Recipe: Following Up by E-mail

Following up with your contacts online can take many different forms. You might publish an e-zine, send broadcast e-mail, write a blog, or interact via social media.

If you plan to use an e-zine or broadcast e-mail for online follow-up, you’ll need a broadcast e-mail system. Instead of sending your e-zine or e-mail broadcasts to subscribers the same way you currently send personal e-mail, you will want to use an automated system to deliver your e-zine and maintain your e-mail list.

Broadcast e-mail systems allow your website visitors to add themselves to your mailing list, update their own e-mail address when it changes, and unsubscribe themselves automatically if they wish. Popular choices for this function are Constant Contact, AWeber, and MailChimp. If you search the Web for “e-mail marketing,” you’ll find many systems available to choose from, and plenty of online reviews listing their pros and cons. There are also some systems that combine broadcast e-mail capabilities with contact management functions, for example, Infusionsoft. These integrated systems can be considerably more expensive.

With a broadcast e-mail system you can send the same e-mail—such as an e-zine or a promotional message—to thousands of subscribers, or send a sequential series of informational messages to any one person who signs up for your e-mail list.

Publishing an e-zine can be much more affordable than a print newsletter because there is no printing or postage to pay for, and less design work. If you make a habit of asking all your prospects and referral sources to opt in to your e-zine, you will build a substantial subscriber list over time.

The most popular e-zine format is a monthly e-mail publication that mimics the contents of a typical print newsletter, including an article or two, some promotional copy, and perhaps some shorter items. But many other formats are possible. You can send an e-zine quarterly, weekly, or even daily. Instead of articles, your e-zine can consist of brief tips, either one tip per issue or a collection of tips each time. Subscribe to some other e-zines published in your market niche and see what formats appeal to you and are a good match for your professional image, personal style, and the time you have available to commit to publication.