SmartsPro Newsletter FAQs
Q. How frequently is each newsletter published?
Q. Can I get a newsletter delivered only six or four times a year even if it’s published monthly?
Q. Can I mix and match newsletters?
Q. What formats are available?
Q. What is HTML+?
Q. Do I even need PRINT newsletters if I send EMAIL newsletters?
Q. What customization options do I have?
Q. Can I choose a substitute article if I want?
Q. Can I find out what the content will be in advance?
Q. Do you provide mailing service for your print newsletters?
Q. What are business reply cards and should I order them?
Q. Do I need to sign a contract? What if I want to cancel?
Q. Do you offer any discounts?
Q. Is there a set-up fee?
Q. How do I start a subscription?
Q. How frequently is each newsletter published? A.
- Employee Benefits Report – monthly
- Life & Health Insurance Advisor – monthly
- Voluntary Benefits Solutions – bi-monthly
- Insurance Buyer’s News – bi-monthly
- Worker’s Compensation & Safety News – bi-monthly
- Employee Benefits & Workers’ Comp News – bi-monthly
- Managing Risk – quarterly
- Personal Lines – quarterly
Q. Can I get a newsletter delivered only six or four times a year even if it’s published monthly?
A. Yes, but if it’s published monthly (Employee Benefits Report and Life & Health Insurance Advisor), you will be charged a non-standard frequency charge of $25 per issue for bi-monthly service; or a $35 non-standard frequency charge for quarterly service. Quarterly service for print newsletters is available only for orders of at least 100 copies. A non-standard frequency charge of $35 per issue also applies to quarterly service of bi-monthly publications (Insurance Buyers’ News, Workers’ Compensation & Safety News , Employee Benefits & Workers’ Comp News and Voluntary Benefits Solutions).
Q. Can I mix and match newsletters?
A. Yes, you can opt for monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly service and select which newsletters you get when at no additional charge. However, if you select quarterly or bi-monthly service and alternate between monthly newsletters (Employee Benefits Report and Life & Health Insurance Advisor), the non-standard frequency charge will apply.
Q. What formats are available?
A. We offer content in three formats:
- PRINT: Your newsletter printed in full color with your nameplate (including logo, address and photo) also in full color. With an open rate of nearly 100%, print is our most popular format. If you purchase both PRINT and EMAIL, you will receive a 30% discount.
- EMAIL: Our HTML EMAIL newsletters provide several unique benefits you don’t get with print newsletters, which you can read about here. If you purchase both PRINT and EMAIL, you will receive a 30% discount.
- WEB: Newsletter content can also be streamed to your WEBSITE, providing a great way to automatically update content on a regular basis and engage visitors. If you also purchase either PRINT or WEB service, you will receive a 30% discount.
Q. What is HTML+?
A. HTML+ is an exclusive email format that lets you see who gets your newsletter, who opens it and which articles they read. HTML+ makes it easy to tailor your marketing approach and keep your lists clean. When you purchase our HTML+ email service, you may also use the service to send out other mass mailings and link to your social media accounts. Read about these features and more here.
Q. Do I even need PRINT newsletters if I send EMAIL newsletters?
A. Print newsletters have far more impact than emails. When your newsletter comes in the mail, recipients will see your branding—whether they read the contents or not. It can get passed around, stored, and has greater shelf life. We recommend print newsletters for your “A” client list. Electronic newsletters, particularly our HTML+ version, also have their uses, especially for individuals who have opted in to your email newsletter list, and prospect lists that you might not want to invest as much on as your “A” list.
For more information on the pros and cons of email vs. print newsletters, you might want to look at a couple of our blog posts (they’re short): Print vs. Electronic Insurance Newsletters — Tortoise vs. Hare? and The Economics of Email Insurance Newsletter Distribution.”
Q. What customization options do I have?
A. With either PRINT or EMAIL you get a customized masthead with your name, logo and even photos. Take full advantage of your masthead by using color to make your business identity stand out even more — it won’t cost you a dime more to do so.
If you don’t have a logo or have been using a typeface logo and you’re starting a newsletter, this may be a good time to consider adopting a logo design. SmartsPro offers many affordable logo templates which we can customize to your specifications. You can check them out here. You might also find some of our blog postings on corporate identity and branding helpful.
Here are some additional customization options:
- Custom articles: For just $100 you can add a 200-word article to the front page of your newsletter. You can insert a larger article, up to 500 words, for only $250. Custom article ideas include:
- Special programs your firm offers
- Introducing new producers and CSRs
- Information specific to your niche market
- Specialized expertise of key employees
- Local risk management concerns
- Accomplishments and accolades received by your firm or employees.
- Substitute an article from our Content Warehouse on a topic of your choosing in your newsletters. Please see the next question for details.
- Customize your newsletter’s highlight color: All our newsletters are printed primarily in black ink for easy reading and our graphics and photos are usually in color. But each newsletter has a highlight color; for instance, it’s blue for Employee Benefits Report, green for Insurance Buyers’ News and so on. If your firm has a “corporate color,” we can use it in place of our normal highlight color. Many firms use this technique to underscore their branding. The cost of this service is only $39 per issue.
- Variable printing: At SmartsPro Marketing, we use digital presses to print all our newsletters. This gives us the flexibility to personalize, if you wish, every single copy of your newsletter. For instance, if your newsletter is folded into a self-mailer, we can imprint a personalized greeting on the mailer panel of every newsletter. You could say something like: “Diane, Scott Insurance is pleased to provide your August issue of Insurance Buyers’ News. Give us a call if you have any questions about the articles in this month’s issue. And thanks for letting us serve you.” Please see our blog post: Five Ways Insurance Newsletters Can Help Build Your Brand.
Q. Can I choose a substitute article if I want?
You may substitute an article from the SmartsPro Content Warehouse for an article in the regular issue at any time. Our Content Warehouse contains hundreds of articles for you to choose from. Find the article you want and call us at least 10 days before we go into production for an upcoming edition. We start creating newsletters for the month ahead beginning about the 8th of the previous month. The substitute article from the Content Warehouse is free; but there will be a charge for the time required to fit the article into the substitute space available: $79 for print newsletters and $39 for electronic newsletters. To explore the articles in the Smart’s Content Warehouse, click here.
Q. Can I find out what the content will be in advance?
A. Yes, just let us know that you want to be a “reviewer.” You’ll get a text version of your next newsletter approximately 10 days before we finalize the content. If you decide that you do not wish an article to appear in your edition of the newsletter, just tell us know and either provide an article of your own or choose a substitute article from our Content Warehouse.
Q. Do you provide mailing service for your print newsletters?
A. Yes, mailing services are available. We can print your envelopes for newsletter insertion, you can ship your envelopes to us or we can print your newsletter as a self-mailer.
Q. What are business reply cards and should I order them?
A. Smart’s business reply cards (BRCs) have your agency’s name and address on the front and typical questions readers might be prompted to ask based on the content of each individual issue (we change them every time). BRCs make it easy for clients to indicate what they want to discuss or get more information about.
It’s true that not many people return the BRCs, but they give readers a convenient way to contact you. And you will get some returns. Also, simply including them is a thoughtful gesture that reminds your customers you value their input and want to hear from them whenever they have questions — not just at renewal time.
And even if someone doesn’t return the card, it may prompt a phone call.
Q. Do I need to sign a contract? What if I want to cancel?
A. Our subscriptions are open-ended; we require only a 60-day notice of cancellation from you to stop service. Please call us if you wish to cancel. If you send a notice of cancellation, send it via email to the person who has been servicing your account and to service@smartspromarketing.com. You should receive a confirmation from us within 3 days. If you do not, please contact us by phone. If you cannot reach us by phone for any reason, please send notice by U.S, mail.
Q. Do you offer any discounts?
A. We have several discount offers:
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- You receive a 10% prepayment discount when you prepay your subscription for one year. This discount applies in addition to any other discounts you may be eligible for.
- As a sponsored vendor of the National Association of Health Underwriters (NAHU), we offer a 10% discount to members. If you are a NAHU member, you will receive a discount for subscribing to any of these newsletters:
- Employee Benefits Report
- Life & Health Insurance Advisor
- Voluntary Benefits Solutions
- We also offer a 10% discount to NAIFA-NYS members for these newsletters.
- Members of the Organic Growth Network may be eligible for a 7 1/2 % discount for any newsletter subscription. Please inquire.
- Newsletter customers with a SmartsPro website are exempt from non-standard frequency fees, if otherwise applicable, and they pay $29 per website issue instead of $39.
- You receive a 10% prepayment discount when you prepay your subscription for one year. This discount applies in addition to any other discounts you may be eligible for.
Q. Is there a set-up fee?
A. The one-time set-up fee is $150. However, we will waive fee if you prepay the first 3 issues of your newsletter. You’ll find this option in the Discounts section of the newsletter order form.
Q. How do I start a subscription?
A. Click on the Request tab below. Fill out the order form and send it to us. You can mail, fax or send it as an email attachment via any of the addresses in the footer of order form. Please include a cover letter or email and tell us how you would like us to compose your masthead using your agency name and contact information. Also, include image files for your color logo and any photos you want to include (EPS or JPEG formats are preferred). We’ll layout your masthead and send you a proof. We won’t print your newsletter until we get your approval. Click here and choose the newsletter you’re interested in to have our sales team send you an order form.