Creative Strategy - Planning

Planning.  Here's how the cycle goes...a group gets excited about a newly created permission-based e-mail program, and the launch is successful.  The next e-mail is an obvious follow-up.  Thereafter, a few months go by with one or two more relevant and timely messages sent out to the subscribers.

But then, at about the mid-year point in the campaign, you notice that the subscriber list has lost numbers due to natural attrition and you have no idea what the content of your next message should be, so it is delayed and then two months go by with no communication at all.

This is why PLANNING is so important.  As you launch your e-mail newsletter or news campaign, take time to set some definitions and create a calendar.

1. Define your goals.
2. Define your audience.
3. Define your message.
4. Define your vehicle.
5. Define your timing.
6. Review and redefine these definitions again and again.

Plan your campaign, and include strategies for ongoing growth of your subscriber list.

Create a pubilcation schedule.  Even something as simple as this one will keep you on track:

Download winmail_sample_6month_publishing_plan_3.06.xls

I just received today's Clickz article and it reinforces this same message about editorial planning.  Written by Jeanne Jennings, the article is available at:

http://www.clickz.com/experts/em_mkt/em_mkt/print.php/3590376