Encourage Subscriber Retention
Encourage Subscriber Retention By Applying Learning Styles to Your Newsletter.
We all know how important it is to gain subscribers and build your database, however, it is equally as important to retain your database. There is no use in gaining subscribers, only to lose them shortly thereafter. To increase the likelihood of subscriber retention, I've taken a note or two from the 4 main learning styles, which are used by presenters, lecturers and students, and modified them for use when writing & preparing newsletters.
The Four Main Learning Styles are:
(Web Version of the Learning Styles Survey © Copyright 2000 by Suzanne Miller, Instructor, www.dvc.edu)
The Visual/Written Learning Style:
You learn best when information is presented visually and in a written language format. In a classroom setting, you benefit from instructors who use the blackboard (or overhead projector) to list the essential points of a lecture, or who provide you with an outline to follow along with during lecture. You benefit from information obtained from textbooks and class notes. You tend to like to study by yourself in a quiet room. You often see information "in your mind's eye" when you are trying to remember something.
The Visual/Image Learning Style:
You learn best when information is presented visually and in a picture or design format. In a classroom setting, you benefit from instructors who use visual aids such as film, video, maps and charts. You benefit from information obtained from the pictures and diagrams in textbooks. You tend to like to work in a quiet room and may not like to work in study groups. When trying to remember something, you can often visualize a picture of it in your mind. You may have an artistic side that enjoys activities having to do with visual art and design.
The Tactile Learning Style:
You learn best when physically engaged in a "hands on" activity. In the classroom, you benefit from a lab setting where you can manipulate materials to learn new information. You learn best when you can be physically active in the learning environment. You benefit from instructors who encourage in-class demonstrations, "hands on" student learning experiences, and field work outside the classroom.
The Auditory Learning Style:
You learn best when information is presented auditory in an oral language format. In a classroom setting, you benefit from listening to lecture and participating in group discussions. You also benefit from obtaining information from audio tape. When trying to remember something, you can often "hear" the way someone told you the information, or the way you previously repeated it out loud. You learn best when interacting with others in a listening/speaking exchange.
Whilst these styles don't apply directly to your e-newsletter (as you are generally not required to complete a test after reading a newsletter - thank goodness!). I believe that with some minor alterations we can apply similar styles when writing & creating e-newsletters. Our aim is not necessarily to teach your subscriber, but if the subscriber does retain the information which they read in your newsletter, then they will be more likely to want to read the next newsletter that you send out. Additionally, if the information within the newsletter is presented in the subscribers preferred learning style (we all have one, which one is yours?), then they are more likely to consciously/subconsciously view your newsletter positively.
In modifying & applying the above 4 styles for e-newsletters, I have come up with the following suggestions:
1: Applying the Visual/Written Communication Style:
This is typical of e-newsletters & is easily achieved by simply providing articles and information within your newsletter. However, this can also be further segmented, by applying information for recipients who scan the newsletter in order to find the relevant information and in depth readers.
2: Applying the Visual/Image Communication Style:
In order to meet the needs of the Visual/Image subscriber, you can supply graphs, images & visuals to accompany the articles and information. Additionally, the layout and design of your newsletter is very important to these subscribers. You need to ensure that you are offering both HTML and text versions, as these Visual/Image subscribers will more than likely prefer to receive the HTML version.
3: Applying the Tactile Communication Style:
Whilst this style's requirements are hard to meet when applying to e-newsletters, it can be somewhat met by supplying tests, forms, quizzes, surveys, tasks etc for the recipient to complete. These subscribers are also more likely to print out the newsletter.
4: Applying the Auditory Communication Style:
The obvious application for this style is a streaming video. Understandably, this is not for every business due to time or financial restraints, but it is worthy of consideration as more and more businesses are looking at including a video within their newsletter.
Now, whilst I'm not advocating that all of these techniques are used within every newsletter, the appearance of the occasional Visual/Image, Tactile, and Auditory communication styles, in addition to the standard Visual/Written Communication style, will more than likely keep the subscribers interested & hopefully help them to retain the information better. This in turn, will help to retain them as a subscriber.
Kath Pay is Marketing Director of Ezemail, an innovative company that provides comprehensive email marketing solutions. For more information on how easily email marketing can be implemented, please contact Kath at kath@ezemail.com.
©Kath Pay 2007
