Sending out a monthly email newsletter (or eNewsletter) is one of many ways to draw traffic to your Web site. This article is designed as a beginner’s guide to setting up an email newsletter. Here are 5 steps you can take today to take a newsletter from dream to reality:

1.Select a vendor to help send out the email newsletter. Using a vendor helps make sure your message looks professional and is less likely to be marked as spam. They also handle the task of removing people from the list when the ask to unsubscribe. We highly recommend Constant Contact, as we send out our own newsletter using their service. It is easy to use, relatively inexpensive and very popular. I’m sure other people have other services they recommend, perhaps they will mention them in the comments below.

2. Select or Create a Template. If you are using Constant Contact or another vendor, you can often choose from a series of pre-existing templates. This is a great choice, as long as you customize them to look like other marketing materials your company provides. Other people hire a professional to create a look that precisely matches other marketing materials. They key is to have blocks of content that will be filled in every month. We recommend 3 sections — one for some industry information (trends or new types of products), one for some information about your company (example: a new employee or service), and a free tip related to your industry (example: a plumber might have a tip on how to avoid leaks).

3. Compile your email list. You can start from your existing list of clients and people that you know. Make sure you have permission from those folks before you start emailing them — otherwise you may be subject to complaints, and (if you are very egregious) termination of your email newsletter, web hosting and even your Internet service. Ask anyone who you have contact with if they would like to be added to your free once-a-month email list, that means adding a form to your Web site and making it a part of your business process. Most people will say yes. Be sure not to buy, rent or otherwise acquire email lists.

4. Create your content. It is important to set aside a specific every month to compile your email newsletter, otherwise it won’t get done. Feel free to repurpose other marketing materials you create. For example, if you wrote an article for an industry magazine, try rewriting it to fit in your newsletter format. That way, you can save time and get the most benefit every time you prepare something. The key is creating a system that you can execute every month.

5. Send it. Even though this is for beginners, here’s an advanced tip; Make sure to send your email on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday morning . Emails sent on those days are more likely to be read.  With Constant Contact, you can schedule this in advance. With other services, you can do this by scheduling or by preparing the email and then pressing send on those days.

Follow those five steps and you’ll create an engaging newsletter is likely to keep clients and customer focused on your business.