Every day I get dozens of letters from frustrated company newsletter publishers who want to know why their newsletters aren’t selling as expected. After all, they’ve heard that a newsletter can be a great source of profits–so, where then are those profits hiding?

There are nine specific areas to check on when you want your newsletter to make more sales. In this article, we’ll discuss three of those areas: focus, format, and measurement. (The other nine are covered in Parts I and III.)

Focus.
What’s your newsletter goal? Is it to increase sales 15%? Is it to increase name recognition for your brand. To cut down on calls to your help desk? Whatever your goal, you’ll want to make sure everyone who works on your newsletter understands that goal and how they can help reach it.

A manufacturing company recently contacted us when they discovered only about 25% of their readers remembered receiving their newsletter. They were publishing the newsletter to build name recognition, so that statistic was especially disappointing for them.

From their very first issue, it was pretty clear why their newsletter was so forgettable to readers. Though they published in HTML, the newsletter looked completely different from their other company materials (they didn’t so much as include a logo). Plus, the company name was only mentioned once, in the subject line for the newsletter.

Because the manufacturing company wanted to build name recognition, they needed to start by helping readers associate the newsletter with their company. For all newsletters, this means using your company name throughout the newsletter. For HTML newsletters, this means keeping the look of the newsletter in line with your company image as much as possible.

Once you know your own newsletter goals, take a look at a few back issues with fresh eyes. How might you change your newsletter around to really focus on reaching those goals?

Format.
The formatting of your newsletter absolutely matters, and it relates strongly to your goals. A newsletter that’s designed to increase sales should make it easy for readers to buy (lots of clear links, pictures if appropriate, etc).

Before you make any other decisions, though, you have to decide whether to publish only in plain text or to also offer a HTML version. Our clients have found HTML to be anywhere from 50-75% more effective than plain text.

With HTML, you can include pictures of your products, use colors to emphasize special offers, and repeat elements of your image to strengthen your brand both on and offline. Plain text, however, is easier to send (since with HTML you need to send both), so if you only have time for one version, make it plain text.

Whichever you choose, to best take advantage of a newsletter’s major strength (permission-based follow-up), you’ll want to keep the format consistent. Many publishers rearrange their newsletters each month, taking out and putting in new sections, re-ordering the articles, etc. No matter what your main newsletter goal, consistency is a powerful ally. By getting your readers accustomed to always finding a tip after the editor’s letter, they’ll become accustomed to your company.

Measurement.
Without measurement, you can’t be sure how your newsletter’s doing. Certainly, some things can’t be measured easily (like brand recognition), but by keeping an eye on statistics and running surveys, you can get a sense for how your newsletter’s performing.

One stat to measure if you’re publishing in HTML is your open rate. While it’s not foolproof (or even especially interesting), keeping an eye on your open rate will alert you to potential problems. By watching for declines or surges in your open rate, you can learn which subject lines are most popular; you can also learn which newsletters trigger more filters than usual, and which newsletters might have bugs in the HTML code.

Another stat to keep an eye on is sales made as a result of your newsletter. An easy way to do this is to offer special discounts to readers of your newsletter. Using trackable links also helps, but it doesn’t alert you if your newsletter readers prefer to use the phone to order.

Keep an eye on your rate of subscription and unsubscription. Do readers unsubscribe more after you’ve covered certain topics? Do you see surges in subscribers when you offer bonuses for referrals? Watching what happens to your list from week to week can be very revealing.

A final stat all newsletter publishers should keep an eye on is bounces. Depending on how you maintain your list, you may lose 30% or more of your subscribers each year to full and abandoned email boxes. Keeping an eye on this stat each month helps you gauge which newsletter promotion plans are working and which are bringing lots of temporary subscribers.

Take some time today to examine your own newsletter. If you don’t already have clear goals for your newsletter results, set them. Then, take a look at how you can maximize your results based on those goals. Finally, upgrade the format and start taking a look at your newsletter statistics.

After spending time on just these three areas with her newsletter, one client reported her next issue sales were up by 10%! And, over time, sales continued to grow, as she fine tuned her approach based on her goals. You’ll be rewarded, too, when you make the time to make these changes.

For more on how you can increase your newsletter’s sales ability, check out Part I and Part III of this series.

Ideally, a business partner promotes your business; they’re always on the lookout for new markets, and they work to find ways to improve your product or service.

Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could get your clients to do the same thing? Well, you can, of course, if you simply do five things.

Find and broadcast your target.
Who’s your ideal client? Can you describe him/her in such a way that anyone can identify this person? This ideal client shouldn’t just be people between the ages of 25 and 32. Rather, narrow your focus-perhaps your ideal market is single women buying their first home. You want to make sure your clients can repeat your target market and really understand it.

Start a newsletter.
But this shouldn’t be just any newsletter. Instead this newsletter must be: interactive (run promotions, ask provocative questions, give great advice), valuable (with real information, not just hype), and memorable (brand it, send it regularly, and hire only the best writers).

When you’re turning clients into partners, it’s crucial that your newsletter be a consistent reflection of your brand (you want your clients to have as clear an image of you as possible). You might do this with your tone-is your website all about parties? Then your tone should be light and friendly. You might do this with your columns. And you should definitely brand your newsletter with its design. You want your readers to have no doubt that the newsletter is from you.

Make personal contact with each client.
This contact can be in the form of a phone call, letter or in-person visit (email’s not recommended unless it’s necessary). Let each client know that you’ve decided to dedicate yourself to serving your target group and solicit their feedback. Do they know anyone who fits the bill? Do they have any suggestions on how you can narrow your focus or widen your appeal? Approach each client with sincerity, and you’ll not only learn a lot; you’ll be halfway to your goal. Also, while you’re contacting all your clients, make sure to ask if they’re interested in receiving your newsletter.

Throw a party.
Host an event. Invite all your clients and ask that each bring along an ideal prospect. At the party, offer samples of your product or demos of your service, but don’t make it a hard sell. Instead, focus on getting to know each guest. Also, keep in mind as you’re meeting people that each of the people at your party likely knows at least one person who needs your service. Now make the kind of impression that encourages people to say, “I met the nicest person this weekend who does exactly what you need!”

Follow-up on every referral in two ways.
First, make sure you follow-up immediately with the prospect. This will show both the prospect and the referrer that you’re trustworthy and that business is as important to you as you say it is. Second, make sure you send a hand-written thank you note to the person who sent a referral your way (even if the prospect doesn’t become a client). Always let your clients know how grateful you are for their referrals. And one more thing, when you write that note, focus on the generosity of your client, not how happy you are or how referrals are the lifeblood of your business.

When you finish the cycle, you’ll need to keep sending your newsletter, soliciting feedback and following up on referrals. Pretty soon, you’ll find your clients are not just your best source of new business, but also your best source for new business ideas. In short, your clients will be magically transformed into partners.

A newsletter can be a fantastic way to lure new customers, but without the right bait, you can send out line after line (or issue after issue) and not get a single bite.

What should you be baiting your newsletter with? Let’s take a look:

1. The right list. How are you getting your subscribers? Some people run contests or give away e-books. Both are great, but you need to choose them carefully.

If you sell candles to retailers, you wouldn’t hold a monthly drawing for a 12-month supply of candles. Rather, you might offer an e-book on increasing sales 50% with small display changes. The monthly drawing will result in more subscribers, but few of them will be in your target market.

2. The right content. Again, generic is bad. Let’s say you sell mechanical steps for short people buying tall vehicles. Your audience will likely be middle class, educated commuters, and you’ll probably have more female readers than male. Thus, an article on how investing in your car is a good idea (the Wall Street Journal reports older SUVs are skyrocketing in value) would be more appealing to readers than an article describing the proper way to tie down a load of wood.

Not only will the article on investing in automobile upgrades appeal more to the audience, it’ll also result in more sales because it’s more highly targeted.

3. Ask for the sale. We get a lot of newsletters that don’t explain what they’re selling. If you don’t tell your readers that you sell marketing services, how are they going to know they should hire you?

Why not use your top sponsor spot for your own advertisement every so often? Or mention in your editor’s letter that you’re having a special.

If you use testimonials, why not introduce them with a brief description of the product or service the customer purchased.

Whatever else you do, commit to making it clear in each issue that you are a company that does X. Then allow yourself some open promotion every few issues.

For more on how you can increase your newsletter’s sales ability, check out Part II and Part III of this series.

So, you’ve got a newsletter. And you send it to your list on a regular basis.

And you have a deeply niched list. It’s somewhere in the neighborhood of 1000-5000 readers strong. And you read somewhere that with a targeted list of that size, you can make a heap of moola by letting other companies sponsor your newsletter.

It sounds like a great idea, doesn’t it? To get a set amount of moola just for running a little ad in your newsletter?

After all, readers tend to be fickle–sometimes they buy like crazy, other times you don’t get many orders. So, if you accepted a sponsor, every issue of your newsletter would make a set amount.

The problem with sponsorships is each link REDUCES the number of click-thrus you’ll get overall. Let’s say when you run three links in your newsletter you have an average of 250 click-thrus (for all three links). That’s an average of 83 people clicking on each link.

If you add one more link, suddenly, you may have just 200 people clicking through. That means each link may get just 50 click-thrus, whereas before you were getting 83.

See the problem?

So, what’s the solution? You have to learn to make a consistent, steady income by selling your own products or services to your newsletter readers.

How? One way is by learning to write a genuinely HUGE offer. A HUGE offer is one that’s:

• Humongous–everything your client could possibly need
• Unsurpassed–clearly better than the competition’s
• Generous–sold for a very attractive price
• Exciting–something your client wants

With a HUGE offer, your readers can’t help but buy. So, if you’re not yet making consistent sales, it’s because your offer’s not yet HUGE.

When you’re able to sell YOUR own products and services in your newsletter, on a consistent basis, you’ll know true independence. And you won’t need to rely on sponsorships or outside advertisers.

If you’re ready to get serious about your email newsletter and start adding new subscribers to your list, try out these 24 approaches.

What to “be” for quality subscribers

1. Be Consistent. You spend so much energy creating a newsletter your subscribers will look forward to, don’t risk diminishing their enthusiasm with an unreliable
schedule.

2. Be yourself. Authentic newsletters are easier on the reader. They’re typically more interesting (because they’re unique to you), plus, you don’t risk a tone that swings from formal to informal.

3. Be honest. What are you sending out (product info, special deals, a genuine newsletter)? How often do you send it? How easy is it to unsubscribe? Do you sell reader’s names and email addresses? All of this should be addressed on the subscription page.

4. Be original. Write your own content. Collect your own resources. (Or hire someone to do it.)

5. Be relevant. Make sure you’re writing about topics that apply to your reader’s unique situations and experiences.

6. Be engaging. Invite your readers to participate by offering surveys and quizzes.

7. Be well dressed. Whether your newsletter is text or HTML, readers should be able to figure out at a glance who your newsletter’s from and what it’s about.

8. Be diverse. Offer both short and long articles to give both casual and more serious readers what they’re looking for.

What to “do” to grow a list

9. Set goals. If you don’t know where you’re heading, you won’t know when you’ve arrived–set goals for all aspects of your newsletter to keep yourself on track.

10. Entice them. More and more companies are finding that offering a newsletter isn’t enough to get people to part with their email addresses. By offering a free report or something else of value, potential readers may be more likely to sign up.

11. Offer a sneak peak. Take a look at those magazine offers you get in the mail and write something similar for your newsletter.

12. Post sample issues online. This way readers can see for themselves if they’re interested in your newsletter.

13. Make your website useful. Visitors will assume that if your website is helpful, your newsletter will be, too.

14. Make a one-time popup that invites subscriptions. You can get a one-time popup code at: http://www.web-source.net/popups.htm .

15. Make subscribing easy. Your subscribe link should be visible on every page of your site. Also, make the process as easy as possible (don’t make them fill out long forms, etc.). And, above all else, try the process yourself to make sure it works!

16. Archive issues on your website. This lets readers catch up and see what they’ve been missing. It also may improve your search engine rankings.

Advertise to get more subscribers

17. Set up a promotion station. Make a page at your website with ways other people can promote your newsletter–graphics, articles, testimonials, etc. (And let people know they can freely copy what they want to use.)

18. Promote it at ezine collection websites.

19. Advertise it in your signature file on all email with a description and subscribe instructions.

20. Find other related ezines that you enjoy and ask about exchanging reviews of one another’s ezines.

21. Ask other ezine publishers to recommend your newsletter on their “Thanks for subscribing” page.

22. Ask readers to forward the newsletter to a specific person. For example, write, “Please forward this newsletter to someone you know who’s recently complained about their printer.”

23. Gather testimonials. It’s not enough for you to say your newsletter is great. Get other people to say it for you. (Make sure you have permission to print the testimonial!)

24. Always offer subscribing instructions. (Of course, you always include unsubscribing instructions, right?)

By putting these 24 tips to work for your newsletter, you’ll be able to sit back and watch your newsletter list grow. Enjoy!

Originally published by MarketingProfs.com

You’ve heard the pitch, newsletters are supposed to attract customers. They’re sworn to build customer loyalty. And, the rumor is, they’ll help you increase profits.

But what if your newsletter’s falling short of its potential?

Ideally, all the elements work in tandem to create a company newsletter that’s the right balance of promotion and information for your target audience. But lining up each aspect in the precise position takes a lot of research, application, and testing. Get a look at the line up of the usual suspects in an effective newsletter: the first timers, the repeat offenders and the lifers.

The First Timers

1. Focus. What should your newsletter do? Establish name recognition? Position your company as the widget expert? Attract new customers? Retain your current customers?

If you’re working to establish expertise, include case studies that demonstrate your solutions. If retention is the goal, capitalize on the reasons customers choose you over the competition. If yours is the best customer service, feature a customer service rep in each issue.

2. Measurement. The only way you can know if your newsletter is successful is if you track it. Click-thrus, read-rates, and actual purchases can all be helpful, depending on your goal, as can subscribe/unsubscribe rates.

The proof that your newsletter positioned your company as the widget expert? Perhaps it’s contact from a reporter on the list seeking input for an industry piece. Customer loyalty and conversion increases can be easily recorded through coupons. Just make sure to include a new tracking number in each issue.

3. Format. Appearance may not be everything, but if your newsletter’s hard to read, chances are, subscribers won’t bother. From whether to offer an HTML version, to where you should put the Editor’s Letter, chances are you’ll hear many opinions. Generalities can be made, but your decisions should be made based on your reader’s preferences. (HTML does better overall and Letters from the Editor are typically very popular, but you may have valid reasons not to do either.)

The Repeat Offenders

1. Nameplate. The nameplate (the area where your newsletter’s name appears, sometimes mistaken for the masthead) should be consistent from issue to issue and should give both your newsletter’s name and your company name.

For HTML newsletters, tie your nameplate to your company’s image using the same colors, fonts, or a logo. All newsletters should work to establish a tie between each issue and your company.

2. Masthead. All email newsletters should have contact information. Make it as easy as possible to contact you (and don’t force readers to visit your website to do so).

Make email and website addresses click-able and maximize the masthead’s impact by keeping it brief and consistent each issue. The masthead is a great place to include a brief section on what you do to familiarize prospects with your company.

3. Tagline. All newsletters should have a sentence that describes the newsletter’s subject and audience. A line like “Basic basket weaving for kids” tells potential subscribers at a glance whether or not your newsletter’s what they’re looking for.

A good tag identifies: a) audience, b) subject matter, and, c) benefits. The tag appears near the nameplate or in the masthead and can also be used as your email signature. It should be brief yet memorable. Save the pitch for something else-the last thing you want is for potential readers to think the newsletter’s “salesy.”

The Lifers

1. Content. Good articles are fundamental to any good newsletter. The right content will be objective and targeted to your ideal reader. It’ll fit their preferences and reading styles.

Make sure that the majority of your content isn’t about you at all, but don’t be afraid to be a little promotional (make sure to link the newsletter to what you do). Include testimonials, case studies, links to recent press, and sales or special promotions. For best results, consider outsourcing this crucial newsletter function to a professional newsletter writer.

2. Distribution. From personalization, to the sender’s name, email distribution requires making choices.

Consider using a distribution service that allows the reader’s name to be added to the subject line and body. Also, if you’re using HTML, will you have two separate lists, or will you use multipart MIME (a “sniffer”)? Set up the to and from fields so the newsletter comes from the editor and goes specifically to one reader’s email address. Of all the newsletter issues, distribution can easily become the most complicated, so don’t just select the first provider you find.

3. Subscriptions. Obviously, the more ideal your subscribers, the better your results. That’s why a list of 5000 subscribers can out perform one with 500,000.

Where do you look for these perfect subscribers? Clearly, you’ll want to encourage website visitors to sign up (please, only require their name and email address!). Also, consider the places this audience spends time–post helpful solutions related to your newsletter on discussion boards (using a brief signature to promote the newsletter) and advertise at selected websites. By filling your list with targeted subscribers, you’ll improve your results exponentially.

Bonus way to increase newsletter sales:
Ask! In each issue, make sure you ask your readers for action. Whether you want them to call and set up a consultation or place an order. You’ll need to ask to get real results.

A newsletter that delivers business isn’t far off if you round up the usual suspects. Take care to establish a firm foundation, ask for what you want, and get ready to record the results. In no time, yours will be a newsletter that attracts customers, builds loyalty, and increases profits.

Your readers deserve brilliance

Make no small plans for they have not the power to stir men’s blood.

Machiavelli

If your newsletter could do anything in the world, be anything at all, what would it do? What would it be?

Your newsletter has the power to connect you with people all around the world. It has the energy to double your business. The spark to invigorate your readers.

Your newsletter can do great things.

All you need is this three-step plan and a dedication to creating the newsletter that will stir both yours and your readers’ blood.

Step One: Create a vision

Your first step is to truly see what makes your newsletter great. Is it a supportive tone? Informative articles? A dash of humor?

Whatever it is that sets your newsletter apart, expand that into a larger vision for your newsletter. See your newsletter growing into something bigger than you, bigger than your audience. See it reaching out to your readers, and changing their lives.

What do you need to change about your newsletter so that it can change someone’s life?

Maybe you’re thinking your newsletter’s subject isn’t important enough to change people’s lives. Or maybe you’re thinking you’re not important enough to change readers’ lives.

But that’s simply not true. For most of us, it’s the little things that have the most impact–the little moments, the time when a message appears in our inbox with precisely the words we need to hear.

Become aware of the impact of your newsletter. Know it’s doing great things every time you send it out.

Step Two: Always communicate

Lots of publishers figure if they don’t hear from readers, they’re not having an impact. And I can’t tell you how many publishers I talk with every day who express frustration over their lack of communication with readers.

But time and time again, there’s something in the newsletter itself that’s keeping readers from communicating.

To demonstrate to readers that you want to hear from them, take a look at your newsletter and make sure:

• Provide an email address for them to write to. It’s best if this email address is someone’s first name (like jessica@designdoodles.com) so readers know exactly to whom they’re writing.
• Show the person behind the newsletter. Newsletters that come from a company with no one’s name anywhere to be found simply don’t invite communication.
• Make explicit requests for feedback. Ask, ask, and ask again that your readers tell you what’s working for them, when they especially enjoy an article, and when they hate something.
• Respond to all feedback you receive. Even when it’s mean or stupid or makes you mad. Whenever a reader writes you, it’s a gift. And you owe them a response.
• By opening the lines of communication, your readers will let you know when you’re on the right track, and when you’ve veered off course.

Step Three: Know that you can’t always see your impact

Think back to when you were in school. Chances are, you had a great teacher at some point who deeply affected your life. And, chances are nearly as good that you’ve never gone back and thanked him or her.

You don’t always know when your life’s been changed. At times the change is so subtle that it takes years for you to really realize just how deep an impact someone has had.

The same is true for your readers. For some of them, it’ll be months (or years) before they become aware of just how important your message was to them. Of how your message arrived at exactly the right time.

Just because you don’t hear from readers every time you send an issue with messages of how deeply you’ve affected them doesn’t mean it hasn’t happened.

So, as much as possible, detach yourself from the outcome. Know that when you give your newsletter vision and you keep in touch with readers, that your newsletter will take on a greater purpose in the world around you. Know and let that be enough.

Keeping your newsletter small time, letting it “play small,” won’t excite you or your readers. Instead, let it be great. Your newsletter can change the lives of your readers. Let it.

Your newsletter can be an amazingly powerful tool. In previous issues, we’ve talked about how you can use your newsletter to qualify leads, how you can use it to boost your search engine rankings, how you can use it to make more money, along with lots of other uses.

In fact, I’d say your newsletter is the most powerful tool in your marketing tool kit.

But, if you’re not leveraging it correctly, chances are it’s not nearly as effective as it could be in saving you time, making you money, and delighting your readers.

So, today we’re going to look at three secrets to leveraging your newsletter: 1) The power of personality; 2) It’s all about hats; and, 3) Happy readers are bad readers.

The Power of Personality

Can you keep a secret? No matter what you hear from any other marketing person out there, your newsletter’s not all about your readers. Rather, your newsletter is all about you.

Philosophically speaking, it really can’t be any other way (because we’re all pretty egocentric, no matter how well intentioned our attempts to be otherwise). And, believe it or not, that’s a good thing.

See, your readers don’t subscribe to your newsletter to have you tell them things they already know. Or to have you talk just how they talk. Or even to have you talk exclusively about the subjects that are of highest priority to them.

They’ve subscribed to your newsletter to get to know you better. They have a suspicion that you provide something that will be of value to them. And now they’re trying to get a sense as to whether or not that’s true.

No one subscribes to a newsletter for more free information.

Every single one of us has more information than we know what to do with–we certainly don’t need to subscribe to another newsletter to get even more.

So, the first step to leveraging your newsletter is to make it all about you. But, what does that mean, exactly?

It means you talk about yourself–what you’re up to, what you’ve been doing, what you’ve learned lately. It means you do it all in your unique voice–you write how you talk, you use the words that make you smile, you engage readers as if you were having a private conversation.

It means you write about the subjects you know a lot about. And you talk about your experiences with clients doing the things that only you can do. It means you use your newsletter for your own purposes and you measure it accordingly.

What does this have to do with leverage?

A huge part of converting prospects to clients is getting to know them. And letting them get to know you. This is especially true if you’re part of a small business, but it’s even true if you work at a larger company. People like to pick the company that they *like*, and we only decide who we like by getting to know them.

So, by letting your readers get to know you, you’re cutting way back on the amount of traditional follow up you’d need to do. By giving readers glimpses behind the scenes and into your personality, you don’t need to spend nearly as much time following up by phone, sending newspaper clippings, networking, or doing any of the dozen other activities you do to keep up with your circle of prospects.

But, you’re wondering, isn’t this true of just any old newsletter? Couldn’t you publish anything and get the same result?

Absolutely not!

See, the typical “corporate” newsletter isn’t about anyone. It’s about a company. And no one really likes to read about a company. They’re cold, faceless, *things*. We like to read about people.

And when your newsletter’s about a person (you), your readers will feel like they’ve had a personal contact with you. And that’s the key to leveraging your newsletter–to turn it into a personal contact with each and every reader. And that’s why it’s so important to inject lots of personality into every page.

It’s All About Hats

Now, how many hats do you wear in your typical day? That of sales rep? Accountant? Chief decision maker? Trainer? I bet the list goes on and on.

But how many hats do you expect your newsletter to wear?

If you’re like most publishers, the bottom line is you expect your newsletter to wear one. Maybe two. You want it to make you sales, and, maybe, also want it to keep you in touch with prospects.

But the truth is, your newsletter is capable of so much more.

Put your newsletter to work in multiple ways and you’ll start seeing multiple rewards, every time you send an issue. For instance, your newsletter can:

• Get you better search engine rankings
• Bring people back to your website again and again
• Get you press coverage
• Convert prospects
• Support clients
• Cut down on customer support questions
• Keep you in front of referral sources
• Get conversations going with those prospects who won’t return your calls
• Make it easier to answer prospect’s questions (just point them to an issue where that question was answered)
• Make your clients famous
• Empower employees

And that’s just a small list of the possibilities. If you spend some time brainstorming, I’m sure you can come up with many, many others.

So, why aren’t you demanding all of these results from your newsletter? Why don’t you expect it to wear as many hats as you do?

Probably because you just don’t have time to figure out how to set it up so that your newsletter can accomplish more.

Here’s a secret: 90% of meeting a goal is naming the goal. So, once you’ve made a list of all the hats you want your newsletter to wear, you’re 90% of the way there.

To get the other 10% in place, just keep your list in front of you every time you write a newsletter. Ask yourself where there might be sneaky opportunities to meet one more goal in an issue.

For instance, if one of your goals is press coverage, you might include a link to your press kit in each issue. Or you might include a brief bio that encourages other publishers to reprint your content. Or you could even have a little box dedicated to members of the media.

Each of these solutions would take less than 10 minutes to add to your newsletter, and once you’ve added it to your template, you never have to think about it again. And yet, the press coverage that would result would be on-going–forever.

See how easy it is to make your newsletter wear multiple hats? Just decide what else you want to add, and, one by one, start adding new ingredients to your newsletter.

Happy Readers are Bad Readers

I bet you’re thinking I’m crazy. How can a happy reader be a bad reader? Sure, we’ve all heard that the silent customers are deadly, and that it’s not good when you never receive any complaints (because 100% customer satisfaction is pretty much a myth).

But how can a happy reader be a bad reader?

Because happy readers are content. They like the status quo. They’re happy.

They’re not motivated to buy, they’re not looking for a new solution to a problem, and, basically, they don’t need you beyond your regular newsletter issue.

You don’t want happy readers on your list.

Instead, you want hungry readers. Readers who feel like you meet their needs. Readers who know they’re important to you. Readers who want to get to know you better because you consistently impress them.

You want readers who are ready, able, and willing to step up to the plate and be served ever better. Who are actively learning about the solutions you offer and the ways you can help them.

If you publish to a group of happy readers, it’s great for the ego. These are the folks who write in with frequent happy comments about how much they love your newsletter and how happy they are to have found you.

These are the folks who’ll write you with “quick” questions or requests for free advice. But they’re not interested in any deeper relationship with you, because … they’re happy.

Tell the truth, do you have some happy readers on your list? And don’t they make you feel good? Aren’t you glad to have them? Don’t you smile when you hear from them and think to yourself, “I’m so glad they’re happy”?

Let me say it again: You don’t want happy readers on your list.

Hungry readers, on the other hand, are always looking for ways to make their experience even better. Because they’ve gotten such powerful results from applying your advice, or using your services, they have an appetite for more. And an appetite for more is something you can help them with.

Keeping your readers hungry instead of happy is perhaps the hardest lesson to learn as a publisher. It’s all about the balance between providing a great newsletter–one with outstanding, supportive, rewarding content–and leaving readers wanting more.

It’s a lesson that’s taken me years to learn (and that takes me thousands of words to explain). I’d love to help you learn it (much more quickly than I learned it on my own!). If you’re up for the challenge, join the Newsletter Spa and start learning the how-tos with me.

It’s All About You, Hats, and Hunger

You, hats, and hunger are the three secrets behind really leveraging your newsletter to great success. You’ll have more time, and you’ll get better results.

Plus, you’ll feel powerful knowing you’re producing the best newsletter possible. It really is an amazing feeling knowing you’re serving your readers in a huge way. And it’s great to be rewarded in an even bigger way.

If you’d like support in applying these three secrets to your newsletter, join me at the Newsletter Spa. Just visit http://www.newsletterspa.com to sign up today.

I used to know a thing or two about search engine optimization. Back when I first started The Write Exposure and did *everything* myself, I knew a bit about meta tags and keyword phrases. Just enough to get myself into trouble ;-), but I did manage to get the site up to the second page of the search rankings on the major engines.

Eventually, I handed off the website and figured I could just forget about SEO altogether.

And that was a big mistake.

Not because the person I worked with was untrustworthy, or bad at the job. But because SEO and newsletters are a powerful combination. One I overlooked for far too long.

I’ve just started GNC Web Creation’s ethical SEO course and realized how much I’ve been doing wrong when it comes to newsletters and SEO.

Sure, I knew it was a good idea. If you archive your newsletter at your site, why wouldn’t you take some extra time to focus on your keyword phrases?

But I didn’t realize how easy it was.

So, bearing in mind that I’m still a beginner at this :-), these are a few tips to using your newsletter in the search engines (you probably already know these, I know I did… But, ask yourself, are you putting them into practice?):

1. Pick one keyword phrase for each issue. Before you start a new issue, do some research on popular keyword phrases that you’d like to attract. Pick one and focus on it throughout your issue. Make sure to use it in your title tag (which doesn’t matter when you email the newsletter, but does when you post it to your website), and throughout the copy.
2. Use your newsletter to get the small bits of visitors. In researching keyword phrases, I found terms that really aren’t worth focusing on within the website. They may only get 100 or so searches a month, and for me, that doesn’t seem worth the time. BUT, if I can get 50 extra eyeballs to look at one issue of NIF, that *is* worth it–95% of people who find our website through the newsletter archives subscribe to NIF.
3. Post your archives immediately. Search engines like the fresh content, and if you don’t do it right away, you’re more likely to forget. Plus, it takes a bit of time for a new page to be indexed, so if you want to start getting that increase in visitors sooner, not later, you’ll need to post the page sooner, not later.
4. Don’t use special coding for your links. Lots of times, we “popup” back issues of our newsletter because it gives us more control over the window’s appearance. Unfortunately, those fancy techniques often block search engines from being able to archive the issue. So, go for the tried and true, standard HTML link instead.
5. Join the SEO Class. Like I said, I’m still a beginner at this. Joining up a group like this is a great idea both because you’ll learn a lot, and because you’ll have a set time table for taking action. The class’s fast pace keeps you motivated, and Cricket (the instructor) has a very easy-to-follow approach that you’re likely to enjoy once you’ve gotten the hang of the class. (Visit http://www.gnc-web-creations.com/seo-optimization.htm for all the details.)

By optimizing your newsletter archives for the search engines, you’ll get more website visitors. When you set up your pages properly, it’s easy to convert those new visitors into newsletter subscribers.

Have you noticed it too? This sudden change in email newsletters? Lately, newsletters I’ve gotten for years in plain text format have been switching to HTML.

And I don’t like it. Not at all.

Aside from changing my subscription without my permission (a huge, big-fat no-no, if you’re building reader trust), most of these publishers are also making four other errors in judgment in the switch.

Ask yourself these five questions so you can avoid making the same mistakes.

Is it up to your reader?
Always, always, always let your readers decide which version to choose. Sure, you’re excited about your great-looking new HTML version, but there are at least a dozen good reasons why readers may prefer text. And it’s not up to you to change their minds.

Look at Newsletters in Focus–I design HTML email newsletters, and yet I still let people choose a plain text version if they’d prefer. And many do. (And yes, they still go on to be clients.)

Did you keep it small?
File size is crucial to your readers on dial-up. It’s also a big deal to those readers who route subscriptions to limited-size email boxes (like Yahoo accounts).

HTML automatically means a larger file size–don’t make readers mad by sending bloated code, too.

Is the decision good for your readers?
I’m a huge proponent of the financial reasons to do HTML. It results in higher click-thrus, higher profits, and lower unsubscribes. It’s an easy way to deliver ads to your readers when you sell products.

BUT there has to be something that makes the HTML version better for readers, too. If you can’t think of a single benefit to the HTML version for your readers, then now’s not the time to make the switch.

Is it ugly?
Designing HTML newsletters isn’t nearly as easy as designing a website. For one, the space you have to play with is a lot smaller. For another, readability is crucial. There are a thousand little elements that go into making a newsletter readable and it’d be impossible for me to cover them all here.

Line length needs to be optimal (40-60 characters). Contrast needs to be just right. Fonts need to be large enough (but not too large). If you don’t have the budget for a professional designer (yes, I know this is self serving, but it’s true), you need to stick with plain text.

Is the content a good fit for HTML?
I get a lot of email from people interested in having me create their HTML email newsletter template. And to at least half of them, I recommend they stick with plain text for their newsletters.

Why? Because their content makes more sense in plain text than HTML. If you write one long (long) article, plain text makes more sense. If you write lots of articles, HTML is a better choice. If you have more than three or four sections, HTML will probably be easier to navigate. For under three sections (including ads, articles, and about us sections), stick with plain text.

By asking yourself these five questions before you start an HTML option, you’ll have much happier readers, and you’ll ensure the extra time and expense make sense for your plans.