8 Newsletter Tips from Our Clients
Today I'd like to share with you some of the ideas that Ready to Go Newsletters members have come up with for their own newsletters. As you know, we've been running our Newsletter of the Year contest – and we've had some good entries. I'll be announcing the winner in the next couple of weeks,…
The Most Important Number in Your Business
Do you know the most important number in your business? I bet that 9 out of 10 people reading this don't know the answer to that question. That's OK, because neither did I until not so long ago. But here's the thing: knowing the answer is super, super-important. Because if you don't know the answer,…
Will You Live Longer Than Facebook?
Will you live longer than Facebook? That was the interesting question posed by comedian Baratunde Thurston on a radio interview I heard last week. Barantude is no stranger to social media. He tweets, he Foursquares and he posts to Facebook. And he also has an email list. As it says on his website – Yes, Email! Here’s the point…
If You’re Nervous About Sending Your Newsletter…
…then listen to this short story. A friend of mine who runs a business consultancy says he's always anxious about sending his monthly newsletter. He calls it his "suicide note" because he feels he's putting himself out there to be scorned and shunned. Of course, that's nonsense. The content in his newsletter is excellent. An…
Meet Dulci! The eggs with a newsletter…with a goat
Have you seen the box of eggs that come with their own newsletter? Back in 2009, I wrote about The Country Hen, the egg producer that puts a newsletter in every box of eggs. I’m pleased to say, the eggs still come with a newsletter. As you can see in these images, this winter we…
Two More Ways to Boost Response to Your Newsletter
Today I want to share two easy ways to boost response to your newsletter. They are both being employed by one of my clients, an insurance agency in Hobe Sound, Florida. Indeed, one of the ideas was his. The secret behind both ideas is this: Relevance. Make your newsletter relevant to your readers and you…
Your Contact List: Build it or See it Die
Over the years, I’ve gained a lot of experience about what works…and what doesn’t. These lessons don’t just come from my own experiences, they also come from those of members. So I will be sharing some of these experiences with you so that you can learn from them. However, I warn you: I’m going to…
It’s OK…give yourself a break
When I was a kid, one of my first tasks of the new year was to sit down and write thank you letters for Christmas gifts. My mother stood behind me until I ground them out, which meant that by mid-month (at the very, very latest) they were all in the mail. Phew! I’m a…
7 Ways to Boost Response to Your Newsletter
I know from experience one of your biggest questions is likely to be: How do I squeeze more out of my newsletter? How can I get more response? The good news is, there’s lots you can do. Just doing one extra thing will help. So here we go: 1. The personal paragraph. I’ve written about…
Banned! How a Client Got Blocked from Sending Newsletters…
One of my clients was kicked out of VerticalResponse this week for spamming people. I want to share what happened so that you don’t make the same mistake. But first, some background. As you know, spam is a huge problem. Just look at your inbox each morning. And because of that, email software (such at…
Are You Wasting Your Website Visitors?
Here’s a bold claim: You could double your income if you stopped wasting the visitors who come to your website. How can I claim this? The thing is, people don’t necessarily contact you or, much less buy from you, the first time they visit your website. Indeed, it takes at least five “touches” with you…
Show that You’re Real In a Few Simple Words
Check out this post on the 37Signals blog. It shows an automated “thank you” message that a particular website sends after someone has made an online order. Big deal, you might think. Why is the wording of this email (and others like it) so important? Here’s the thing: people like to do business with people,…
Happy Clients Make Me Smile
It's not often I post testimonials from clients here. But this one made me smile. Are you making the most of testimonials you get from your happy clients? Thank You Ready To Go Newsletters! You have given me the most successful marketing tool I’ve used in my 11 years as a mortgage agent. I was skeptical…
Announcing…The First Newsletter Marketer of the Year
I’m delighted to announce that Patty Wagner, of MAS Insurance LLC, in Colorado, has won our first Newsletter Marketer of the Year contest. She wins an Apple iPad. Patty won for three reasons: Excellent results from her newsletters Excellent use of the customization features – she really made the newsletters hers Excellent and innovative marketing…
The Personal Paragraph: An Easy Way to Boost Response to Your Newsletter
One of my best clients called the other day to report something that made a big difference to the response to his wife’s real estate newsletter. At the top of every email newsletter he sent out, he added a personal paragraph about something that was going on in their lives. Just a tidbit. He tells…
The Business Owner’s Dirty, Little Secret
Maybe I’m just a screw-up. You see, I find the biggest battle I?face in business isn’t with competitors, or finding new clients, or customer service. It’s the battle that is waging right between my ears. It’s the voice that says “sales are terrible this week, you’re going to fail.” Or the voice that says “my…
Newsletters with Passion
Sometimes I?get this overwhelming urge. I?want to grab a business owner by the shoulders and give him a good, hard shake. “Why the heck,” I’d say through clenched teeth, “are you in this business anyway?” Once they’ve got over their shock (and probably called their lawyer), they might start to answer the question. Because deep down, hidden…
Is the Harvard Business Review Claiming You Can Spam Other Businesses?
The blog over at the Harvard Business Review is jumping. A recent post by Ruth P. Stevens stirred up that old hornet’s nest of “opt-in” versus “opt-out” marketing email. Here’s what she said: It’s OK to send unsolicited emails (newsletters and the like) to businesses with the expectation that they can opt out if they…
Who Are Your 1,000 True Fans?
It would be nice if you were a blockbuster, wouldn’t it? If you were Avatar. Or Martha Stewart. Or The Simpsons. But that probably isn’t going to happen. Which means that you are probably further down the famous “Long Tail”. There’s the blockbusters there on the left, and then you’re one of the gazillions fighting…
Business Owner on a Wire
Have you seen Man on a Wire? The docu-movie about a guy who decides (and succeeds) to walk a tightrope between the two towers of the World Trade Center. It’s a fascinating movie. It kept me entertained on a long transatlantic flight a few months ago. Anthony Tjan reminded me how the movie is also…