When your product fits the niche,
a club newsletter is a good buy

While The Beagle Bugle, or the Pony Next Press doesn’t pop in your head as a place to advertise, don’t write them off too soon. Yes, what the space reps tell you about the power of concentration is true; but it’s also true that a little trickle of cash in a club pub is like permission marketing: You’re welcomed. They want you. You provide fresh content and you help pay for printing and postage.

The secret though, is to take these publications seriously and leverage the opportunity. For example, Tom Luke, a seasoned marketer, introduced a new horse feed via club newsletters with one page, pre-printed inserts. These inserts had keyed discount coupons, not only to perk local dealer sales, but also to track and test copy appeals. The coupons were also used to capture opt-ins for a corporate ezine.

Good effort already. But then Tom took it to the next level. He visited all dealers in the area, detailed them on the program and supplied them with copies of the ads. Now, everybody was in the loop.

And then came the final reward. He asked each club’s program committee--- already exposed to the message--- if they would like him to give a “How to Talk” to their group. By now, they knew him, his company and his product, and he was welcomed back.

With attention to detail, he parlayed a few bucks into a mini program with maximum R.O.I. What’s more, he established a dialogue with the club’s members that helped him fine-tune his future marketing efforts with other clubs.

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