Guest Blogger - Creating a Shop Newsletter

If you have a small business (I am talking to you Etsy peeps) and are looking for ways to market your shop, have you considered creating a Newsletter for current/past customers?  I will admit, I was hesitant to do so...but I have had great success with my first three mailings!

Here are some tips for creating pertinent and successful newsletters.  I personally use MailChimp.com and it is wonderful!

1. Select a fun design that well represents your shop. I prefer something less busy that can showcase your logo or most popular designs. Try to make your newsletter unique to entice recipients to read it.

2. Be sure to add all of your important links: blog, twitter account, and shop url, and email so the customer knows how to reach you.


3. Focus on a single item or reason for sending out the newsletter...maybe you are introducing a new line or have a giveaway to announce. Give a little personal information too, help your customers connect to what you do and why you do it! The more informative your newsletter is the more subscribers you will gain and keep.

4. Be sure to give your newsletter an appropriate title.  Do not say "June Newletter", be more descriptive "Julie Ellyn Designs Giveaway Announcement." People are more apt to open the email if they know exactly what they will be looking at! The wonderful thing about MailChimp is that it gives you stats from your mailings including: # opened, clicks, new subscribers, and even unsubscribers :(

5. Now how do you get subscribers??? Pretty important part to having the newsletter in the first place. Add a subscriber button/link to your blog, post on sales groups or other blogs, offer free ad space to other shops if they add your newsletter to their blog or site.  People love free promotion and I think lots of Etsy shops are happy to share the love. (Pssst....you can get ad space on the Daily Dose of Handmade newsletter!!!)

Hope that helps!  Post any questions or suggestions below in the comments!  We LOVE comments!

Hugs,
Julie
www.JulieEllynDesigns.etsy.com

P.S. You can sign up for my newsletter on my blog www.JulieEllyndesigns.blogspot.com!