In this presentation I look at reaching customers of my small business with an online newsletter. I examine why a newsletter is important, even if you use social media; how to build a database; content & publication frequency; and some of the legal issues to be aware of.

1. Reaching Restaurant Customers
with an Online Newsletter

2. James Gill
Restaurateur &
Social Media Marketer
Co-owner of Chef’s Menu, a busy restaurant located
In Lower Sackville, NS.
Successfully used social media to market Chef’s Menu
and increase sales by 30%.
www.linkedin.com/in/jamesigill
www.chefsmenu.ca
www.facebook.com/ChefsMenu
All images & original content © James I. Gill, 2017

3. Today’s Menu
• Why bother with a newsletter?
• Online mail database providers
• Building your mail database
• Newsletter content
• Publication Frequency
• “Oh no, people are unsubscribing”
• Legal Issues
• Questions & Answers

4. Why Bother With
a Newsletter?

5. Low Organic Reach
Facebook & other social media
platforms control how much
content reaches your fans.

6. Reach Your
Customers Directly
Online mail list allows direct
communication with your
customers.

7. Facebook Audiences
Source Data
Use your mail list to create
Facebook Audiences for
marketing campaigns.

8. Understand Your
Customers
Use Facebook Audience Insight
to better understand who your
customers are.

9. Online Mail
Databases
Providers

10. Lots to Choose
From
• Constant Contact
• AWeber
• ConvertKit
• MailChimp
• etc.

11. Sign Up Form
Easy to integrate into your
online presence.
Easy to remember URL.

12. Double Opt-In
Helps confirm email
addresses.
Keeps you legal.

13. Ability to Export List
It’s your list of email addresses,
be sure you can export it.

14. Email Templates
Easy to use templates for
creating emails.

15. Reports
• Growth rates
• Unsubscribe rates
• Open rates
• Click rates

16. Building Your
Mail Database

17. In Store
• Table tents and other displays
• Menus
• Checks

18. Online
• Prominent link on website
• Facebook & other platforms

19. Buying Emails
What is an email address
worth to you?

20. Contests &
Give Aways
Ask people to sign up to be
entered to win something.
Higher unsubscribe rate.

21. Conversion
Campaigns
Run paid campaigns to
encourage sign ups.

22. Newsletter
Content

23. Daily Specials
for the Week
Gives you at least something
to publish.

24. Upcoming Events
Build a buzz for upcoming
special events.

25. Relevant Stories
Customers want to hear about
your business.

26. Publication
Frequency

27. Be Consistent
Whatever schedule you
choose, be consistent.
Weekly or monthly.

28. People are
Unsubscribing!

29. Don’t Take it
Personally
You want a high-quality list –
people who want to receive your
Newsletter.

30. Understand Why
If people unsubscribe en masse,
you may have a problem.

31. Possible Reasons
for Unsubscribes
• No perceived value
• Content not relevant
• Publishing too frequently
• Poor layout

32. Legal Issues

33. CASL
Canada's anti-spam legislation
(CASL) came into effect July 1, 2014.
Enforcement is divided between
three bodies.

34. 1/ CRTC
Concerned with how you
gather info and communicate
with people.

35. Consent
• Expressed or implied.
• Double Opt-In.

36. Identification
You must identify who the
sender is.

37. Unsubscribe
Mechanism
There must be a way to
unsubscribe.

38. 2/ Competition
Bureau
Concerned with false or
misleading representations and
deceptive marketing practices in
the electronic marketplace.

39. Don’t be Misleading
The email subject line should
accurately describe what the
email contains.

40. 3/ Office of the
Privacy Commissioner
Concerned with protecting
personal information.

41. PIPEDA
The Personal Information
Protection and Electronic
Documents Act (PIPEDA).

42. Safeguarding
Information
You’re responsible to safeguard &
protect the personal information
of people on your email list.

43. Q & A