Newsletters
The beauty of newsletters is that they have the potential to contain something compelling for everyone who reads them. It does not matter whether readers are:
- Divers or non-divers.
- Experienced or novices.
- Interested in travel or local activities.
- In the market for equipment or not.
If you have just four pages, you have room to appeal to just about every area of interest.
A good model for an effective newsletter is to have it mirror and link to your store’s website. Just as with your website, departments you will want to incorporate into your newsletter include:
News and “How To” Information News can either be the lead story for any of your regular departments (i.e., “New Class!” or “New Trip!”), or it can be announcements of special events and activities, congratulations to staff or customers on their achievements — or anything else that does not easily fit into another category.
Training This includes both beginning and continuing education. “But wait,” you say, “I don’t have non-divers on my mailing list — so why talk about beginning classes?” You may not have that many non-divers on your mailing list, but you do have their friends — and word-of-mouth most likely remains your number one way of acquiring new students. Your newsletter should contain a minimum of starting dates for all classes and links to your website for more information.
Travel and Local Activities Again, you will want at least a brief description of trips and events, along with dates, prices and links to your website for additional information.
Equipment This can be descriptions of new dive gear, categorized as “News” — or it could be a special section devoted to packages or sales. Don’t forget to promote annual service, too.
Map/Hours/Contact Information Don’t assume that everyone who gets his or her hands on your newsletter will know or remember where to find you, your phone number or when you are open.
We’ll examine newsletters and websites in greater detail in future issues of DiveRetailing.com.
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