A beautiful way to sell pasties
A prospective client asked me to pitch for newsletter work.
Here’s what I said: (name and product changed)
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“Dear Peter,
Following on from your email...
My insight, from having started and run several businesses with 100% of sales from email newsletters, is that they can be an engine of growth for all kinds of direct to consumer products, [Cornish pasties] being no exception.
Done well, they can create a deep brand-reader connection that far surpasses the shallow relationship existing when a product is bought by chance or on an impulse in a supermarket or online shopping platform.
The work involves consistent engagement and nurturing but can ultimately result in a sustainable and dependable (higher margin) direct sales revenue stream.
[Peter’s Pasties] already has an excellent product range, an interesting back story, a professional website and marketing assets.
Add higher levels of online traffic from email, greater engagement, and judicious use of offers and you could significantly increase revenue.
The elements of the strategy I propose are:
1. List growth. Grow your email list through various "set and forget" initiatives, local relationships, collecting email addresses for your direct route to market.
(An email address can be worth at least 10 times a social media follow, but only if you use it correctly.)
2. Develop editorial schedules that engage and nurture your [pasty]-loving audience to build loyalty and trust. Create something they look forward to reading.
Give your prospective customers insight about the business, its people, history, daily operations, how the [pasties] are made, where the ingredients are sourced, future plans, the life and antics of the office cat/dog, and they will become attached.
Run competitions, [pasty] giveaways, discounts, special offers, reader opinion surveys, promote buying local to foster higher levels of affinity. In short, get them connected.
3. Leverage that trust, loyalty and interest for sales. Stop begging for business in every email. Instead rely on connection and stories to build emotional loyalty, so they have trouble resisting a purchase when a great offer is presented, and that the convenience of buying direct through your email becomes a useful habit.
4. Send emails at least weekly, creating a regular reading habit for its own sake. Through the methods above, habit leads to higher sales.
I realise this will probably appear as a lot of work, perhaps even "too difficult" given limited resources, but believe me, the rewards of owning your audience will repay the investment many many times.
In all truth, once systems, processes and schedules are established, they can be run by the [Peter’s Pasties] team at a relatively low cost compared to print space ads, radio or social media, none of which have the stickiness or return on investment of email newsletters.
With best wishes,
Andy”
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Yours in newsletters,
