Interactive e-Newsletters, when used properly, can stimulate sales and generate awareness for your brand. By interactive, I mean newsletters that engage their readers and cause them to act. Below are two really good examples of e-Newsletters and how they can be used to generate action on the part of their respective users.
Blockbuster Canada
I recently signed up for the Blockbuster Canada e-Newsletter at Blockbuster.ca to explore how rental companies are using this tool. To my surprise, their e-Newsletter is clean, has relevant information and every time I receive it, they give me something to act upon.
They have printable coupons within their e-Newsletter. Coupons such as Free Popcorn, rent 2 movies, 2 pops and 2 popcorn packs for $12.99, etc. Here is what makes the e-Newsletter special though, the coupons are personalized with my name, account information and when I print them off and take them to the physical location for redemption, they scan right into the point-of-sale system.
CalgaryPlus.ca
Here is an example of a e-Newsletter that is not technically sophisticated, however, is very interactive. Every 2-weeks, CalgaryPlus.ca sends an e-Newsletter to tens of thousands of Calgarians updating them on events that are upcoming in the next 2-weeks.
The power of this e-Newsletter is that active people, who enjoy getting out a lot, tend to be extremely busy. This e-Newsletter gives its readers a mini 2-week calendar of events delivered directly to their mailbox, which for busy people saves a lot of time and energy as it comes directly to them.
Summary on Interactive e-Newsletters
First, interactive does not mean the technology behind the e-Newsletter, rather it means how your users will use it. Whether you need a system as sophisticated as Blockbuster or as simple as CalgaryPlus.ca, the key question is “will my users interact with it?”.
Well done e-Newsletters can generate brand awareness, customer retention, sales, referrals, etc. provided they are interactive and bring value to their readers. Bringing value to your current customers and potential prospects through an interactive e-Newsletter could have favorable results for your business.