Tips on Writing Effective Newsletters

Read the rest of the resource here
http://admin-talk.com/resources/26/

 

Some very good tips in there, something I've been looking at doing.

 

Although I'm not currently running, what I'd call, an active forum, I'd like to ask if those who run forums the question on whether you send secondly, minutely, hourly, daily or weekly newsletters? I know when it comes to blogs, e-mail is the big thing. It keeps people coming back to browse and creates a subscription based readership.

And, if you do send newsletters, how effective do you think it is?

For me personally, it works as a user. It draws me back into something that I may have forgotten about. Take for example WHT, they usually send me newsletters, which I share no interest in at-all. However, when I see the e-mail letter head and see "Web Hosting Talk", I'm immediately reminded that WHT exists and perhaps I should pop in and make a few posts if I can find anything interesting to talk about. It definitely works.

 

I've sent out one email to my users, and that was just to let them know that are active bonus is only available until the end of the month. I did receive a small boost in traffic that day.

 

Sending newsletters every second or minute? That's a good way to get your site suspended for spam...

Seriously though, newsletters and the like are good if you don't overuse them too much. Send an update when you make a major change (like new software, a major new add on or a major event in the community), and perhaps also have one every month or so telling people what's new on the forum. Try not to be much more regular than that, otherwise people will think of you as incredibly annoying and will likely mark your site's e-mails as spam.

 

I don't generally send out any newsletters unless there is something major going on, such as a planned activity or a noticeable update.

From polls I conducted, not many people read the newsletters. Instead, I found it more productive to simply post anything you would have to say in a newsletter in a separate forum thread. This way, more people are interested in reading it, and you can get some feedback on the spot.

 

I've never sent out newsletters. I've always just used RSS feeds. Newsletters seem like more work to do when I barely have enough time anyway. If there was some sort of plugin that would automate the creation of a weekly newsletter based on the sites newest activities that would be great. Then, I could review/edit it before manually authorizing its publication.

Maybe these features already exist and I've simply not noticed.

 

I think newsletters are good to send in e-mails, however i would propose an interesting way on how to interact with your viewers. Through social interaction. Since so many people use social networks, interacting with your users through that way will most definetly increase loyalty and interest to your website or forum.

 

@echo_unlimited What do you think if I merge this topic with this one.
http://admin-talk.com/threads/3611/
I'd like to get more use out of the RM and since everyone is talking about newsletters in this thread, I figured it would be a good fit.

 

Sure, why not!

 

You should only send when it's something important, I for example as a user of some sites I'm starting to fail to subscribe to some newsletters for every day fill me with spam!