• by Angela Hribar , May 7, 2009

Media buyers and marketers looking to stretch every dollar and invest in effective and measurable marketing programs should add e-newsletter sponsorships to their marketing mix in 2009. E-newsletter advertisements are a perfect complement to your online marketing efforts.

Here are five reasons why e-newsletters are a smart marketing choice:

1. Your customers and prospects rely on e-newsletters as an information source. E-newsletters are looked to for up-to-date information and announcements, so they put you in front of your target audience when they are engaged to learn more about products and services like yours. E-newsletters are subscription-based, allowing them to deliver qualified and sales-ready leads as a result. An additional benefit of e-newsletters being subscription-based, or opt-in, is the high delivery and open rate. Since subscribers accept emails from the subscription into their inbox, there is less likelihood of email bouncing or ending up in a spam filter.

2. E-newsletters connect you with hard-to-reach prospects. Given today's economy, your company may be broadening its efforts to reach new markets that are weathering the downturn better than others, and to gain sales that might otherwise not come your way. You might be focusing on a specific market, putting your marketing muscle towards those prospects most likely to become customers, perhaps in a specific vertical where you have had past success. In either case, e-newsletters that are targeted to specific industries allow you to connect with hard-to-reach prospects or gain visibility in new markets. 

3. E-newsletters are measurable. Marketers are under greater pressure than ever to demonstrate accountability and return on marketing investments. The performance of e-newsletters, like other online marketing, is measurable -- almost from the minute the e-newsletter is sent out. White papers, webinars, case studies and application notes all are good offers to include in your e-newsletter advertisement to boost conversion rates. Armed with metrics, you know exactly how well your e-newsletter sponsorship is performing.

4. Save money, resources and time with e-newsletters. With e-newsletter sponsorships, you don't have to manage the e-mail list, produce the newsletter content, or send the e-mail. You also don't need to pay for a graphic designer to create an advertisement. Most e-newsletter ads are quick and easy to create. Another benefit to e-newsletters is speed. If you have a special promotion you want to run or an end-of-quarter push, you don't need to wait: often you can reserve e-newsletter space, create an ad and publish your message quickly and easily.

5. Generate quality leads. Knowing who you are reaching with your online marketing efforts is key to quality lead generation.  With readership demographics, you can select the appropriate e-newsletter that targets the right audience for your business. According to a recent MarketingProfs survey, respondents most frequently report that the most effective online medium for lead generation has been e-newsletters.

As the business world shifts, marketers are challenged to keep pace. By marketing in e-newsletters, you can meet your lead-generation goals, save money and time, and measure your results -- a giant leap forward from traditional media.