Newsletters & email marketing · March · Lake Zurich · Linth
The newsletter your regulars actually read
Every business has it: the folder full of customer addresses nobody ever writes to. Yet your own list is the only channel you own — no algorithm, no click prices, a direct line to people who already know you.
Are newsletters still worth it?
For SMEs especially: yes — more clearly than ever. On social media an algorithm decides who sees your post; on Google you pay per click. An email to your own list reaches people who gave you their address voluntarily. The numbers reflect that: in regional niches, open rates routinely sit far above anything social reach achieves — because the sender is known and the content concerns their own region.
Why it still doesn’t happen
- “We don’t have anything to tell.” You do: new projects, seasonal reminders, a look into the workshop, the answer to the question you get asked every week.
- The list doesn’t exist — addresses are scattered across inbox, accounting and the quotes folder.
- The tool question blocks everything: which program, which template, who sets it up?
- And as everywhere: nobody does it. Everyone does it on the side.
What I set up
- The list — from existing customer contacts and new sign-ups via the website, cleanly consent-based.
- A template, done right once: your sender, your layout, readable on the phone — after that every send is routine, not a project.
- A rhythm that holds: for most businesses, monthly or quarterly is right. Consistency beats frequency.
- Content from the business: short, concrete, regional — no marketing prose.
- Measurement: open rate, click rate and — more importantly — the replies and enquiries that come back.
- The link to follow-up: whoever clicks and enquires belongs in a system, not in an inbox — see CRM & lead care.
No bought lists, no spam.
Email advertising without consent is unlawful in Switzerland (Unfair Competition Act) — and it would be bad business too: a bought list damages exactly the trust a regional business lives on. We build the list from real customer relationships. It takes longer, and it’s worth more every month.
Who this is for
- Businesses with loyal regulars who hear from them far too rarely — see Small Business Support.
- Businesses managing seasonal capacity (garden, construction, gastronomy): your own list fills the shoulder season cheaper than any campaign.
- If you already win visitors via SEO or Google Ads: the newsletter sign-up turns a one-time visitor into a lasting contact.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good open rate and click rate?
As rough guides for well-kept SME lists: open rates from a third to half are realistic, click rates of a few percent are normal. More important than industry benchmarks is your own trend: if the open rate climbs, the content is right; if replies and enquiries come back, the channel is right. A newsletter to 400 real regulars beats one to 10’000 bought addresses by miles.
Which newsletter tool is right for an SME?
The tool question is the smallest one: mainstream programs like Mailchimp or Brevo do everything an SME needs — templates, sign-up forms, analytics, automation. What matters is that template and process are set up properly once, so sending becomes routine. I pick the tool that fits your business and budget with you, and set it up.
How do I build a list if I’m starting from zero?
You rarely start from zero: existing customers may be written to within the business relationship, provided you inform them cleanly and every mail contains an unsubscribe. Add the website sign-up, a note on every quote and invoice, and — old-fashioned but effective — the question in the shop or on site. A few hundred real regional contacts come together within months.
What does a newsletter actually deliver — can you measure it?
Yes, more precisely than almost any other channel: per send you see who opened, who clicked, who replied. Concretely that means: appointment requests after the seasonal reminder, reactivated customers who hadn’t ordered in two years, applications after a “we’re hiring” note. The report ends up showing enquiries, not open rates.
Let’s talk for 20 minutes.
A short conversation first: I want to understand how you work, what you sell and to whom. Then I’ll tell you honestly whether and where I can help. No pitch, no sales pressure.
Rather look for yourself first? The free tools need no form.