Simon Payn's Effective Customer Newsletters

Why Hibernating in Tough Times is a Bad Strategy

2008-08-05T05:56:00-04:00

Thankfully, it's summer right now. But winters here in Ontario can be frigid.

It's no wonder the bears go to sleep and wait it out.

Unlike the chickadees, which are busy hunting for food, even in blood-freezing temperatures.

I'm here to tell you this: during tough times, be a chickadee, not a bear.

This isn't a time to be hibernating.

I've just ordered a great ebook, How Your Business Can Survive and Prosper During a Recession, and after a quick skim through, the one piece of advice that nearly all the experts interviewed give is:

Don't stop marketing....indeed, market even more.

When your competitors - paralyzed by recessionary fears - are sleeping it out like bears, you, the plucky chickadee, will be able to gain market share.

After all, people are still buying stuff. Just maybe not as much.

And when you're the only one still marketing, you're the one they will choose.

After a winter, bears emerge thin and hungry.

Do you want to be one of them?

(PS. I wrote an article recently about how smart Realtors are continuing to market during the housing crisis - and succeeding. Check it out.)

Be Gently in their Face

2008-07-31T11:42:10-04:00

I wasn't going to write today, but I was inspired by Seth Godin's post, "My tooth doesn't hurt." It's about how a marketer can build a solid business, even when they think their target market doesn't need them right now (like a dentist who is badly needed when a person has a toothache, but easily ignored the rest of the time.)

Here's the meat of the article (but click through to read the rest for context):

There are two challenges for toothache marketers (dentists and non-dentists alike).

1. Figure out a cost-effective way to be there. A way to gently be in my face so that when my toothache shows up (in whatever form that takes) you're the obvious choice.

2. Create new products and services that build engagement and possibly revenue among members of the population that aren't in pain. That, of course, is why teeth whitening services are so smart. You can sell to people who didn't know they had a problem until they met you.

And that's where newsletters are so useful.

The purpose of a newsletter is build a long-term relationship with your clients and with your prospects.

You do that by offering them valuable information that will improve their lives, entertaining them and informing them at the same time. You build your relationship over time by offering them this information on a regular basis.

You are gently in their face - you're there, as part of their lives, but you're not advertising to them. You're not overtly selling. Instead, you are building a deeper, more trusted relationship, so that when they need you, you're the one they call.

At the same time, your newsletter is a space where you can offer products and services that will encourage them to engage with you in new ways. If you take the attitude that you are there to make your clients' lives better, and you have a product or service that works - and that people love - then it would be a mistake not to tell your clients about that product your service.

So mention it in your newsletter, providing an attractive offer that will encourage them to contact you to find out more.

Being gently in their face is what it's all about - building a relationship based on trust and service.

"Test Drive" my customer newsletter free for one month. There are several flavors, for real estate agents, mortgage brokers...and every other business out there!

What Not to Put in a Newsletter

2008-07-29T17:53:14-04:00

Ding! Here arrives a new email.

Ooh, a newsletter! I like those!

It's from a software company - A Letter from the CEO, no less.

And that's where things start to go wrong.

Let me give you some quotes:

"A New Corporate Strategy"

"We have established a new corporate strategy designed to meet the continuously evolving needs of the marketplace and enable our customers to achieve success."

"Aligning Our Structure to the Strategy"

"We are re-aligning our business units to have their full attention and focus on product development. "

And finally, in closing:

"We believe it is important that our customers and business partners have a clear picture of where [company name] is headed in the future. We appreciate your business and look forward to helping you achieve great success in the world of digital media.

Still with me?

Let's see where this newsletter is going wrong.

It's about the company, not the customer. Yes, they believe the changes to their company will benefit the customer, but the content of the message is about us, us, us. Not you, you, you.
It fails the "so what?" test. Do customers really care about the new hires and new corporate structure? Probably not. And certainly not when the newsletter has already failed at point 1.
It's boring. People are busy. They want to be informed and entertained. They don't have the time (or desire) to read something that appears dull and not particularly helpful.

You know what it's like to be cornered at a party by someone who won't stop talking about their job, their kids or their hobby?

Please, don't publish newsletters like this. Instead, remember the golden rules.

Make it about your customers
Provide value - information your customers can use
Make it fun and interesting to read

Respect your customers' time and meet their needs. It's that simple.

Why Customer Service Beats Low Prices (And How You Can Develop it to Make Clients More Loyal)

2008-07-24T08:34:00-04:00

If you wanted any more evidence that now – despite the rough economy – is not the time to go cutting price, look at the results of the latest poll published by Marketing Sherpa (see chart at end of this post).

It shows that while vendors believe price is the most important factor in customer loyalty, the customers themselves (the only ones whose opinions actually matter!) put customer service in top spot, with 40% citing poor customer service as the main reason for leaving a vendor.

So instead of cutting price and hoping your customers are so grateful they stick around, invest the money you save on customer service.

As this is a blog about customer newsletters, let’s see how newsletters can help improve customer service – and hence customer loyalty.

First, develop a customer service mindset. Remind yourself that without customers you are dead, that you are there to serve customers – and to treat them as you would like to be treated. (Thanks to Michael Port for emphasizing this upgrade to the Golden Rule.)
Remember that the first transaction is just the beginning – you want them to come back multiple times.
Use your customer newsletter as a tool to encourage them to come back. Sign them up at the first transaction and then use your newsletter to remind them of your existence (people easily forget!) and to make offers to encourage them to visit you again.
Your goal is to create a genuine relationship with your clients, not just a series of transactions. Use your newsletter to extend the relationship-building you do in person to circumstances when you are not present.
When choosing your newsletter content, consider what kind of articles will best serve your customers (rather than simply serving yourself.)
Build the relationship by contacting your clients (in a non-threatening, permission-based) way on a regular basis, always offering something of value.

If you think that investing in customer service (and customer newsletters) is expensive, remember the oft-quoted words of Frederick F. Reichheld in The Loyalty Effect:

“A 5 percent improvement in customer retention rates will yield a 25 to 100 percent increase in profits.”
Chart from Marketing Sherpa

Printed Newsletters and the Internet: Friends or Foes?

2008-07-22T14:37:06-04:00

The other day I heard someone say, “Printed newsletters? That’s so 90s.”

Let's face it, when you compare them to email and blogs, printed newsletters do have - shall we say - a vintage feel.

Dead trees and ink are hardly sexy in green-tinged, e-everything 2008.

But this is the thing (actually, several things):

1) What’s popular or new isn’t always the same as what’s successful. Just because Facebook is the new thing, it doesn’t mean it automatically replaces older keep-in-touch methods. Beware of being distracted by bright, shiny objects.

2) What works, works. If printed newsletters are working for you, then use them. If they’re not, then try something else.

3) ROI is what counts. Printed newsletters are more expensive than, for example, email to deliver. But count the results: which gives you the most bang for your buck?

And, most importantly, it’s not a question of either/or.

It’s AND.

It’s not the 90s anymore. And that’s a very good thing, because we have so many more ways to reach clients.

Businesses should be using multiple media – and integrating multiple media. Why? People like to be contacted in different ways and like to interact with your company in different ways. (Some like to call, some go to the Web for more information, some prefer to receive a brochure through the mail.)

If you’re using printed newsletters, keep these points in mind:

1) Use your newsletter content in multiple ways: on your blog, in e-newsletters, on sites such as Squidoo. Then you’ll get more bangs for your content buck.

2) Put your printed newsletter online, perhaps using a service like Issuu.

3) Use your newsletter to encourage people to visit your website or email you, employing devices such as offers and quizzes. (In my real estate newsletter, for example, I include a quick quiz, with clients encouraged to contact their Realtor for the answer.)

4) Put a sign-up box on your website for your printed newsletter. Consider using a special report as “bait” to encourage them to raise their hands as good prospects.

Friends or foes? Most definitely friends. They work better together than alone.

Shock: Some Good News about US Real Estate

2008-07-16T12:01:23-04:00

If you watch enough CNN, you’ll be convinced that the American housing market – and the entire economy - is doomed.

No hope. Just give up and wait.

I’m not saying that things aren’t bad – that a lot of people are suffering, losing their homes and their jobs. The economy has changed and got a lot tougher.

But we shouldn’t be convinced that it’s a disaster everywhere for everyone.

Because it’s not.

Just yesterday I heard from one of my real estate newsletter clients in California who sold four properties in the past month and has been “swamped” with work.

You don’t hear that reported on CNN.

The thing is, it takes smarts, information and hard work to prosper right now. After all, once upon a time listings fell into Realtors’ laps and transactions were closed the next day.

It’s not like that anymore.

This Realtor uses a newsletter and, I’m sure, many other marketing tools to build relationships with her farm and past clients. She’s working hard at marketing herself – and that’s why she’s succeeding.

I’ve got lots of other members who are doing the exact same thing – and continuing to thrive in today’s market by building strong relationships with their clients and farm.

So there’s a new reality. Only the toughest, most knowledgeable will survive; those who learn and implement what they have learned.

Which type of business person, which type of Realtor, will you be?

Test drive my real estate newsletter for free at http://www.readytogonewsletters.com

The Age of Conversation: The Sequel

2008-07-10T02:40:00-04:00

I'm privileged to be joining 236 - yes, 236! - other authors by contributing to the second edition of The Age of Conversation.

Here's a list of who else is contributing. Click on their names to check out their blogs and websites.

Adrian Ho, Aki Spicer, Alex Henault, Amy Jussel, Andrew Odom, Andy Nulman, Andy Sernovitz, Andy Whitlock, Angela Maiers, Ann Handley, Anna Farmery, Armando Alves, Arun Rajagopal, Asi Sharabi, Becky Carroll, Becky McCray, Bernie Scheffler, Bill Gammell, Bob LeDrew, Brad Shorr, Brandon Murphy, Branislav Peric, Brent Dixon, Brett Macfarlane, Brian Reich, C.C. Chapman, Cam Beck, Casper Willer, Cathleen Rittereiser, Cathryn Hrudicka, Cedric Giorgi, Charles Sipe, Chris Kieff, Chris Cree, Chris Wilson, Christina Kerley (CK), C.B. Whittemore, Chris Brown, Connie Bensen, Connie Reece, Corentin Monot, Craig Wilson, Daniel Honigman, Dan Schawbel, Dan Sitter, Daria Radota Rasmussen, Darren Herman, Dave Davison, David Armano, David Berkowitz, David Koopmans, David Meerman Scott, David Petherick, David Reich, David Weinfeld, David Zinger, Deanna Gernert, Deborah Brown, Dennis Price, Derrick Kwa, Dino Demopoulos, Doug Haslam, Doug Meacham, Doug Mitchell, Douglas Hanna, Douglas Karr, Drew McLellan, Duane Brown, Dustin Jacobsen, Dylan Viner, Ed Brenegar, Ed Cotton, Efrain Mendicuti, Ellen Weber, Eric Peterson, Eric Nehrlich, Ernie Mosteller, Faris Yakob, Fernanda Romano, Francis Anderson, Gareth Kay, Gary Cohen, Gaurav Mishra, Gavin Heaton, Geert Desager, George Jenkins, G.L. Hoffman, Gianandrea Facchini, Gordon Whitehead, Greg Verdino, Gretel Going & Kathryn Fleming, Hillel Cooperman, Hugh Weber, J. Erik Potter, James Gordon-Macintosh, Jamey Shiels, Jasmin Tragas, Jason Oke, Jay Ehret, Jeanne Dininni, Jeff De Cagna, Jeff Gwynne & Todd Cabral, Jeff Noble, Jeff Wallace, Jennifer Warwick, Jenny Meade, Jeremy Fuksa, Jeremy Heilpern, Jeroen Verkroost, Jessica Hagy, Joanna Young, Joe Pulizzi, John Herrington, John Moore, John Rosen, John Todor, Jon Burg, Jon Swanson, Jonathan Trenn, Jordan Behan, Julie Fleischer, Justin Foster, Karl Turley, Kate Trgovac, Katie Chatfield, Katie Konrath, Kenny Lauer, Keri Willenborg, Kevin Jessop, Kristin Gorski, Lewis Green, Lois Kelly, Lori Magno, Louise Manning, Luc Debaisieux, Mario Vellandi, Mark Blair, Mark Earls, Mark Goren, Mark Hancock, Mark Lewis, Mark McGuinness, Matt Dickman, Matt J. McDonald, Matt Moore, Michael Karnjanaprakorn, Michelle Lamar, Mike Arauz, Mike McAllen, Mike Sansone, Mitch Joel, Neil Perkin, Nettie Hartsock, Nick Rice, Oleksandr Skorokhod, Ozgur Alaz, Paul Chaney, Paul Hebert, Paul Isakson, Paul McEnany, Paul Tedesco, Paul Williams, Pet Campbell, Pete Deutschman, Peter Corbett, Phil Gerbyshak, Phil Lewis, Phil Soden, Piet Wulleman, Rachel Steiner, Sreeraj Menon, Reginald Adkins, Richard Huntington, Rishi Desai, Robert Hruzek, Roberta Rosenberg, Robyn McMaster, Roger von Oech, Rohit Bhargava, Ron Shevlin, Ryan Barrett, Ryan Karpeles, Ryan Rasmussen, Sam Huleatt, Sandy Renshaw, Scott Goodson, Scott Monty, Scott Townsend, Scott White, Sean Howard, Sean Scott, Seni Thomas, Seth Gaffney, Shama Hyder, Sheila Scarborough, Sheryl Steadman, Simon Payn, Sonia Simone, Spike Jones, Stanley Johnson, Stephen Collins, Stephen Landau, Stephen Smith, Steve Bannister, Steve Hardy, Steve Portigal, Steve Roesler, Steven Verbruggen, Steve Woodruff, Sue Edworthy, Susan Bird, Susan Gunelius, Susan Heywood, Tammy Lenski, Terrell Meek, Thomas Clifford, Thomas Knoll, Tim Brunelle, Tim Connor, Tim Jackson, Tim Mannveille, Tim Tyler, Timothy Johnson, Tinu Abayomi-Paul, Toby Bloomberg, Todd Andrlik, Troy Rutter, Troy Worman, Uwe Hook, Valeria Maltoni, Vandana Ahuja, Vanessa DiMauro, Veronique Rabuteau, Wayne Buckhanan, William Azaroff,

Customer Newsletters: The 7 Deadly Sins

2008-07-08T14:34:17-04:00

If you're about to create your newsletter or are having someone else do it for you (perhaps using a writer/designer or a newsletter company) check out the following mistakes you'll want to avoid.

1) From Corporate HQ: Your newsletter doesn't need to look like it was created by the design department of a Fortune 500 company. Actually, it's better if it looks a little more homemade. Why? Because people like to do business with people, not faceless organizations. Show your (or your company's) human side in your newsletter.

2) Cookie-Cutter Blahs: The danger of using an off-the-peg newsletter company is that you get the same newsletter as everyone else - just with your name and picture inserted. While it's the easy solution, it fails in one of the main goals of any newsletter program: to build a relationship with your client. After all, it's difficult to forge a genuine relationship with cut-and-paste solutions. (If you want to use a newsletter provider, make sure you have the chance to customize at least some of the content.)

3) Me, Me, Me: Does anyone really care about how great you are? Does it matter than you have a new logo or a new office? Make your newsletter about your readers, not about you. Put articles that help your readers front and center; relegate the corporate PR to an inside page.

4) So What? Our mailboxes are stuffed and our email fills the screen. So why should anyone read yet another newsletter? The thing is, you have to earn the right to be read. And that means you need to make the content so interesting, so useful and so engaging that people look forward to reading your newsletter, just like they enjoy reading their favorite magazine.

5) Blanket Distribution: Printed newsletters are relatively expensive to print and mail. So don't waste your money by sending your newsletter to people unless they've expressed an interest in what you have to offer. So focus on using your newsletter to keep in touch with past clients (after all, they've bought from one once, so why not a second time?) and with leads and prospects. You'll get a much better return on investment that way.

6) Bulk Mail Blindness: It might seem a lot cheaper to mail your newsletters in bulk, but if your goal is to get your newsletter read and to build a relationship with your readers, it's often better to put your newsletter in an envelope and mail it first class. Not only will you get the benefit of returns (so you know if addresses are bad and so should be struck off your list) but your mail stops being lumped in with the other junk we get in our mailboxes. Instead, it becomes more of a personal communication. Better still, hand address your envelope. Then you'll be sure it will get opened.

7) I Tried it Once And...: If your newsletter is interesting, sent to the right people, and you are using devices to encourage readers to interact with you, you'll get response right away. But if you are serious about building a relationship with your clients for the long term - and get the benefit of the entire lifetime value of your client - you need to keep doing it, month after month after month. Be encouraged by your early successes and know that they are just the start - success multiplies as the relationship builds.

+++

Test Drive a Customer Newsletter for One Month for Free. Available for Realtors, Mortgage Brokers and Small Business everywhere!

Why it's Okay if Your Newsletter is Rough Around the Edges

2008-05-24T08:44:04-04:00

One of the great things about newsletters as a marketing tool is that they can cut through the noise of advertising that bombards your clients. They do this by providing useful content - being of service rather than simply selling.

They also help create a personal connection between you and your clients. And it's for that reason I tell people (particularly small businesses that rely on relationships between business and client) it usually doesn't matter is their newsletter is a little rough around the edges - if the layout isn't quite lined up or the fonts don't match.

As Seth Godin says today with a couple of good examples (providing inspiration for this post):

If you want to get noticed, don't be so polished.

Take a look at what he says about the note on the UPS truck.

Use Coupons to Boost Your Company Newsletter Response

2008-05-22T16:08:10-04:00

A subscriber to my newsletter for mortgage brokers sent me her version of the newsletter today. She'd customized it to include a coupon that gives $100 off closing costs to any clients that conclude financing with her.

Great idea.

Not only do coupons make it more likely your client will keep the newsletter but they also increase the chances he or she will buy from you.

A newsletter is an effective way to distribute coupons: it's more likely your coupon will be saved and used because it is packaged with something of value - the content in your newsletter.

Is Your Newsletter "Wall-able?"

2008-05-20T16:22:41-04:00

You want your clients and prospects to keep your newsletter because the longer they keep it, the stronger your relationship.

The best way to encourage them to keep your newsletter, of course, is to fill it with great content; articles that are aimed at your readers' interests - content that makes their lives better.

Jeff Widman uses the term "wall-able" for such content: "I want my creative content to be “wall-able.” Something you post on your fridge, e-mail your friend, and print for your son. Content worth the world’s time."

Great definition.

Is your newsletter "wall-able?"

That Word

2008-05-10T04:46:50-04:00

Want a tip to make your writing more snappy?

Before you publish, read your writing through for instances of the word "that".

Chances are, you can delete the word "that" and keep the meaning of the sentence.

Try it and see what happens.

A Clever, Timely Hook for an Offer in a Newsletter

2008-05-02T14:43:16-04:00

Taking something that's in the news and putting your own twist on it to make an offer to your customers is a great way to stand out from the crowd. By attaching your offer to something in the news you give the impression of immediacy, timeliness and relevance to your offer.

Here's an example I received today in a newsletter from A2 Hosting, the company that hosts some of my websites (and which, by the way, I recommend for its good service.)

Its newsletter offers the "A2 Hosting Economic Stimulus Plan".

"The U.S. government has called for economic stimulus, and we at A2 Hosting have an economic stimulus plan of our own. Use your government economic stimulus check and tax refund to pay up front for your web hosting and save some dough! By pre-paying for your hosting, your monthly hosting fees will drop significantly..."

Could you use the U.S. government's Economic Stimulus Plan as a hook for an offer in your newsletter?

Could a Customer Newsletter Actually Make You Money?

2008-04-30T18:47:48-04:00

People tend to think of newsletters as a marketing expense.

(Of course, marketing shouldn't be thought of as an expense at all. It's an investment - at least it is if you do the kind of marketing that allows you to track the results.)

But it is possible to create a customer newsletter that actually makes you money - and not just from the business you get back from it.

A new client of my real estate newsletters business asked today if he could include advertising space in his newsletter.

Of course, the answer was yes.

After all, it makes sense to allow trusted providers of relevant products and services to advertise in your newsletter. It brings income for you, helps reduce your newsletter costs, and assists your readers by informing them of a useful product or service.

If you don't want to do a cash deal, you could always barter an ad in your newsletter for an ad in their newsletter. That would be a great win-win.

The Best Kind of Newsletter

2008-04-28T16:43:25-04:00

I lost a newsletter client today.

Nothing new about that. The one-month free trial for my real estate newsletter encourages people to sign up and kick the tires, and some decide not to continue. Others take what they can for free and never have any intention of paying. Quite normal when you make an offer like that.

But today's cancellation was different. The reason: over the months this subscriber has been writing more and more of her own articles and so didn't need a pre-written newsletter anymore.

I applaud that. Frankly, the best kind of newsletter is one you write yourself. That's how you can build the best relationship with your clients - introducing your own personality in the way no pre-written newsletter can.

Of course, most people don't have time for this, which is why they use newsletters like mine. (And ones like mine that allow people to customize them and include their own articles allow a lot of personal input anyway.)

Although I was sad to see this subscriber leave, I applaud the effort she is putting into her newsletter.

How to Use Customer Newsletters to Nurture the People Who Really Matter

2008-04-24T19:31:39-04:00

Seth wrote an interesting post today about targeted traffic to websites versus untargeted traffic: it's the focused traffic you want to capture; the rest you don't care about.

Quite right. And it's useful to show how customer newsletters can achieve the same goal: bringing targeted buyers into your business.

Let's face it, although newsletters are remarkably effective, on the face of it they don't seem
the cheapest of marketing methods. They cost a few cents to print (depending on how many you are printing) and then there's distribution. So to get the most bang for your buck, they need to be delivered to the type of people who are likely to want to engage with your business.

There are two such people:

1) Those who have bought from you before and so have demonstrated an interest (a serious interest at that - they handed over money to you) in what you have to offer. Sending a newsletter to these people should be a no-brainer - it's cheaper to keep an existing client than find a new one - but communicating with past clients is so infrequently done that there is billions of dollars in revenue left on the table by businesses across the world every day. (That's a rant for another day!)

2) Those who are good prospects for your business because they have demonstrated an interest in what you have to offer. Once they find you, they are likely to stick around, engage with what you have to offer and be amenable to building a relationship with you.

The trouble is, this group of people is more difficult to identify. How, for example, do you bring them into your neighborhood in the first place?

A favorite way is to go fishing.

It's said that in some lakes, green worms work great. They get the best fish. So think: what kind of green worm can I use to attract the kind of prospect I want to attract? What's going to get them to raise their hands and immediately identify themselves as hungry for what I have to offer?

The best kind of bait is free information. How about these ideas?

A plumber: How to avoid a nightmare flood by doing an "annual audit" of your pipes and drains.
A real estate agent: 20 easy things you can do to get top dollar for your home, even in a down market.
A hair salon: 5 mistakes 80% of people make that are damaging their hair.
A mortgage broker: How to choose a mortgage you won't regret.

What you do next is advertise that bait, using print ads, Google Adwords, flyers, etc. People will start calling you. When they do, send them the report and offer to subscribe them to your newsletter, which will be packed with information that is relevant to them and that will make their lives better.

So what do you have?

You have a red-hot prospect (someone who has proved themselves to have an interest in what you have to offer) and you've started a build a relationship with them.

That's the kind of person who should be receiving your newsletter.

Make Your Newsletter Captions Work For You

2008-04-22T09:37:29-04:00

If you use pictures in your newsletter, don't neglect their captions.

Captions are one of the most-read elements on the page, and you don't need to restrict them to just identifying people and places.

Because captions are so frequently read by people browsing your newsletter, they can also help entice readers to tackle the article itself.

So consider them as important as the headline or the first paragraph of your article.

Instead of "John Smith is shown with co-worker Alice Brown," write "John Smith, pictured with co-worker Alice Brown, says putting customers first has led to a 15% increase in sales."

Or instead of "Niagara Falls, Ontario," put "10,000 people are expected to visit the casinos at Niagara Falls, Ontario, this month."

Make your captions really work for you.

A Handyman's Newsletter Question

2008-04-17T20:07:48-04:00

Interesting question about customer newsletters on the MarketingProfs Knowledge Exchange site today:

My question is twofold. I would like to start a client/customer newsletter and I'm looking for some topic ideas, 2) Would it be ok to have a 'how I did it' column say from the CEO....recounting how he did it.

Check what I had to say in answer - and the posts from other people.

Calling all Printers: Are You a Commodity?

2008-04-16T11:49:31-04:00

One of the subscribers to my general customer newsletter is a commercial printer.

He says his customers love getting the newsletter he sends out.

Now, the printing industry is in danger of becoming - if it hasn't already - a commodity. People shop for printers by price, for the most part.

And as we know, one of the ways to avoid becoming a commodity is to send a regular newsletter, because that's the way you'll stand out from the crowd as a trusted expert, not just another printer.

Now...if you're a printer, you've got the ink, you've got the paper, and you've got the giant, noisy machine.

What's stopping you?

A Goldmine of Headline Inspiration

2008-04-16T11:47:49-04:00

I've said many times before that headlines are one of the most important elements in your newsletter because they act as salesmen for your articles. Writing a good headline will increase the chances of your article being read.

Newspapers spend a lot of effort on headlines. They have editors who specialize in writing them.

The Newseum, the new museum of the news in Washington, D.C., allows you to search through an archive of past newspaper front pages. It's a great way to get ideas for headlines. Try choosing a headline and then substituting words in that headline for words relevant to your article to make a new headline that really sings.

(Thanks to the 37 Signals Blog for flagging this.)

Building a Stalagmite

2008-04-11T12:15:23-04:00

Something I've learned since I started this blog - and also since I started my real estate newsletters business - is that building trust takes time.

But taking the time to build that trust has enormous rewards.

As Seth says today, in his post Drip, drip, drip goes the Twit:

"Publishing your ideas... in books, or on a blog, or in little twits on Twitter... and doing it with patience, over time, is the best way I can think of to lay a foundation for whatever it is you hope to do next."

Same goes with newsletters. A regular newsletter to your hot prospects is drip, drip, dripping them with little bits of trust. That trust builds up over time, like a calcium on a stalagmite.

Once you've earned that trust, it's a lot easier to make the sale.

What Can You Learn from Newspapers?

2008-04-11T11:38:46-04:00

I had the honor today of having a post published on Copyblogger. It's about how writers of blogs can learn from newspaper reporters and editors, but the information can just as easily be applied to newsletters.

Is Your Newsletter Hanging Out With the Right People?

2008-04-11T11:33:34-04:00

If you've got children, you're no doubt anxious to make sure they aren't hanging out with a bad crowd.

And if you are buying a house, you want to be certain it's not in a bad neighborhood.

The same goes for your newsletter: is it hanging out with the right people?

When every newsletter costs a few cents to print, it's worth making sure you are spending your money wisely. And that means if you are using your newsletter as a prospecting tool, it's wise to do your best to ensure your newsletter is in the hands of the people most likely to buy from you.

So don't randomly leave piles of your newsletter just anywhere - leave it in places where your potential clients are likely to hang out.

And don't mail your newsletter to just anyone - mail it to people who are proven to be good prospects.

A newsletter is a powerful tool for building a trusted relationship. But that someone has to be the right someone.