In a recent survey conducted by BtoB magazine, 57% of respondents said email marketing was the online channel that contributed the most qualified leads to their businesses.  While email marketing clearly works, sometimes the demands of running a business can make it difficult to find time to create effective digital marketing pieces.

If lack of time is keeping you from attempting an email marketing campaign, here are a few tips you can use to start driving sales through an email newsletter by investing just 45 minutes per month:

1. Create a Template – Rather than choosing topics from scratch each month, set up a template with allotted spaces for recurring categories, such as: How To’s, Deal/Coupon of the Month, Industry News, Review/Survey of the Month. While the content you include should be new each month, the overall categories can stay consistent.
2. Create One Article from Information You Already Have – Generally speaking, newsletters that are completely self-promotional are doomed to a quick death via unsubscribe.  It’s important that you include information that goes beyond advertising your products and services. Depending on your industry, it might make sense to include a short, blog-style feature in which you comment on a current event. Or it might make sense to include a how-to article related to your product or service. For example, if you sell software, your customers might appreciate an article on plug-ins people are downloading to make your product do even more.
3. Use Feedback as Content – Do your customers write reviews about your products or services?  Select positive feedback and feature it as the “Review of the Month.”  Or devote a small section of your newsletter to a monthly survey – you can fill a slot and gather valuable information about your customers at the same time. Post the results of each month’s survey on your website, and link to them in the next month’s newsletter.
4. Share Other People’s Content – A good newsletter connects people with information that’s relevant to them.  While it’s not OK to copy someone else’s article directly from their site (unless you have permission), it is common practice to repurpose content by linking to it. Run a monthly Industry News feature that offers links to relevant stories related to your industry.
5. Maintain Your Email List – Collect email addresses as you gain customers. Include “Email Address” as a field in the information you collect at the time of purchase, and tell customers what they’ll get if they subscribe to the newsletter: Coupons, relevant advice, tips and trends. People are more likely to opt in if they have something to gain from your newsletter.