For the B2B marketer who thinks that their company’s email newsletter has gone as far as it can go, isn’t worth the time necessary to review and is not a vital part of the company’s marketing efforts, think again.

Given that the bulk of B2B e-mail newsletter subscribers tend to opt-in in search of things like tips, best practices, trends and more, the goal is simply to initiate or grow a relationship that is focused around useful product and service content. When that is the case, your readers typically navigate over to your Web site where they may seek more information, talk with a salesperson, download white papers and guides or more.

With a New Year right around the corner, now is a great time to set aside an hour or two and review your company’s e-mail newsletter.

Among the factors you want to review are:

• What is working?
• What is not working?
• What can we do better in 2012?
• Are we spending too little or not enough time on it in-house?
• Should we shift the newsletter to an outside company to handle for us?
• Are we crafting the newsletter so that it is social media friendly and allowing us maximum exposure on sites like Facebook, Twitter and more?

These are all questions that a marketing team should take into account so that everyone is on the same page going into the next 12 months.

Of course a fresh start in 2012 also allows the marketing team to consider new goals over the next 12 months, including the content, design, delivery and viability of the e-mail newsletter.

First and foremost, have you truly defined and understand your audience?

It sounds like a simple to answer question, but those marketers who have trouble answering it are also the ones who are likely seeing so-so traffic regarding their newsletters. The needs of your audience will change sooner than you think, so be sure to keep a handle on their requirements so that your targeted message stands a much better chance of not falling on deaf ears.

The message you send to your customers should be one that promotes your company as:

• Authoritative in its respective industry
• Providing fresh and relevant content
• A trusted source
• Always looking ahead and up to speed on not only the latest trends, but what the future of the industry is likely to bring

One other important aspect of the company e-mail newsletter that sometimes goes unnoticed is making sure it has a consistent ring to it.

From the content theme and design to the delivery of the newsletter, you stand a much better chance of being taken seriously in 2012 by your customers if you are consistent. Go about the newsletter in a hap-hazard way as far as content and publication, and you stand a much greater chance of being dismissed as irrelevant.

Lastly, what kind of metrics are you getting from your e-mail newsletter?

Wait, you’re not really delving into the numbers when it comes to monitoring who is reading and what they are reading?

All the time and effort you put into your company’s B2B e-mail newsletter is essentially wasted if you are not compiling and studying the data with each issue.

If this has been lacking in your approach up to now, take the time with a fresh start to the New Year to put analytics at the top of your wish list.

Your B2B e-mail newsletter can serve you in so many ways; it starts with knowing what and how you are marketing.

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