How do I extend the reach of my message?
It makes sense to use newsletters in tandem with media P.R. so that your
reach extends beyond existing customers to a wider audience. Successful
media coverage alone could pay for the cost of your publication. And,
if we are writing your newsletter, the newsgathering on those stories
will largely be complete, so the cost of your P.R. will be reduced
significantly.
If you are already spending a large amount on advertising,
you should supplement that spend (or utilise some of it) by engaging
a P.R. company - like ALISTAIR NICOL PR & DESIGN. The goodwill you
have built up through advertising with those publications will improve
your chances of achieving media coverage.
We won't try to sell you a website, a marketing strategy
or an ad campaign
But we will raise awareness about your company and products
through good P.R. and produce a well-composed, targeted publication with
impact and readability.
A good staff newsletter can
>Provide leadership
>Acknowledge excellence
>Manage expectations
>Manage change
>Recognise stakeholders
>Discuss detailed propositions/objections
>Provide a focus for the staff community
>Help direct and steer the staff agenda
>Engage your staff
A staff newsletter can combat forces working against the
objectives of the company and managing information about it. These forces
could be ...
>A disgruntled employee 'poisoning the pool' against
you
>A dissatisfied customer intent on bad publicity for
you
>Apathy within the workforce
>Poor middle management
>Scanty information sharing at certain levels of the
organisation
>Little fiefdoms in far flung parts of the organisation
>Too much 'fire-fighting', too little foresight
And customer newsletters?
You want to find new customers ...
You want your existing customers to come back ...
You want all your customers to spend more ...
So, why should you commission a customer newsletter rather
than, say, spend more on advertising or take a trade stand at another
industry exhibition?
Because newsletters work
> newsletters work because customers read them
> newsletters work because they present a good environment
to serve/enhance the media message by entertaining readers
> newsletters work because they increase customer loyalty
by reminding customers of specific benefits of the brand which may have
been forgotten
> newsletters work because they bring customers closer
to you by inspiring, surprising and engaging them
> newsletters work because they deliver measurable results
by encouraging customers to spend more
> newsletters work because they bring other communication
tools to life such as driving new visitors to websites
> newsletters work because they help confirm the personality
of the brand by offering it in a form the customer likes
> newsletters work because they build profitable customer
relationships by introducing new products and services.
>Like we said, newsletters work because customers
read them |
What Exactly Do We Do?
Research
After an initial consultation with you to define the goals and purpose
of the publication we will develop ongoing ideas for the year ahead.
We research your company so that we are familiar with your field of
work. With your permission we speak to staff, customers and suppliers
to dig out stories we can use for the newsletters. The newsletter will
take on an important function so we will be sensitive to and supportive
of your other staff communications. The day-to-day newsgathering is
carried out in the same way any magazine or newspaper would function.
Design
The design of the newsletter says a lot about your company and the way
you feel about your staff. We will produce some draft options that
we feel would meet your requirements, but the final decision is yours.
Editorial
Quality writing is about knowing the readership. We don't write for ourselves
or your board of directors (unless that's what you want), we write
for your readers. We not only write well, we write about the right
subjects. We know how newsletters fit into the marketing mix and we
will be sensitive to and supportive of your other communications. We
can include contributions from your staff and management which we will
copy edit if required.
Questionnaires
It makes sense to use the regular contact you maintain with your staff
or customers through the newsletter for other purposes. Questionnaires
can ask what people think of company objectives, operational changes
or even the newsletter itself.
Ad sales
Sometimes there is scope to take on some third party advertising. This
is not always necessary or desirable, but surrounding your products
and editorial with well-chosen ads can be mutually beneficial as it
shows you are supported by quality brands/suppliers and gives the sense
that the magazine is not a 'one trick pony'.
Print production supervision
We will ensure superior printing. You will sign off on both our in-house
copy draft and the pre-print layout draft in .pdf format.
Web integration
It is a relatively simple matter to upload a regular newsletter to a
website. This is a good way to keep your site current and provide a
good reason for return visits as well as a way to make new contacts.
The 'voice' of both the newsletter and the website should be aligned
so the reader receives one clear message.
Most new visitors to websites come from print magazines, so if traffic
is light it may be because people have not had a 'real world' recommendation.
Your newsletter will remind customers of the benefits of logging on in
each issue.
Doing it Yourself?
How did I get landed with this?
Of course, many companies produce their own newsletters
in-house. This usually shows some enlightened person with a dynamic
personality (we’re
slightly biased, here!). If you are this person and doing a good job
you should be congratulated.
But many times we hear of people (often in very senior positions) who
have this responsibility thrust upon them for a temporary period and
then the job remains a permanent feature in their in-tray. They, and
only they, know what a big job it is.
Remember that editorial committee meeting in the not-too-distant past
when it was agreed a newsletter was going to be the best thing since
mashed potato? How it was going to cure all your communication problems?
And how everybody on the committee was going to contribute each month?
And how they would do all the work and you would 'just pull it all together'?
The people on that committee have now found 'more important' things
to do since then and it's left to you to sort out. Hey, this is a major
part of your workload and it's not even on your job description!
We suggest you...
>renegotiate your contract.
>ask us for a quote.
We’re here to service your needs. To help you achieve your business
goals with a first class service delivered with integrity. We’re
not the biggest agency in Scotland, nor are we the cheapest, but we know
from the research that we’ve carried out that that’s not
what matters to you, our clients. You need experience, you need enthusiasm
and you need results.
We work in partnership with you getting to know your
business inside out, so that we can deliver a service that will get
you the results you deserve. Because we are not so big, and are totally
independent, we can move quickly and deliver at short notice when you
need something in a hurry. We’re flexible and fun to work with - give us a call - we’re
hungry for your business! If you need to begin at the beginning, or review
your progress to date, we will deliver a PR strategy that will take your
company through the 21st century. |
