Why Most Content Producers are Thinking of the Wrong Person

Content marketing – and that includes sending print and email newsletters – is becoming an essential part of the marketing arsenal. But this new chart from Marketing Sherpa shows that most marketers are getting it all wrong. They’re breaking Rule #1 of newsletters, not writing with their customer in mind. The chart shows that content that…

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How to Use Newsletters to Bring in New Business

I was asked by a member of my insurance newsletters service last week about the best way to use newsletters to bring in new business. Here’s what I will tell him. Of course, this applies to any business – not just insurance. Why Newsletters Work to Bring in New Business Newsletters are most famously used…

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Why Your Newsletter Must Be Relevant to Readers to Succeed

Here I go again: back to rule #1 – write for your readers. An interesting chart came along in the email today from Marketing Sherpa. It’s the results of benchmark survey. Highlight: the biggest reason (cited by 58% of respondents) why they stopped reading or unsubscribed from email newsletters was that they were not relevant to…

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Book Review: What Would Google Do?

What Would Google Do? by Jeff Jarvis. See his blog at https://www.buzzmachine.com. If you’ve been feeling left behind about how the internet is changing business (anything from the falling fortunes of newspapers and the music industry to how people are making big bucks selling personalized t-shirts) this is a worthwhile book. If you’re already up…

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How Much Content is Too Much Content?

I was asked an interesting question the other day by a Realtor who is part of my real estate newsletters program. He wants to include much more content on his website, but he wonders: is there such a thing as too much content? “I’d love to hear your suggestions on where to draw the line…

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An Example of How Targeted Content in Newsletters Pays Off

I’ve said before and – watch out – I shall say many times in future that the number one rule for newsletters is: write for your reader. That’s because if you make the content relevant to your readers’ interests, they are more likely read your newsletter, engage with you and – frankly – buy stuff.…

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This Ain’t the Corporate Newsletter

Not far from where I live in Toronto there’s a bookstore called This Ain’t the Rosedale Library. (Rosedale, for those who aren’t from here, is the city’s most upscale neighborhood.) This Ain’t the Rosedale Library is an alternative bookstore – some of its titles wouldn’t sit comfortably in Rosedale drawing rooms. So think of this:…

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An Example of a Newsletter with Personality

If you don’t know about HARO (Help a Reporter Out) and you are interested in getting media coverage, then check it out. Basically, it’s a service that connects journalists (who are looking for sources for stories) and PR people/companies with products seeking publicity. It goes out as three emails per day. Very simple. Very effective.…

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How to Get Free Articles and Pictures for Your Newsletter Using Creative Commons

As you know, it’s not a good idea to copy articles from the internet and use them in your newsletter. There’s a good chance you’ll be breaking copyright. And anyway, it’s not cool to use other people’s work in your newsletter without asking. There are, however, many authors and photographers who are happy for you…

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How to Make Writing Your Newsletter Easier

For many people, writing a newsletter is somewhere down there with going to the dentist, washing the car and clearing out the eves troughs. A right royal pain in the butt. The thing is, you can’t see it like that if you are going to continue with your newsletter for the long term. (And the…

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Your Email List Is of Absolutely No Value to Me

One of the questions I get from potential new members of my real estate newsletter program  – the email version – is whether their list of clients will be safe if they upload them to my website. They’re afraid I – or someone else – will steal all the email addresses and sell them to…

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5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Newsletter

Here’s what I believe: Every Business Needs a Newsletter. No excuses. Even funeral homes. Here are 5 reasons why: 1. Monsters in the Dark (because, especially right now, people want to do business with people they know and trust) Trust is at a premium these days. After all, who can we trust? Not the banks…

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How to Use Twitter for Your Newsletter

Gotta love Twitter. It’s like a world-wide networking party – without holding a glass of orange juice in one hand. Here’s how I use it to make my newsletter. I tweet (and link to) anything I find online that I think would be interesting to my Twitter followers and my newsletter readers. After all, networking…

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