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If you’re not sending a newsletter to your customers, what’s holding you back? Newsletters build loyalty, educate and entertain clientele and, most importantly, contribute to long-lasting relationships.
Build a database. Start a “VIP Club” and invite customers to sign up for “special savings” and news by providing their mailing and e-mail addresses. Be sure to include a newsletter subscription form on your web site.
Plan content and style. Newsletters are not about sales pitches; they should offer value and be written in a casual, friendly style. Ask your golf pro to write an instructional tip, or mini-lesson, for each issue. Include news about local golfers and high school teams. Deliver on your promise of savings by including a coupon in each issue. Publish range hours, phone numbers, a calendar of events and updates on amenities and upgrades you’re making to the range—keep your valued customers in the know. Leave them laughing with a joke or cartoon.
Decide on distribution and format. Direct mail and e-mail are two reliable distribution channels. A two- to four-page printed newsletter can do double duty as a take-away for on-site customers. When designing a direct mail newsletter, use a simple but professional layout, taking advantage of desktop publishing software. Design a nameplate or banner for the newsletter, and choose a headline font and a body text font. Arrange newsletter departments in a logical sequence and follow that sequence every issue so that your customers know where to look for their favorite sections. Remember to leave room on the back for your mailing label and stamp. Take advantage of staff downtime to “lick and stick” the newsletters for mailing.
E-mail newsletters can be produced in text format or HTML. Text is just that, while HTML affords you the opportunity to “dress up” content with photos, art and stylized fonts. Text files are universally read, while HTML files can take more time or trouble to download, and that may be an irritant to some customers. One solution is to use MIME (multi-part technology), which allows you to send both formats and let the recipient’s computer settings determine which to accept. Always include opt-out instructions with every e-newsletter.
Stay in touch regularly. Commit to publishing every three or four weeks during high season. You may choose to keep to this schedule throughout the year for e-mail recipients, while dropping back to an early December (gift-giving reminders) and March (spring season is here) schedule for direct mail subscribers. |
