This is the thirteenth in a series of posts about the elements of a successful newsletter.
13. The Publication Schedule
Newspapers, magazines and even websites have a publication schedule. Everything is run like clockwork, to deadline.
There are many external reasons for creating a schedule. But there's one good internal reason: without one, nothing would ever get done; you'd always find something more pressing to do.
The important thing to remember is this: repetition is important to reinforce your message. And the most effective form of repetition is when the event occurs on a regular schedule.
You should therefore develop a regular schedule for your newsletter, even if at times you have trouble sticking to it.
The maximum amount of time you can leave between contacting your customers or prospects is one month - otherwise they'll start to forget who you are and you'll be back where you started. It's therefore a good idea to publish your newsletter on a monthly basis.
For example, I reserve the first week of the month to work on the newsletter I send to my Ready to Go Newsletters clients. I know that on the first Monday of the month, it's time to get started on it - and by Friday it must be in the mail.
If you think one newsletter a month is too much
Some people say: But I don't want to send a newsletter out every month - it's too much work and too expensive.
Here are some answers to those excuses.
It's too much work: Writing and designing a newsletter takes time. Fortunately, there are many companies that will do it for you. I have a newsletter company myself!
It's too expensive: The thing to remember here is what every smart marketer knows - it's about Return on Investment rather than the cost of your marketing. See this post to find out more.
If you really don't want to send a newsletter every month, mix it up with another form of contact. In alternate months you could, for example, send a postcard or a direct mail letter. If you have collected email addresses (with permission to email), you could send emails. The important thing is to keep in contact. And as newsletters are an excellent way of building a relationship with your list, why not send one out every month anyway?
(Photo on this post by asifthebes)
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