There are numerous benefits to using the email newsletter as a marketing tool. The foremost benefit is it allows a business to maintain contact with its customers, prospects and influencers regularly and cost-effectively. Before your company jumps into the world of email newsletters, however, it is important to have a strategy in place. Here’s a list of questions you can ask yourself:

1. What do you want your newsletters to do?
Do you want your newsletters to educate, provide value, generate leads, build image, establish credibility or sell products? Your newsletter campaigns will not be effective unless you’re clear about your intent.

2. How do your newsletters weave into the rest of your marketing plan?
It is important to market your newsletter on your website, social media or at events to encourage subscription. If you have a blog, link your newsletter articles to the blog to drive traffic to your website. Your newsletters should not stand alone as the sole marketing tool in your business.

3. What kind of newsletter content should you generate?
Once you’re clear about the intent of your newsletter, it is important to make sure that the content is relevant to your intent. For example, if you want to establish yourself as the knowledge expert, how-to articles that provide value can be effective.

4. How frequently should you send out your newsletter?
Depending on the type of business you have, your audience may have different expectations as to how often they want to hear from you. The email newsletter is only a good marketing tool, if you are able to be consistent in your effort.

5. How should you measure the success of your newsletter campaigns?
Taking into consideration the intent of your newsletters, you should put appropriate metrics in place in order to assess how effective your campaigns have been. For example, if you’d like to promote products and increase sales, remember to track the sales figure pushed by your newsletter campaigns.