Are you in search of a relationship builder for your clients and prospects? A newsletter is an effective marketing tool for insurance and financial services professionals, as well as a way to keep clients informed and up-to-date.
Just like any other marketing material, newsletters are a representation of your company’s image. A newsletter is a proven method agents can utilize to reinforce their professionalism and demonstrate concern for a client’s personal and financial well-being.
A study conducted by Standard & Poor’s of 4,000 financial service and insurance clients underscored the value of newsletters as a marketing and communications tool. A full 83 percent of respondents read most or some of the articles and three quarters of survey participants found the content so valuable they saved articles for future reference. Many respondents indicated that they took action based on the articles they read, such as visiting the agent’s website, giving referrals and consulting with their agent about the newsletter topics.
STARTING WITH A GOAL IN MIND
The first step to an effective client newsletter program is to consider your marketing goals. Focusing on your goals will help you establish the tone of the newsletter and determine the type of content to include. Possible goals for your newsletter might include:
· Establishing or maintaining a line of contact with clients and prospects;
· Reminding clients of their insurance needs and encouraging them to contact you regarding their specific situation;
· Motivating clients to think about risk management;
· Building a relationship where clients consider you their trusted, educated advisor; and
· Projecting a specific brand image to your clients and prospects.
7 DEADLY SINS: The Most Common Mistakes in Creating a Client Newsletter
If you want your newsletter to have the desired impact, avoid these common mistakes:
- Poor Design – Prospects will decide in a few seconds whether or not to read your newsletter. Make sure the design is attractive, uncluttered and has a professional appearance. Many agencies outsource newsletter production because they don’t have the expertise or time to create a professional-quality newsletter themselves.
- Too Wordy – Articles should be concise and packed with useful information. Making them too lengthy will also clutter the design and dissuade many people from reading the entire article.
- Too Promotional – Your newsletter should primarily focus on client education. A largely promotional piece could lead the reader to perceive the newsletter as being too subjective.
- Irregular Production Schedule – To build strong client relationships, choose a realistic production schedule and stick to it. You want your clients to look forward to receiving your newsletter and value the consistency of the newsletter production.
- Failure to Include Contact Information – Your clients should not have to scour the newsletter to figure out who sent it to them. Develop a consistent masthead (the heading of the newsletter) and include by it your name and/or agency’s name. Also, prominently position your phone number, email address and website URL throughout the newsletter.
- Stopping Production – Once you begin a newsletter campaign, don’t suddenly stop or skip issues. The Standard & Poor’s survey revealed that the suggestion of ceasing production caused a negative reaction in more than half of the respondents, including the impression that the agent’s clients were no longer important to them, the value of the agency’s service diminished or that the agency was struggling financially.
PRINT VERSUS E-MAIL
There is no longer only one newsletter format. You now can choose between traditional print and e-mail formats. Choosing your optimal format depends on your technological capabilities, budget and timeline.
Print and e-mail newsletters have distinct advantages. E-mail newsletters are less expensive to produce and easier to track. Still, many people prefer to receive printed newsletters. The Standard and Poor’s survey revealed that 41% of clients preferred to receive both print and email versions.
No matter which format you choose, the same rules apply. Clean design, consistency and quality content are the keys to a successful newsletter campaign.