“This newsletter ain’t right.”

I had just received an email newsletter from a major player on the internet. How major? His company does well over $10 million in sales per year and his newsletter list runs in the hundreds of thousands.

The email just didn’t look right.

If I didn’t know how major a player he really is, I would have thought he was someone who was trying to do the right stuff marketing-wise, but just hadn’t gotten it together. If I didn’t know he had dozens of employees I would have thought he was creating the newsletter himself and just didn’t quite know how to do it right.

But I do know he is a major player and I do know he has competent staff, he just hasn’t put together emails that show what a major player he really is. And that’s too bad.

Building credibility by sending professional looking newsletters and messages is easy with Aweber.com. So easy, in fact, there’s no excuse for you not doing it. Here’s some simple tips to help you get it done.

Send HTML Newsletters

Very few website owners have a good understanding of HTML, so very few of us actually take the time to send out those flashy looking HTML newsletters. For many it’s a scary proposition.

But your newsletter is the “physical” face of your business—and plain text just doesn’t make the same impression as a professionally presented HTML newsletter.

So what can you do if you aren’t HTML saavy? Aweber.com makes it easy. Aweber provides you—right in your control panel—a variety of HTML templates. All you need to do is add your text and it’s ready to go.

Move Up to a Custom Designed Template

Once you are used to sending out HTML newsletters, have someone create a custom template designed around your business, using your website colors and logos. This will likely cost you anywhere from $50.00 up to $500.00 or so (depending on who you hire), but it will pay off big dividends in establishing your company’s unique identity.

Have Good Information

Each message you send represents and opportunity cost—you are taking your subscribers’ time and attention. As a result some of your subscribers will leave or block any future messages from you.

If you send out meaningless fluff you are hurting your credibility and making your subscribers less likely to respond to your offers in the future. So make sure you have relevant, high value information in your messages to them.

Always Call for a Response

When you send a message to your list, give them an action to take. By asking them to take a positive action—one that is of benefit to them—you are preparing them to read and respond in the future. Whether it is to simply visit your website or download a freebie, make sure to tell them to take action.

Reward Them for Taking Action

Any time you ask your subscribers to take an action, make sure you reward them for taking it. In some cases the reward is in the action itself—like when you offer a free download for your subscribers. But in other cases you need to create a reward—like asking your subscribers to comment on a particular blog post then giving them access to a free seminar as your way of saying “thanks.”

Put these five tips to work and see your credibility and profits soar.

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