify it from there. Even text-only newsletters can benefit from a good template format that makes inputing the content that much easier.
Test subject lines. Not sure what subject line works best in terms of open rates? Then test, test, and test! Divide up your mailing list and send a different subject line to each group.
Run the newsletter through a SPAM filter. If your email distribution service doesn’t have a SPAM filter, we’d recommend using a good free tool to be all that more certain that your email will make it to the Inbox and not be stuck in cyberspace. One of our favourite free tools is Lyris’ Content Checker.
Do a link check. There’s nothing worse than a dead link on a newsletter when someone’s taken the time to read the article and click on the link. Do yourself and your readers a favour and be sure to check every link- twice!
And Don’t ….
Be afraid to get outside help. We love Marketing Sherpa for its great case studies and research reports on creating a great email newsletter. And of course, just shoot us an email if you have questions on these Do’s or anything else.
Sequentia News
Wow, have things ever been hopping here at Sequentia over the past few months. We have welcomed four new team members and said goodbye to two. The folks coming onboard include Nizzi Karai Renaud, Director Client Strategy, Maggie Fairs, Public Relations Account Manager, Ryan Heney, Public Relations Coordinator, and James Houston, Copywriter. Former Sequentians off to new things are Chris Strome and Christine Harris.We have also been thrilled to have the opportunity to begin working with countless fantastic new clients including HarperCollins Canada, TAB Canada, and others.
Timewasters
Remember those two old guys who used to sit in the balcony and make wisecracks on the Muppet Show? Well now they are reviewing movies, and quite frankly they’re really good at it!Want all of your web searches translated into hip hop slang? Of course you do! Check out www.gizoogle.com.
In This Issue
September 2005
| • | Welcome Letter |
| • | E-Newsletters: 5 Do’s and A Don’t |
| • | Sequentia News |
| • | Timewasters |
| • | Quick Tips |
| • | Did You Know? |
Do you send emails to clients or prospects in the US? If so you may not know that Arizona, California and New York State are all considering or have already enacted legislation regarding email marketing. For more information, we highly recommend keeping abreast of the recent laws. One of our favourite sites is Spamlaws.com
Email Deliverability is Still Top Concern.
According to the latest Socketware study as reported in ClickZ, marketers have upped their email distribution over the past year. But deliverability is the top concern for these same marketers with over 68% citing deliverability as a primary issue and cause for concern. Email filters, ISP blocking and blacklisting, not to mention commercial email laws have all been identified as top barriers to deliverability. All the more reason to make sure your email distribution system can deliver!
For more information on the study, you can click here to read the full article.