You sit down to write the first article for your third issue. That’s when it hits you. There’s nothing left to write about!

At The Write Exposure, we get lots of panicked calls from clients saying, “I’ve run out of article ideas!” What we’ve found is that seldom has our client actually run out of topics, rather they’ve covered all the topics that came most easily to mind and now are overwhelmed with the possibilities.

It’s a little like my telling you to write a poem. Any poem. Limerick, haiku, whatever you feel like. It’s a bit overwhelming, isn’t it? That’s why we suggest you brainstorm topics within these categories.

So, the next time you think you’ve run out of article ideas, why not brainstorm all of the customer successes you could write about? Some of the most popular newsletter article categories are:

Customer successes. Has a customer used your product to produce an amazing result? Do you have a customer with a recent success your other customers could learn from? Whether it directly relates to your product or not, success is always newsworthy.

Customer complaints. Receive a couple similar complaints lately? Address them in your newsletter (be sure to point out how you’ve responded and fixed the problem). By addressing complaints in print, you prove your company is trustworthy and always improving.

New products or services. Customers love the word new. So, if you have a new product or service, don’t hold back (just make sure it’s really new!).

Frequently asked questions. In fact, you may want to run a regular Q & A column in each edition of your newsletter.

How-tos are must-reads. Is there something you can do to explain the steps pertaining to your product or service. What can customers do with your product or service?

Coupons and special offers. Always include incentives for being a newsletter reader. Show readers why they should come in with special offers.

New customer welcomes. By welcoming new customers, you show readers your business is growing. Also, new customers who are recognized feel like they’ve made a good decision in choosing your business.

Profile an employee. Newsletters are fabulous internal morale boosters, plus customers will appreciate getting to know someone they’re dealing with (or who operates behind the scenes).

Special events. Special events are great for content both before and after. Make sure to include plenty of photos and quotes in the piece written after the event.

Before and after. Makeovers are always popular, whether you make over people or houses or closets. Pictures make these pieces especially effective.

Next time you’re faced with an empty page, pick a specific category of article to write–you’ll find narrowing the possibilities expands your creativity in leaps and bounds.

“A man will give his life for a simple bit of colored ribbon.”

Napoleon

Kindergarten-teacher Katrina decided to hold an awards ceremony mid-year to encourage great behavior during that time of year when kids tend to climb the walls.

She announced the ceremony a few weeks before it was to happen and told the kids about the different awards she’d be giving out–things like “Most imaginative color-er” and “Best at hand-raising.” As part of her announcement, she highlighted five specific awards.

“The student who does the best job finishing their homework between now and then will receive the “Homework Good Do-er Award,” she said. She had one student who struggled with his homework considerably. He often brought it back incomplete, usually a mess.

But something about her announcement inspired him and after the rest of the class had gone out to recess, he announced that he planned to win the homework award. For the next two weeks, he consistently presented Katrina with completed homework assignments–still with many cross outs and erased mistakes, but complete.

Two weeks later, he did indeed win that award–accepting it with a huge grin (and bow).

Everyone likes to win

Most people have way too much experience with failure. Maybe the boss requires too much. Or maybe a client’s upset because of a misplaced order.

We get home after a long day at work only to find more stuff to do–the house needs cleaning, dinner needs cooking, the kids need help with their math, the dog needs a bath… And since it’s impossible to get it all done, we go to bed thinking we “failed” at our day.

Is it any wonder we relish crossing things off our to-do lists? Is it at all strange that we pursue easy tasks that bring big rewards?

When you create a situation for your readers to win at, you brighten their day. Instead of your newsletter being yet another task “to be done,” it’s a bright spot in their days–something to look forward to.

Select awards right for readers

Holding an awards ceremony for your readers might be a little excessive (after all, if your newsletter’s a typical email publication, you probably have readers all around the world). But that doesn’t mean you can’t let your readers win.

The Certain Way publisher Rebecca Fine holds a monthly contest for readers (of which I was one delighted winner :-)). The secret to making it work for her is that each entrant must read the newsletter in order to be able to enter. To see how she manages this, check out her newsletter.

Publisher Scott Stratten has run several promotional contests. He gives out points to subscribers who help him find new subscribers and the subscriber who wins the most points in the end receives a prize.

The trick is to think of a reward that will really be valued by your subscribers–however you choose to award it. For Rebecca, these rewards are often related to her readers’ financial education, while Scott often makes prizes of his products.

How does this grow your list?

If you reward subscribers based on their helping you grow your list, clearly giving awards will help you add subscribers.

Even if your awards aren’t related to growing your list, though, they’ll still have an impact.

Remember, people like to win. And when you let them, it gets them talking about your newsletter.

When you let readers win, you’ll win too. Your subscribers will delight all the more in your newsletter which means they’ll actively work to get you new subscribers.

Here where I work in Sneads Ferry, NC there are 6 or 7 major real estate offices and one of them has done a great job branding the color yellow. Locals know when you see a yellow sign in front of a house that it’s listed by this particular agency.

And yet, in every issue of the local “Homes” magazine, at least one other real estate agency has decided to use lots of yellow in their ad. Sure, it’s a beach community and they want their ads to look bright and sunny.

But when I see yellow, I’m thinking of the real estate company that’s already got it branded.

Your newsletter is your chance to really brand your company. It’s repeated, welcomed exposure to your company. Whether your newsletter is print or electronic, each issue should emphasize your company’s color. Whether that color is orange or aquamarine.

Where should you put the color? Of course, that depends on the color itself and your overall design, but here are the four most likely spots: the nameplate, headlines, pull quotes, and borders.

Today I want you to take a look at your newsletter and consider it in light of your company colors (and your competitor’s colors). If I were to take a look at it, would I think of you or your competition?

Your Turn:
Take a look at your newsletter and count how many colors you use–might any of them be associated with your competition? And which of those colors is most strongly “yours”?

Don’t know? Take some time today to decide what color your company is–and apply that to your newsletter.

Here where I live in North Carolina they plant corn, tobacco, and cars. Cars?!

Piled high or strewn about, you’ll find fields of cars wherever you go. In some cases, pine trees have grown up around them, other times, they’re planted amidst the tall, green weeds.

It’s unlikely anyone here actually thinks their planted fields of cars will yield a bountiful fleet of sparkling SUVs because, after all, everyone knows cars don’t grow. Besides, North Carolina’s in the middle of a drought (complete with water rationing), so I suspect they’d frown on watering a field of cars.

Are you planting the equivalence of cars in your company newsletter? Just like these cars take up field space that could be used for forests, homes, crops or exploring 10-year-olds, most newsletters have excess material that’s just there to take up space.

In your newsletter, the cars might be recipes or jokes unrelated to your customers. Or maybe you fill your newsletter space with ads because people are willing to buy the space.

Your Turn:
Grab a recent copy of your newsletter and draw a big X through anything that doesn’t educate your ideal target market, guide your current customers, or demonstrate what sets you apart from competitors. How much of your newsletter’s Xed out? 10%? 25%? 50% or more? In your next issue, try to reduce that percentage.

Get the cars out of your newsletter and each issue will become a lot more effective.

Remember what your parents taught you…

Way back when I was a teenager, my parents were constantly telling me to “Watch your tone.” (Actually, what they said was, “Watch your tone, Jessica Christy.” I still don’t like my middle name ;-).)

Did your parents teach you this lesson, too?

They didn’t know it, but they were teaching you a POWERFUL newsletter lesson. One you’ve probably forgotten to apply that can make an enormous difference in how your readers relate to you.

So, when it comes to your newsletter, what, precisely, is a tone?

Your newsletter tone is the WAY you sound. It’s the words you choose, the length of your sentences and paragraphs. It’s the way you put everything together.

I’m sure you’ve gotten newsletters that had a snooty tone. The writer seems to think he knows everything and that you’re lucky to get to read his words.

Or maybe you’ve received newsletters that have a sort of dazed tone. Where the writer doesn’t seem to know whether she’s coming or going.

And then, there are those writers who’s tone makes you want to get to know them. These are the people you’d like to meet for lunch, the people you’d entertain if they came to your town.

How can you write with the right tone?

First, of course, you need to decide what kind of tone you want to write with. (Review the exercise we did several months ago on choosing your word for help deciding.)

Once you’ve decide on your tone, keep the following guidelines in mind:

• Word choice

Shorter, more common words generally seem friendlier. If you want to be a bit pretentious, use larger words ;-).

If you want readers to see you as a great communicator, use words they’re sure to understand.

• Sentence length

Shorter sentences generate urgency and energy. If you want readers to push through the newsletter at a quick clip, use shorter sentences. Be brief.

If you want readers to feel more relaxed as they go through the newsletter, take a longer route through sentence construction.

• Paragraph length

Again, short generates energy, long slows things down. But, paragraph length also ties into the visual tone of a newsletter. Longer paragraphs may look cumbersome to readers, and they may be intimidated before they even begin.

So, on the balance, lean towards shorter paragraphs rather than longer, no matter what kind of tone you’re creating.

Always remember your parents’ advice to watch your tone! It’ll make a huge difference in how your readers relate to you.

Want to learn more? Tone is one of the twelve strategies we cover in the Newsletter Spa. Join us and receive all the guidance you need.

Just recently, a good friend and colleague, Justin Hitt published a report on lead generation strategies in his newsletter, Inside Strategic Relations. It got me thinking about what a great tool a newsletter can be for lead generation, if you do it right.

So, what’s involved with using your newsletter to generate leads? Three things: 1) Qualifying; 2) Serving; and 3) Engaging.

Qualifying Leads Through Your Newsletter

This first step is subject to lots of debate. There are many out there who argue that since sending an email newsletter is practically free (per subscriber, anyway), you might as well collect as many names as possible.

They argue against asking for anything on your subscribe form beyond an email address. And it’s true that this approach will get you the highest percentage of conversion from website visitors to subscribers.

But, does this approach really serve your audience?

Raise your hand if you’ve ever subscribed to a newsletter just to get the freebie they were offering. That’s what I thought :-). I know I’ve done it.

And what does it get you? A cluttered computer desktop with pdf files piled high and no time to read a single one of them. Worse, it gets you a flooded email inbox as people try to convert you from casual subscriber to customer.

In short, you wind up with less time and more computer clutter. Not good.

And that’s what you do to your subscribers when all you ask for is an email address. They sign up just to get the freebie (or because they’re visiting dozens of sites on the same topic to do research). And then they get overwhelmed with information.

It’s your job to serve your subscribers, not indiscriminately add them. You may think it’s up to your subscribers to protect their email inboxes. But, face it, you know more than they do–they’ve come to you, in fact, because you know more than they do. So, they rely on YOU to tell them whether or not they should subscribe.

And one of the ways you tell them is by qualifying them.

If you have a relatively well-niched newsletter, you may not need to do much qualifying. For instance, when people visit The Write Exposure’s site and sign up for Newsletters in Focus, they’re clearly interested in newsletters as a marketing tool–which is a pretty small audience.

But, if your newsletter covers a topic of more general interest, you’ll need to help potential readers decide if your newsletter’s right for them.

You can do this in a variety of ways. You can ask personal questions (household income, that sort of thing), you can offer an assessment, you can write a “If you meet these criteria, then you’ll enjoy our newsletter” list.

You can also add questions to your form that you don’t strictly need answered, but that make readers pause before blindly entering their email address and clicking “subscribe.”

For instance, at The Write Exposure’s site, we ask for your first name and general location. We don’t absolutely need this information (though we do require it), but asking for it makes potential subscribers hesitate a moment to make sure they really do want to sign up.

Now, how does protecting your potential subscriber’s best interests (and preventing them from recklessly jumping on to your list) make them into better leads for you?

Serve Your Subscribers to Your Utmost Ability

By qualifying your subscribers well, by protecting them from more inbox clutter, you’re demonstrating that you value your time. And that’s a powerful statement in a world that’s cluttered by constant advertising.

So, by simply going about the qualification process right, you’re already well on your way to serving your readers.

How else can you serve readers?

It starts by giving them information they truly need. That they can’t find elsewhere (or at least, not easily).

For some audiences, that means conducting surveys and sharing the results. For other audiences, that might mean running case studies. For still others, writing from your personal experience about what works, and what doesn’t.

You also serve your readers by being fully present. When you ask for feedback, and readers deliver, how do you respond? (Or have you already forgotten your request?)

You serve readers by checking in with them regularly. And by answering their questions when they write you. Each month, I spend about 10 hours answering NIF readers’ questions. Unpaid.

And I cherish that time.

Not only does it keep me in touch with what my readers most want to learn about, but it also helps me connect with you on an individual basis. To see you, not as reader number 12,348, but rather as a specific person.

And that’s crucial in the impersonal world of email.

You also serve your readers by giving them gifts. Whether that’s your time throughout the month, extra reports, special discounts, or even photos of your kids. Letting readers into your life and sharing parts of yourself can be a powerful way to serve.

Finally, you serve by creating products and services that address readers’ needs. And by charging for those products and services (after all, if you don’t charge, you’ll be hard pressed to find the time to continue to create :-)). And it’s this final level of service that leads us to the final step in using your newsletter as a lead generation tool: Engagement.

Engage Your Readers to Convert Them

One of the steps in the Newsletter Coach program is to create your absolute, most powerful, best, knock-me-over-with-a-feather-it’s-so-good offer. This offer must be so powerful, so perfect, that your readers can’t resist it.

By creating such an offer, you’ll get your readers responding. Even if they just write to offer feedback on what else they’d like added (as several of you responded to the Newsletter Spa program).

See, readers can’t resist an irresistible offer. Even if it’s not quite what they’re looking for.

So, make sure you close the loop of lead generation by creating truly powerful offers and OFFERING them to your readers.

Other (equally important) ways to engage your readers include asking them for feedback. Responding to their questions. Asking them questions of your own. (Do you occasionally visit new subscriber’s websites? Share some positive feedback!)

With an email newsletter, it’s easy for you to feel like you’re not really talking to anyone in particular. Especially as your list grows. But the reality is, your newsletter is a highly personal message delivered to just one person–your reader.

So, engage that reader. Strike up a dialog. And keep it going.

Following these three steps will help you generate a higher quality lead from your website. Give it a try and let me know how it goes!

“Of course the greatest power Sara possessed and the
one which gained her even more followers than her
luxuries…, the power that Lavina and certain other
girls were most envious of, and at the same time most
fascinated by in spite of themselves, was her power of
telling stories and of making everything she talked
about seem like a story, whether it was or not.”

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

It was a dark and stormy afternoon when the newsletter arrived in my inbox. It was the most recent issue from Dan, a new client, and he wanted the scoop on why his newsletter wasn’t working.

You’ve seen newsletters like his–attractive design, polished articles, but something just seems missing.

He had all the basics covered in his newsletter–it balanced promotion with information, he had specific goals, and he published on a consistent basis. He was even starting to integrate some advanced newsletter techniques like storytelling.

And it was precisely the storytelling that was tripping him up.

See, he’d tell stories about his clients and the problems they faced. He painted great pictures of where the client was before working with him.

But that’s where the story ended.

He was consistently ending the story in the middle.

This is a common problem for newsletter publishers–we just plain don’t know how to tell a complete story. And it’s a pity because the ability to tell a really great story is indeed a great power. Fortunately, it’s a power that’s relatively easy to learn–use these tips to start telling more effective stories in your own newsletter.

When telling a story, make sure to share the ending

The first rule of storytelling is to start at the beginning and tell it straight through to the ending. If you choose to share success stories with your readers of the great work you’ve done for readers, stopping in the middle only leaves readers wondering if you were actually able to solve your client’s problem–not exactly the question you want to leave readers with.

When telling a story, think of the fairy tales

There are certain patterns that occur in most of our popular fairy tales. For instance, the number three is used a lot (e.g., three bears in Goldilocks). There’s usually a magical element. Settings are larger than life–castles, haunted forests. All of these elements converge to help you weave a story that’ll live on in the mind of your readers.

When telling a story, leave out the extraneous

It’s easy to get caught up in all the details of a story–how this new client didn’t decide to hire me for six months, for instance–when what your readers want is the meat of the story. Certainly, details make the story more vivid, so don’t leave them all out. But, do make sure the point of your story doesn’t get lost in the parentheses.

When telling a story, tie it back to your point

Unless the article is just one long story (like a case study, for instance), make sure you don’t get so enthralled in the tale that you forget to bring it back to the reason you started telling it in the first place. An easy way to make this transition is to summarize the story’s point in one sentence and move on to the rest of your article in the next.

When telling a story, remember the people

We’re all curious about other people. So, when you’re telling a story in your newsletter, make sure you flesh out the main character of your story. And make sure to remember the other important people while you tell your story, too–your readers–and make sure the main character is one they can relate to.

Ultimately, Dan decided to have me write his complete newsletter, but not before he wrote a few complete stories on his own. By following these five guidelines, you, too can learn to tell a complete story.

How to create a newsletter you can dress up and take out on the town

And one and two and three and four…

Remember those school dances when you were a kid? There was the group of kids standing against the wall, wishing more than anything to be invisible. And there was the kid who’d venture off onto the dance floor alone and show off some (very bad) dance moves.

And then there was the girl all the boys wanted to dance with.

In my sixth grade class, her name was Ashley and she had long blonde hair. She wasn’t the prettiest of the girls, nor was she the best conversationalist. She wasn’t the smartest or the nicest or the best dancer.

And that’s all good news.

See, your newsletter doesn’t have to be the best. It doesn’t have to be the most attractive. It doesn’t have to have the best writing. It doesn’t have to have the most informative articles or the best special deals.

Five steps to a newsletter version of Ashley

Your newsletter can be the one that engages readers all around the world when you apply five of Ashley’s secrets.

Ashley was always well groomed

Your newsletter has to look good. It doesn’t have to be the prettiest newsletter on the block, but it does need to be neat. It needs to be well proofread. It needs to be coherent.

Make sure every issue you send out represents your company well. Keep it pulled together. Hold each issue to the same high standards you hold your sales people to. Don’t let it out the door until it looks its best.

Tools to keep your newsletter looking good: a professional proofreader, a great-looking template, regular writers.

Ashley was always confident

Never apologize for your newsletter. If readers hate it, let them unsubscribe themselves. They’re adults, they can take responsibility for their own email inbox.

If you’re worried readers will hate a particular article, or if you don’t feel like it’s well written, don’t publish it. And, remember, most people criticize as if there’s a prize for it–so consider your readers’ comments, but don’t let them get to you.

Tools to build your confidence: feedback from happy readers, talented writers, a professional newsletter critique.

Ashley didn’t talk to just anyone

Do you beg people to subscribe to your newsletter? Do you have a subscribe box on every page of your site that says, “Please subscribe to our newsletter!”? Are you making it too easy for people to subscribe?

Most people like the idea of being special. Part of a select group who gets to receive unique information. And when you give the impression that any reader’s a good reader, you make readers feel like a dime a dozen.

Tools to build an exclusive feel: a qualifying form (instead of a subscribe form), a great gift for selected subscribers, testimonials from recognized authorities.

Ashley didn’t work the room

Once you start building an exclusive feel in your newsletter, you’re on your way to making readers feel special. But there’s an easy way to shatter your progress. Keep your attention on your readers, not potential readers.

Many publishers make the mistake of asking for forwards and referrals too much. It’s as if they’re always asking, “Who can you introduce me to?” Instead of always being on the lookout for new subscribers, take the time to focus on the subscribers you already have.

Tools to make subscribers feel special: a special gift for referrals, exclusive subscribers-only pages, kudos whenever appropriate.

Ashley knew when to stop talking

Nothing turns readers off like the knowledge that it may take them hours to wade through a newsletter. Write to the end and then stop. Don’t belabor the point, add “one more” illustration, or include a long-winded conclusion.

It’s the ending of the newsletter that leaves readers wanting more.

And, in the end, knowing when to stop will build subscriber loyalty like little else.

You publish a newsletter to build trust. To convert your prospects into buyers and clients, right?

How well are you meeting that goal?

If you seem stuck–no matter what you try, people still aren’t buying at the rate you think they should–it may be because you’re asking readers to take a flying leap.

Consider this conversation I had recently with a new client who just couldn’t figure out what was preventing his readers from becoming buyers.

“I’ve tried everything,” John said. “Discounts, bonuses, gimmicks–you name it, I’ve tried it.”

John’s newsletter had him completely frustrated and befuddled. He thought he was doing everything right–he had a regular call to action, great testimonials throughout the newsletter, a personal note that was always informative, never too focused on him…

And yet, not a single reader had ever signed up for his service.

John was at the end of his rope.

Are you dangling, too? Then chances are, you’re ready to compare your experience to John’s.

So, what was John doing wrong?

He only offered one service and it was a high-ticket item ($50,000+). So, even though readers could get to know him through the newsletter, they didn’t necessarily feel they knew him well enough to invest that much money with him.

There was no step between free and $50,000.

That’s a huge leap for the average reader to take!

You offer a free newsletter. And it entices prospects to subscribe. But that’s only half the battle.

Next, you have to get them buying from you. And you do this in baby steps–leading them gently from free to small purchases to larger purchases to that final big purchase.

You’re great at what you do. You provide a huge value for your readers, clients, and customers. Now it’s just a matter of enticing them into experiencing that for themselves.

There are three keys to transforming readers into buyers. You’ll want to: Let Readers Choose their Ledge, Never Make Readers Jump Alone, and Pack Reluctants a Picnic Lunch.

Let Readers Choose their Ledge

Let’s pretend you really are trying to convince your readers to take a bungee jump for a moment.

Do you think all your readers are interested in jumping in the same setting? Or do you think perhaps some of your readers would prefer to jump with a waterfall as their backdrop, while others would rather jump as far away from water as possible?

Some might be ready for a full scale bungee jump, while others would prefer just a little hop to the ground below.

Each of your readers is an individual. Each has different needs. Let them choose what they need in this moment (the spot they’ll jump from) and you’ll find many more of them willing to take the plunge.

In real-life terms, this means: offer readers a variety of solutions.

Create products that you can sell at different price points. Give prospects little bites of your product or service that they can sample at lower prices so they can see the quality
you offer.

Think about your own experience. Chances are, you don’t hesitate to spend a couple dollars on an impulse, unknown product. But, as prices go higher, you eventually start to hesitate.

You start to worry:

• Will the product really live up to that price?
• Will it fit your needs?

And it’s precisely these worries that keep your readers from jumping. Eliminate them by offering as many jumping locations as possible and letting readers decide the height and location that’s best for their first jump.

Remember: not everyone wants to make the same jump. Let
readers choose their jumping off point and you’ll have a
lot more jumpers.

Never Make Readers Jump Alone

This year, for my birthday, I decided to do something that really scared me. Something I’d never done before.

I went parasailing.

And I was terrified.

In fact, had I not dragged along a friend, I’m quite sure I wouldn’t have gone through with it.

But he’d gone before, and convinced me that it’d be great fun. (He also swore he’d make them let me down the moment I was ready :-).)

Your readers are the same way. Purchasing from you is a brand new experience.

And they’re scared.

If you make them do it alone, they’re likely to back out. But, if you offer them plenty of support (a toll-free number to call, an office address where they can visit, lots of client testimonials, etc), they’re much more likely to face their fear and make the jump.

How do you apply this to your own business? By building in plenty of hand-holding throughout the buying process.

Make sure every interaction a customer has with you is 100% positive. Ensure they never encounter a glitch with your website. Prove to them your products are always first rate.

Offer them plenty of opportunities to ask questions. Volunteer information they may need, but haven’t thought of yet.

Clearly outline the process–and the procedure for getting out (quickly), should they change their minds.

By making each experience a prospect has with you
positive, you’re building in a reward for your
new customers. They enjoyed the experience, got what they
needed, and they’ll be back again and again.

Pack Reluctants a Picnic Lunch

One method of selling is to just assume you’ve made the sale and go from there. You jump straight over the close and start treating the prospect as if he’s already a buyer.

It’s sort of the way your parents may have tricked you into doing unpleasant things as a child (like getting you to clean your room).

Instead of saying to you, “Today, you’re going to spend the ENTIRE day cleaning your room from top to bottom until it sparkles,” they assumed you were interested in cleaning your room and just needed guidance on what the first step was. They might have said something like, “Let’s get this basket of toys put away.”

And so, little by little, they led you along until your room was spotless.

With reluctant buyers, a similar approach often works. Instead of offering them three options and inviting them to contact you when they’ve made a decision, just tell them what the next step is.

Get all the necessary groundwork in place for them (like gathering the jumping equipment and packing the lunch), hand it off to them and point them in the direction of the nearest jumping-off place.

Before you cringe at the idea of being a pushy salesperson in your newsletter, consider this: they’re on your newsletter list for a reason.

And, usually, that reason is they want to work with you.

So, all they need are the tools and directions to the next step to get started.

So, give them that guidance.

Pack them a lunch and point them in the right direction. Assuming you’ve created plenty of assorted jumps for them to take, they’ll find the one that’s right for them.

And they’ll soon be back for another jump, exhilarated and ready to take that next leap.

Some people get overwhelmed just before making the final
decision. Make it easier on them by recognizing that most
of your newsletter subscribers are on your list because
they *want* to buy from you.

Now that you’ve learned the three keys to convincing readers to jump, be prepared to watch your profits take a flying leap of their own!

Newsletters are magical things–they can attract customers, increase company profits, establish expertise and much more. But, did you know they can also help you increase your search engine rankings?

Your newsletter can help your search engine ranking by specifically focusing on your keyword phrases. Perhaps the easiest way to keep each issue of your newsletter relevant to your keyword phrases is to make a list of the phrases you target and brainstorm article ideas for each phrase. Then, as you write each article from your list, try to incorporate the keyword phrase into the title of the article, and, of course, use it regularly throughout your article (caution: don’t overdo it or your article will be awkward to read).

By posting archives of your newsletter on your website, you’ll be keeping each targeted issue available to search engine spiders. If you archive issues by subject (using your keyword phrases, of course) instead of date, they’re likely to help your rankings even more. Also, when archiving issues, make sure you use a standard HTML link (instead of JavaScript) to help search engines catalog each issue.

Another benefit to posting archives online is that other sites will frequently link to either the specific issue or your website, telling visitors about your newsletter archives. This can help boost your link popularity (along with bringing you some extra targeted traffic). You can make the most of such links by actually suggesting webmasters link to your archives.

Because you’ll be updating your newsletter regularly, search engines will give you points for regularly updated content. Plus, your site will be continuously expanding, giving spiders new information to index with each visit. And, when you’re posting each new issue, make sure it has a link back to your index page. As spiders go through the new content, you might as well register another link to your homepage.

Some publishers go the extra step of setting up a domain specifically for their ezine, separate from their regular website. If you feel you have enough content to support both (without duplicating your content), this might be something to consider. Just make sure you have the time and energy to manage two separate sites as adding a new domain will take more time.

By focusing each issue of your newsletter on one or more of your keyword phrases, posting archives online, inviting webmasters to link to your newsletter archives, and keeping your newsletter updated, you’ll find your rankings climbing. Go the extra mile and set up a domain just for your newsletter and you may find yourself with two top ranked sites. As with any newsletter, remember, content matters most, whether your primary goal is more sales, or better search engine rankings.

You’re already producing a newsletter. It’s definitely worth the extra time training the newsletter to multitask and to see your site climb in the search engines.

For those of us who receive way too many unsolicited emails, Spam filters are a blessing. Switch to the publisher’s side of the desk, though, and Spam filters can become problematic.

Before you can keep your opt-in newsletter out of the Spam filter’s reach, you have to learn a little about the kinds of Spam filters available. Currently, options range from those installed by an ISP, like Spam Assassin, to those that run with another program, like Microsoft’s Outlook, as is the case with cloudmark’s SpamNet. Spam Assassin uses a point system to determine whether or not a piece of email is Spam. The more points a particular email collects, the more likely it is to be Spam. SpamNet not only filters based on key words (free!, for instance), but also allows users to submit Spam to then be blocked for other users. Most Spam filters use some sort of blacklist of known Spammers to block emails.

The other component you’ll need to be aware of is the blacklist. As mentioned, most of the available Spam filters use one or more of these collections of email addresses and domain names that send out a lot of Spam. Blacklists are primarily compiled by volunteers. In other words, you mail them the Spam you receive in your inbox, they take a look at it and then decide whether or not to add the sender to their list.

Because Spam filters have both a computer component (such as the points system used by Spam Assassin), and a human component (such as the blacklists and the new system from SpamNet), you’ll need to make sure your newsletter doesn’t raise flags in either camp. Here are some suggestions for avoiding problems.

So your newsletter convinces people

1. Never send your newsletter unsolicited, not even to current or past customers (it’s easy enough to ask them if they’d like to be subscribed with a personal email). In fact, it’s a risk even to send your newsletter to a list you’ve purchased no matter what you’ve been told about the intent of the list’s subscribers-can you be sure all of the subscribers expected to receive your email on widgets just because they checked a box saying they were interested in widgets? This will help keep you off the “blacklists” that are available to Spam filters.

2. Provide what you say you will, when you say you will. Don’t mislead your audience at the subscribing stage and don’t send out emails with manipulative subject lines. Not only is this not good for your reputation, but it may also trigger common Spam filters.

3. Don’t type all in caps. A hallmark of the Nigerian Bank Scam, typing all in caps isn’t just rude; it may get your newsletter forwarded to a blacklist. Additionally, make sure to capitalize the beginnings of your sentences and otherwise use professional grammar and punctuation. An unprofessional email may be more likely to arouse the suspicions of your readers.

4. Leave them wanting more. If your newsletter is really, really valuable, subscribers who don’t get it will miss it. Some ezine publishers have found their ezines are so popular, people who stop receiving the emails actually complain.

5. Make your policy clear. Tell readers how to unsubscribe at your website and in your newsletter. Let them know whom to contact if they have any trouble. And, of course, make sure to follow through immediately.

So your newsletter convinces the computer

6. Steer clear of subject lines that scream SPAM! Words like “free,” “limited time,” and “money” often trigger Spam filters. Take a look at the Spam in your own inbox for examples of words not to use.

7. Offer directions for “subscribing” and “unsubscribing.” Spammers often use the word “remove” in their emails, so you’ll want to avoid it at all costs. Plus, in some Spam filters, you actually lose points (the fewer points, the less likely an email is Spam) when you offer subscribing and unsubscribing instructions.

8. Send it from a reputable domain name, or better yet, your own. Free email addresses are often used heavily by Spammers, so you’ll want to stay away from them if at all possible.

9. Don’t send attachments. Most email readers regard attachments with suspicion anyway and the attachment may trigger Spam filters set up to screen adult material. Both are good reasons to send your entire email in the body of the email. Still not convinced? Many of your readers will have limited inbox space–by avoiding attachments you won’t give them an extra reason to delete your newsletter unread.

When you keep up-to-date on the latest Spam filter technology, you may find Spam filters are actually your allies-they may mean your newsletter will have less competition in your reader’s inbox.

Would you like to maximize your use of prospect lists, customer lists, and newsletter subscribers without over contacting any one person?

If you run promotions designed to appeal specifically to a narrow group of people, mining your database will help ensure only those readers most interested in any one promotion will receive it–this way, you’ll not only save time and money (by not contacting people unlikely to be interested), but you’ll also keep your customers happier. They’ll know when they receive a promotion from you that it’s likely to be highly relevant to their lives.

What does it mean to mine your database? Take your database (newsletter list, customer database, etc–here we’ll focus on your newsletter list) and look for patterns, demographics, trends, and interests and you’ve just mined your database. Use the information in your promotions and you’ll make more sales and spend less money. (Of course, you can make things a lot more complicated, but this gives us a good starting point.)

To most effectively mine your newsletter subscriber database, you’ll want to follow three steps.

Step One: Ask the Right Questions

When you set up your subscribe form, you can typically add a couple questions for subscribers to answer. Depending on the distribution program you’re using, there may be pre-written questions for you to use.

When deciding which questions to ask, narrow your list down to the three most important questions–you can further define your list later. Statistically, for every question you add to your subscribe form, you’ll lose potential subscribers, so now’s not the time to be especially chatty.

Think of how you approach a subscribe form at a website you’re not familiar with. Do you click away when they require details like your home phone number and household income? Most potential subscribers do. That’s why it’s important that you only ask those questions that really will help you serve readers better. You’ll have plenty of opportunities later to gather more data about readers.

And, whatever you do, don’t fall into the trap of believing that the readers who are most willing to answer your questions are most ready to buy–there’s seldom any correlation at this stage (because, again, they simply don’t know you well enough to trust you with much information–whether or not they’re ready to buy now).

Step Two: Track their Behavior

Once you’ve gotten them on your list, the fun begins. Depending on your distribution system, you’ll be able to track each subscriber’s behavior. From click-thrus to opens, you’ll want to analyze this information after each issue.

To use it to your best advantage, try to segment your audience deliberately. For instance, if you’re a real estate agent, you might run an article about making a move easier on children–it’s a safe bet that most of the people who clicks through to read the complete article on your website have kids.

Offering forms, checklists, schedules and worksheets on your website will let you see specific topics each reader is interested in. So, figure out the information you’d like to know about your audience and then determine the best way to attract only people for whom this interest or need is immediate.

For instance, if you offer virtual assistant services and you’d like to target graphic designers with an upcoming promotion, you might offer a “Questions to Ask Clients Before You Start Their Designs” worksheet. By keeping track of who downloads the report, you’ll have a pretty good idea who to send the promotion to.

This type of tracking isn’t fool proof–readers won’t read every issue, they may get distracted while they’re reading (and not click on a link they really wanted to visit), or they may be more curious than average (and so click through to a lot of extraneous pages), but by tracking subscriber’s behavior over a period of time you’ll be able to learn quite a bit.

Step Three: Craft Specific Promotions

Knowing all about your subscribers won’t do you any good if you don’t use the information you’ve gathered to your advantage.

This should take two forms: 1) Letting subscribers guide what you offer by their interests; and, 2) Deciding what to offer and then segmenting your list.

The first form, taking your cue from subscribers, is pretty straightforward. If subscribers express an interest in wrinkle-free pants, you should stock wrinkle-free pants. If click-thrus are high when you offer a link on pet care, you should offer more pet care links.

Giving subscribers only what they ask for, however, means you’ll be missing out on sales you could have made because we don’t always know what we need until someone asks if we need it.

That’s why it’s important to do both–offer them more of what they express interest in, and keep testing to see if interest exists in other areas.

By spending some extra time tracking and profiling subscribers, you’ll find each promotion you run is more successful. Plus, you won’t waste time developing ideas your subscribers won’t be interested in, and are less likely to overlook ideas they’d like.

The three steps: asking the right questions, tracking behavior, and carefully crafting promotions, are key to using your newsletter list more effectively.

If your newsletter’s in HTML or print, you need a nameplate (the banner that displays the name of your newsletter).

Designing a nameplate is similar to creating a company logo. Typically, you’ll want a design that’s memorable, compact (size-wise), and classic enough to last two or more years.

We’d like to share the five steps we’ve found ideal for creating great nameplates. They’ll save you time and help you produce the nameplate just right for your company newsletter.

Make Time

1. Set aside enough time. Never designed a nameplate before? Then schedule at least seven hours for the project spaced out over at least one full week. Whatever you do, don’t wait until the night before your first issue is supposed to be published to start the design! Remember, nameplates work best when they’re consistent over a span of many, many issues.

Inspire Creativity

2. Gather a creativity kit. Our head designer swears glitter’s a necessary component of any creativity kit, but I’m not convinced. You will need blank paper, scissors, colored pencils or marking pens, and some music (if you work best with background noise). Most people find being outdoors inspiring (especially if you can be near running water), so don’t think you have to create your nameplates at your desk.

Sketch

3. Sketch at least six nameplate designs. You can do them each full size, or you can fold a sheet of paper into smaller boxes (eight is usually a good number). You don’t need to be an artist for this step–you’re mostly concerned with generating placement ideas and general concepts on paper. (You should see the messes I used to make in my design classes!)

Choose

4. Choose the two or three you like best to create rough versions on your computer. Use a graphics program that allows you to use plenty of layers to keep each element separate (like Paint Shop Pro, Corel Draw, or Adobe Illustrator) and save a new copy every time you develop something you think you might like. If you’re not a designer, try to keep it simple–lots of effects and stylized fills can detract from the rest of your newsletter.

Finalize

5. Choose your nameplate and finalize the design. Smooth any rough edges (literally or figuratively). Save the file to the appropriate size, resolution and number of colors for your newsletter (all depend on your needs and medium).

The right nameplate for your newsletter will serve you and your readers well for many years to come. Even better, the repeated exposure to the same nameplate over many issues will build your company’s credibility and trust, so make sure your nameplate is something you really like that suits your newsletter well.

Not much of a designer? The Write Exposure has just what you need. From free advice to a great free ezine, straight through to full-service newsletter options. We’d be delighted to be your newsletter company. Send us an email describing your needs or visit our site for more information.

You spend a considerable amount of time and money on your print newsletter and the only way your investment pays off is if your readers actually interact with your newsletter in a positive way. Unfortunately, most company newsletters don’t do a very good job of encouraging any such interaction.

How can you make sure your newsletter’s one of the successful few? Here we have the five key questions your newsletter must answer to leave a lasting impression on your readers.

• Who’s it from?
• How’s it relevant?
• Is it interesting?
• Why read it now?
• Why keep it?

Who’s it from? You wouldn’t believe the number of companies that neglect to make it obvious who the newsletter’s from. It’s often not enough to include your company name on the newsletter somewhere. Rather, consider each newsletter an opportunity to introduce your business to people who’ve never heard of it before. Your mailing label should include your company’s slogan (and a bit about what you do if it’s not obvious) and logo. Ask someone who’s unfamiliar with your company to take a look at your newsletter and guess who it’s from and what they do. If they can’t, perhaps it’s time to make some changes.

How’s it relevant? Your readers don’t have much time. Clearly they don’t want to spend what little time they have reading something that’s not going to apply to their lives. You might prove your newsletter’s relevance by putting a table of contents near the mailing label (don’t list article by title, rather list them by benefit). You’ll find some great examples of proving relevance at the newsstand. Take a look at the magazines available and see how they convince readers that’s what’s inside is worth reading.

Is it interesting? After you’ve proved to the reader it’s relevant, you still have to prove that it’s interesting. Interest is typically a matter of tone and depth. Some readers prefer formal newsletters with articles that examine each facet of a limited topic, while others want a more general approach with a more playful tone. Get it right and your readers will wait by the mailbox for your newsletter.

Why read it now? Make sure your readers see the information as applicable right now. What’s applicable will depend on your readers, but in general, if you have information that’s in someway timely (safety features, for instance), promote it up front. You can also offer your readers special discounts and promotions.

Why keep it? Not all company newsletters should be kept, and you’ll need to determine whether or not yours should. If you decide you do want readers to keep the newsletter, you can add value to your publication in the form of reference articles or collections of resources. If you want to make sure readers can always find your newsletter, perhaps you could start new subscriptions with a manila folder to keep all the issues in (or a binder, if you prefer). An alternative is to offer something they can keep from each issue-an index card of important phone numbers, for instance-that they’d cut out or remove from the newsletter before throwing it away or passing it along.

When your newsletter answers these questions, your readers will see more value in it. While you simply can’t get everyone to read your newsletter the moment it arrives in their mailbox, you can encourage readers to look forward to receiving your newsletter.

Offering your email newsletter in HTML frequently results in higher subscribe rates, greater reader recognition and impressive ROI. That is, if they’re done right. Done wrong, your reader may suffer broken links, missing images, or worse.

To take advantage of the best HTML has to offer, your HTML will need to be error-free. Fortunately, that’s not as complicated as it sounds. While constructing and testing HTML newsletters, we’ve found six steps that eliminate about 99% of all HTML errors. You can do them yourself or look for a company that offers HTML email testing.

1. Keep the plain text separate.
Perhaps the easiest way to avoid HTML problems is to offer a plain text version separately (depending on your distribution system this may mean setting up two separate lists). Though many email distribution systems do allow you to send both your plain text and html versions in one message, the technology behind multi-part MIME can create problems with older email programs.

Because email programs vary, sending both versions of your newsletter in one message may actually create more problems than it solves (readers may see both versions, the HTML may become garbled, etc). Though maintaining separate lists is a little more work, you’ll wind up with a newsletter that’s consistently delivered correctly, because your readers choose the version that’s best suited to them.

2. Write your HTML code by hand.
Though WYSIWYG editors (like FrontPage and DreamWeaver) make quick work of HTML design, they’re also notorious for adding unnecessary codes.

Excess code presents two potential problems. First, it bloats the file size which results in longer download times for your readers. Second, these excess codes can confuse email programs which tend to be less forgiving of HTML errors than are typical web browsers.

3. Preview your HTML newsletter in a web browser often.
Watching the results of your coding in a browser is the easiest way to catch HTML errors as they occur. You can use whatever browser you’re most comfortable in, but remember each has its own idiosyncrasies and isn’t identical to an email program.

By checking on your progress regularly, you’ll also ensure the newsletter looks the way you want it to look. This saves you from going through all the steps only to discover your newsletter looks nothing like you’d planned.

3. Avoid missing images and broken links.
An HTML email newsletter needs to be coded differently than a website. For a website, relative links usually work just fine, but for a newsletter all URLs and image locations must be absolute. A relative URL for the index page of a website would be “index.html” while an absolute URL for the same page would be “http://www.domain.com/index.html”. Get in the habit of typing the complete location for both links and images.

When your email newsletter arrives in my inbox saying my computer can’t find the images folder (it doesn’t know to look on your domain) and displays a broken image. Microsoft Outlook does allow you to insert images directly into messages (which it then sends with the message), but this method is unreliable for readers who don’t use Outlook.

You can also use the base href tag if all of your links and images will come from one domain. To set a base URL, you’ll want to add a to the very top line of your HTML code (before the ). Make sure to include the trailing slash. This will tell your reader’s computer where to look for all images and links and means you can use relative URLs throughout the newsletter.

4. Run your HTML through an HTML validator.
Because you’ve typed your HTML code by hand, it’s possible you’ve left off tags or made typos in your HTML. There are a number of HTML validators available, some that you can use on your desktop like HTML Tidy, and others, like NetMechanic that you use over the Internet. They all help you to uncover and fix errors that may cause problems in your newsletter.

Though these programs are designed to check HTML designed for web browsers, they can alert you to many common HTML errors. You’ll still need to check things like image links (for absolute locations) and URLs yourself (they can’t tell you if you’ve linked to the wrong page, for example).

5. Test the newsletter.
Though it wouldn’t make sense to test your newsletter in every email program ever made, you can test your newsletter in the most popular clients. AOL, MSN, and Earthlink each offer limited-access or “Bring Your Own Access” programs for reasonable sign-up fees. Check your subscriber list to see which accounts are most popular so you’ll know which services to emphasize.

You may also want to set up accounts at Yahoo!, Hotmail and Excite, if you allow these addresses on your list. Also check platforms and programs most likely to be used by your clients (i.e. test it with a Mac if your newsletter goes out to graphic designers, etc.).

Bottom line: An HTML newsletter does require more time than its plain text counterpart, but, when carefully executed, the results more than make up for any initial inconveniences.

For the last two months, I’ve been taking Izzy (my five-month old yellow lab puppy) to puppy class. He’s learned a lot about how to behave in public. And I’ve learned a lot about him in comparison to his classmates.

There’s sedate Maggie, an English bulldog who loves to play, so long as she can stay in one place. There’s shy Zeus, a rottweiler who takes awhile to warm up to new situations. There’s obedient Levi, a Weimaraner who’ll do absolutely anything you ask him to.

And then there’s Izzy. He’s the entertainment–teasing the other puppies, talking to everyone who stops to watch the play sessions, and just being an all-around playful, clownish lab.

Just as the instructor’s learned what to expect from each of the puppies, your readers have learned to expect something from you.

Whether out of all the newsletters they get in their inbox yours is the “enthusiastic one,” or the “serious one,” or the “informative one,” your readers have defined you in comparison to the other newsletters they read.

Readers label, like it or not

Maybe you hate the idea of being labeled. Because, if your newsletter is the “smart” newsletter, it can’t also be the “funny” one.

But, this one ingredient is actually behind more successful newsletters than any other.

That’s because it’s what makes your newsletter more memorable. It’s what helps your readers begin to trust you–because every month they see the same dimension of your personality and begin to see you as reliable.

Your readers get way too much email not to make some generalizations. It’s what helps them prioritize their email. And it’s what’ll get your newsletter read first, last, or not at all.

You can choose your label

Now, here’s the good news. Your label is up to you. You’re a three-dimensional, multi-faceted person and have lots of great personality points to choose from.

Depending on your subject, it might be appropriate to position yourself as the “outdoorsy type” even though you also love to relax at the spa. Or maybe you’ll focus on your love of black and white movies even though you also love today’s high tech special effects.

When you choose one thing to really focus on about yourself–one characteristic, one hobby, one passion–your readers will start to associate that with you. So, now, when they see your name in their inbox they’ll think, “That’s the guy who tells such great stories about camping.”

Supporting your label

Once you’ve chosen your label, you’ll need to support it in every issue. Even slight inconsistencies will bother your readers and reduce their trust in you. So, if you’re positioning yourself to be an expert on keeping your grocery bill low, revealing that your family eats out six days a week probably doesn’t belong in your newsletter.

Start by making a list. At the top of the page, write your label–whether it’s “outdoor enthusiast” or “intelligent.” Then list all the words that, for you, back this up. You can list activities that fit in with your label, phrases that define your label, or other people who fit your label.

For instance, for this newsletter I’ve chosen the label, “bright.” For me this means I work to project intelligence and enthusiasm. That means I focus on areas where I have the most experience within newsletter production–the activities I enjoy the most, like subscriber interaction and overall perception.

All successful newsletters have one

Take a look for yourself–review some of your favorite newsletters and see if you can’t categorize each. Chances are, the newsletters you like the most of all are ones that consistently live up to your expectations for them. And in the end, that’s what your label’s all about.

Just as I know when I take Izzy to puppy class, he’s going to be the class clown, your readers need to know what’s going to happen when they read your newsletter.

When your visitors click on to your website, is your newsletter helping or hurting your image? Does it proclaim, “Hire us, we’re professional, trustworthy, and do impeccable work,” or is it clearly old and neglected?

It’s time to transform your newsletter into the beautiful, brilliant salesperson it can be. Open up your own website and go over these five points to see how you’re scoring with first time visitors.

Do you keep archives?

I’m the first to sing the praises of archives. They’re a great way to demonstrate to first time visitors why they should subscribe. They’re fantastic for your search engine rankings. And they’re a shockingly easy way to let your website get dusty.

Does your archive page make your website look abandoned? Were you great about updating them until 2002 when you suddenly stopped?

If you’re going to keep an archive page, you’ve got to be obsessed with keeping it up-to-date. If you don’t keep it up, when visitors stop by, they may think you’ve gone out of business.

Also, in building your archives, don’t just list them by date. You have a great opportunity to demonstrate your communication skills by summarizing each issue after the link.

Keep your archives up to date to demonstrate your attention to detail.

Do you promise privacy?

Do you share or sell email addresses with others? Assuming you don’t, do you make that clear beside every subscribe box on your site? Do you offer plenty of reassurance to your readers that their information will never be compromised?

If you’re not posting your privacy policy, you’re increasing visitor distrust–definitely not the way to win clients.

What should your privacy policy say? You’ll want to talk to a lawyer about that one, but spend some time looking at what other sites have to say–what details they include that make you feel comfortable.

Don’t copy what you find, but take your notes to your lawyer and put together something that protects you, makes readers feel comfortable, and represents the experience you want visitors to have with your site.

A well-written privacy policy goes a long way towards building trust.

Do you make visitors search for subscribe forms?

Here’s another chance to show visitors to your site how easy you are to work with–make it easy to find the subscribe form.

When visitors are browsing your site and stumble upon your subscribe form, it damages your credibility.

Why? People don’t like to feel like they might be left out. They don’t like to feel that some of your customers get a better deal than others.

And by making it hard to find your subscribe form, you’re creating the impression that they’ll have to stay on their toes if they work with you to make sure they get everything they’re paying for.

Don’t make visitors wonder. Put your subscribe form in an easy-to-spot spot on every page of your website.

Put that subscribe form front and center to ensure equal access.

Do you ask for intrusive information on your subscribe form?

It’s good to ask questions of your subscribers. In fact, just by asking subscribers for their first name (instead of just asking for their email address), you’ll increase the quality of your subscribers substantially.

That doesn’t mean asking every question works in your favor, though. So, take a critical look at your subscribe form and ask yourself why you ask each question.

When you ask for extraneous (or overly personal) information, you’re making visitors think you’re into wasting time. And no one wants to sign up for a newsletter that’s likely to waste their time.

So ask only for the information you really need in order to provide a solid newsletter. Leave the rest out.

By carefully considering what information you want up front from subscribers, you’ll demonstrate to site visitors that you value their time.

What does your confirmation page say?

Now, take a moment to actually subscribe to your newsletter. What happens next?

Are new subscribers taken right back to your home page? Are they stranded on a third-party’s website (and bombarded with ads)?

Never leave your subscribers stranded. This makes them wonder about the care you take with your clients. No one likes to be at a loss for the next step.

Your confirmation page should include at least three things: a brief “thank you for subscribing” message that lets readers know when to expect their first issue, a contact email address or phone number if they have questions, and something else to do.

Your “something else to do” could be to offer them an immediate discount on one of your products or services. It could be to ask them to refer others to your newsletter list. It could be to ask them to download a special gift. Just be sure to give new subscribers something to do next.

Carefully craft the experience of new subscribers to put them in the optimum frame of mind for their first issue and you’ll demonstrate the care you take of all your clients.

Examining what your newsletter’s currently saying about your company helps you maximize its success as a sales person. By making just a few changes, you’ll find visitors think much more highly of you and join your newsletter in the right frame of mind to buy.

I don’t often watch the morning news–rather, I get most of my updates online where I can go at my own pace and focus on the stories that I want to know more about.

But, this morning I was feeling a bit disconnected from the world, so I turned it on in time to see that in the US we’re having a shortage of flu vaccinations.

Of course, this is serious–the flu can be a big problem for people at high risk, and it’s certainly miserable enough for the rest of us.

However, it’s not a national crisis.

And yet, that’s exactly what it was made out to be. The reporters were using words that should be reserved for catastrophes to describe this problem. A problem, yes. A catastrophe, no.

Watching the news, there’s very little sense of priority–most of what they’re reporting on is pretty trivial. And why do the newscasters turn everything into a life or death drama?

Because there’s so much competition.

In order to get your viewing eyes, they think they have to add drama where none really exists, and magnify problems that stand alone.

And here’s why that’s a problem for you and your newsletter.

Your business is no different than a television news program–you face competition for your readers’ attention. You may feel like you need to inflate the importance of an event or product sale in order to get your reader’s attention.

In a noisy world, you may think the solution is to shout louder.

But that doesn’t work. Because, no matter how loud you yell, someone can always yell louder.

Instead of using false urgency, huff-puff language, and overwhelming fear to get what you want, find another way. Find a way that’s in keeping with who you are and what you have to deliver.

Don’t let your newsletter turn into one of those loud late night infomercials. Instead, separate yourself from the pack by gaining readers’ respect and offering them relevant information.

Be yourself, deliver what you’ve promised, and be that fresh approach your readers are longing for. Give them a break from all the shouting, and they’ll reward your efforts.

Just like you, I struggle with writer’s block. Not so much for client newsletters (which tend to flow pretty easily for me), but with Newsletters in Focus, some days creating the issue is as hard as convincing Izzy not to chase squirrels when he’s on the leash.

In fact, today is one such day. So, I decided that I’d share with you a method I’ve found that works like a charm for moving me through writers block and into a great issue: writing rituals.

What’s involved with a writing rituals?

For me, I start off by setting everything up just so. I give Izzy a Kong™ stuffed with peanut butter, make a cup of tea, put on some music, and open up the newsletter file.

And I do these same steps, every single time. It’s a way of shifting my thinking from client work (or whatever I was working on) into Newsletters in Focus mode.

Setting up your own ritual doesn’t need to be complicated. And it doesn’t need to be even as long as mine. Perhaps you just have two steps–closing your office door, and grabbing a pad of paper.

Why you need a writing ritual

Writing your newsletter is likely very unlike anything else you do during your day. Even if you’re a copywriter, chances are you spend most of your time writing in someone else’s voice. The shift into writing in your own voice necessitates a shift in thinking.

Such a shift is eased with a ritual.

If the regular parts of your job are more removed from writing–say accounting or managing people–it’s even more important that you give your brain an obvious beginning point for the new task. This helps you close out all the thoughts related to your other work, and really focus in on the newsletter.

How many rituals do you need?

I recommend having at least two–one ritual you go through before you start working on your newsletter, and one ritual to wrap up the newsletter. The second ritual should be a treat for all your hard work–something to look forward to.

For me, my treat is leaving early. That’s right. When I’ve finished creating Newsletters in Focus and I’ve sent the files to my assistant for delivery, Izzy and I head to the beach.

Your treat will make the writing process more enjoyable. Plus, it keeps you efficient. Without a reward on the other end, writing Newsletters in Focus could easily take me all day. Because I know what’s waiting for me, though, I get it done as efficiently as possible.

Establishing your rituals

What’s right for you will depend on your needs and your likes. (And your boss :-).)

Maybe you can’t head out of the office in the middle of the day, but perhaps you could take a longer lunch break. The key is to find a reward that’s meaningful to you–something you’ll look forward to.

Once you’ve decided on your beginning and ending newsletter rituals, write them down. It’ll likely take you several times before you’re completing the ritual automatically, so this way you won’t miss a step in the meantime.

Practice makes perfect

The key to making your ritual stick is doing it every time you write a newsletter. Even if you feel pressed for time.

(In fact, you’ll find your rituals help you create the newsletter more smoothly and more efficiently, so especially complete the rituals when you’re rushed.)

Why not take a few extra minutes to create your own writing rituals–they’ll definitely pay off the next time you sit down to write your newsletter.

I’ve gotten a lot of newsletters over the past few days that have mentioned Thanksgiving and the upcoming winter holidays.

And I realized you’re probably wondering how YOU should handle the holidays in your own newsletter.

So, I’ve got a round up of three ways to make your holiday issues great. Enjoy!

• If you celebrate it, you can mention it. If you’re worried people may be offended, don’t be. Just because you celebrate doesn’t mean readers have to and your readers know that. I recently received an email from a subscriber in India wishing me a Happy Diwali and not only was I very touched, but I was also encouraged to learn about a holiday I hadn’t heard of before.

(Even with *millions* of readers, this is still good advice, but see if there’s a company policy in place about holiday mentions.)

• Publish anyway. A lot of clients have talked about putting their newsletters on hold because some of their readers may be too busy to read. But, what about your readers who *aren’t* too busy? Just like publishing straight through the summer, publish straight through the holiday season. Yes, some readers won’t read the issue, but there’s no reason to give their behavior more importance than the behavior of your other readers.
• You don’t have to mention the holidays. After a week full of Thanksgiving issues from US-based publishers, I’m feeling a bit like there’s nothing left to say on the topic. If you find yourself feeling the same way, remember, you don’t *have* to mention the holiday.

With these tips, take a new look at your holiday publishing schedule. Remember, it’s YOUR newsletter and there are no rules :-). Enjoy the holidays!

Your newsletter’s got a lot in common with a sixth grade dance. (Gee, I must’ve really enjoyed those dances, this is my second time using them in recent months ;-).)

Everyone clusters around the outer edges, no one really talking, absolutely NO dancing, maybe a few people drinking punch, but mostly, everyone looking pretty darn awkward.

Just like at those dances, your readers (to a certain extent) are trying to be invisible. They don’t really want you to know they’re there–they don’t like the idea of your tracking their click-thrus or registering their opens.

Face it, readers are wallflowers.

So, how do you get them out there, mixing and mingling, making friends and chitchatting?

These are five ways to fully engage readers so you won’t ever again see them all lined up against the walls like sixth graders.

1. Ask for something.

You might ask readers for feedback, that they forward the newsletter to a friend, or that they offer you some advice. Most everyone likes to be helpful, and as long as the investment’s small, you’ll find your readers eager to chip in.

Just make sure your “ask” is really specific. And, don’t ask readers for a long list of things. You’ll only confuse them and wind up with many of them still glued to the wall.

2. Don’t push.

Think back to those sixth grade dances. Everyone was uncomfortable enough, but imagine you’re there and your MOM is chaperoning.

She’s standing right by your side, pushing you to ask this kid to dance, or to go over and talk to that one. Suddenly, you’re mortified, right? Same with your readers. If you force them to take action, they’ll take a step right off the deep end of discomfort.

3. Offer them something.

Whether this is something for sale, a gift, or a bit of a tip. Your newsletter should be about an exchange–you give something, they give something. So, offer readers discounts, presents, helpful information, and they’ll pull themselves away from the wall.

Try to balance out your offers. Sometimes, offer readers a special discount, others offer them a gift. You want to avoid the trap of always offering the same thing to appeal to a wider number of readers.

4. Provide guidelines.

Remember those sixth graders again–they’re disaster-scenario-experts. If you go and ask someone to dance, they won’t just say no… Rather, they’ll haul off and slap you, tell all their friends, and get you expelled!

Your readers have a similar disaster-orientation. They’re looking at the worst thing that could possibly happen next. Reassure them by making it really clear what will, and WON’T happen.

5. Get out and dance yourself.

Remember at those dances, things were really only awkward until people started dancing. So, get out there and dance!

When you’re having fun with your topic, asking questions that are enjoyable to answer, and just plain having a blast, readers will clamor to join you. So, remember to find ways to really enjoy your topic and your audience!

With these five guidelines in mind, you’ll find your dances with readers are a lot more fun! You’ll have those readers off the walls and on the dance floor in no time.

Postal rates are on the rise again, and if you’re mailing out your monthly newsletter, you’d likely like to save money on your postage costs. You may think there’s no way around the first class price tag. However, we’ve got seven easy ways to spend less for the same distribution.

Don’t Mail It

1. FAX it. If most of your readers are local and have fax numbers, ask them if they’d mind if you faxed it. Keep in mind that some of your readers may prefer to have it mailed.

2. Email it. You can email the newsletter in plain text or HTML format, or you can email a notice that the latest edition is available on your website.

3. Hand-deliver it. If a number of your subscribers live in the same area, you might consider paying someone to hand deliver it. Or, you can drop it off yourself. It’s a great way to re-connect with customers.

Get More for Your Stamp

4. Send it as a bill insert. Enclosing your newsletter as a bill insert is like getting a two for one deal at the post office.

5. Conduct some research. Include occasional surveys for your readers. This can provide you with valuable feedback that’s worth more than the price of a stamp!

Post Office Tricks

6. Get a bulk postage meter. Call your county’s main branch post office for details.

7. Use a standard size. You may be paying more because your newsletter doesn’t fulfill post office specifications. Ask at your local post office for a chart of the various sizes you can use.

With a little innovation (or a little less innovation), you can be on your way to saving money on your newsletter delivery.

To be nobody-but-yourself — in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else — means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.

e. e. cummings

Being yourself. They say it’s the secret to being happy :-). And, according to mr. cummings, it’s the hardest battle you can fight.

But, it’s also the secret to a truly great newsletter.

Yesterday I received an email from a fellow who has a list of about 9000 readers. His monthly newsletter is on the short side–one feature article and an advertisement.

He wrote because his readers don’t respond the way he’d like them to. They don’t send feedback about the issues, they’re not buying at a “normal” rate.

But, his biggest concern is that he’s not touching readers. And that’s a problem.

You know where I’m going with this :-). What his newsletter was missing was HIM.

See, newsletters don’t touch readers. They’re cold, impersonal, emails.

But YOU can touch readers THROUGH your newsletter.

And you do that by ADDING more YOU to your newsletter.

Like e. e. cummings says, it’s the hardest battle you can fight. BUT, it’s also the only thing that makes a newsletter worth publishing.

Because, face it, a newsletter that makes profits is nice. And a newsletter that gets you lots of nice emails from readers is nice.

But