Newsletter Marketing

If you have a product or service to sell, newsletters are a great way to keep your name on the consumer's mind. Your newsletter should include information about what you do, but also articles with tips and advice from others in your industry. This requires professional savvy to pull it all together, so the readers can't wait to read the next issue. Use the following 4 steps, for success:

1. Don't Do It AloneWhere will you get the articles? Determine you market and write a plan for when you will solicit, and re-solicit for contributions. You also need to write your vision of timeliness in prepublication and issuance. Don't try to do it all by yourself. Find a co-editor who can help to write articles. But most importantly, remember to be cordial to EVERYONE. You never know when the least likely person will have that dynamite article to fill the last empty space in your newsletter.

2. Learn To Love WritingOne good column for each issue is "Thoughts from the Editor." There's no specific length or number of words; the readers just want to hear your opinions. You can write about the weather, your favorite hobby, or your thoughts on a recent movie.

The list is endless, but again - remember your audience. Try to apply your thoughts to what the general membership will want to read. After the a couple of issues, your column will be the first one most will want to read. If you currently don't write often, start a daily journal, write out the grocery list (instead of just picking up what you see as you stroll the isles), or take notes at meetings. Putting your thoughts on paper is uncomfortable if you don't do it often.

3. Picture This

There are four basic elements every newsletter should have:
-- Banner
-- Table of Contents
-- Standard Columns
-- Masthead

Banner

The banner tells the name of your newsletter. It's usually in big bold font, because you want it catch the readers attention. You can pay a graphic artist to design a special banner, or simply use the special fonts in Word.

Table of Contents

How many times have you stood in the grocery store line, and the article titles jumped out at you. You either quickly browsed through to that specific article, or you simply bought the magazine, which you had no intention in the first place.

Those articles titles on the cover serve as a mini table of contents. The name alone won't always draw a reader, but you might hook them with a particular story. That's why it's good to have the table of contents on the front cover of the newsletter. You want the titles to say "Read me, Read me!"

Standard Columns

A standard column is one which will appear in each and every newsletter. For examples: "Thoughts from the Editor" works well, because you can make it long enough to fill up extra space, or short enough to let the readers know your basic thoughts for that issue. Or, find jokes, or cute antedotes for a "Just for Fun" column, to break the ice, and keep the reader smiling.

Masthead

The masthead is so often misunderstood. It sounds like it would be the banner, but it's actually a box on one of the last pages. This box can relay who published the newsletter, how many issued you have published, your mailing addres, and names of those who worked on the newsletter.

With a text only electronic newsletter (eNewsletter), you really don't have a banner, because most email software defaults to one common font for the content. Therefore, the information in the masthead would appear at the beginning of the eNewsletter, and at the bottom you would have your by-line. This is four or five sentences about you the editor -- what you're currently working on, what's you have done in the past. Telling a little about yourself builds credibility, and gives expectations on what the reader can expect from you in the future.

4. To Print and To MarketHow will you print your newsletter -- on paper or electronically? Although both should have the four basic elements, there are different ways to prepare each.

For a print newsletter, you can include pictures, whether clipart or photos. You can also format the text in one or up to four horizontal columns. This is where your creative juices can ignite. Look around at magazines and newsletters for examples on how you can format the text and pictures.

For an electronic version, especially a text newsletter sent by email, there's just one horizontal column, but still the basic four elements. It's easy to become pretty lengthly, especially if the articles are long. But, if the content is really worth it, the reader won't mind, plus they can easily print the newsletter. I don't recommend HTML newsletters, because not all email software can read the graphics.

Uh-oh, the deadline to press is near, and you don't have enough articles.

This will never happen to you if you keep a handy stash of articles, which can be reprinted. Where do get extra articles? Join a listserve, and subscribe to many ezines (electronic magazines ) in your field. When you see an article or email response that appeals to you, ask the author if you can have their permission to reprint their words. Most of the time, the author will agree, because this gives them extra exposure.

Whenever you have permission to edit someone else's words, keep in mind, "That sounds good to me." I don't mean you as the editor. This is what you want the author of the article will say after they see the edits. (You'll have a chance to say this for yourself later.) Bad news travels faster than praise. If an author doesn't like how you changed something, be confident they will spread the word. Then only a few will have the confidence to send articles. Don't let this happen to you. Respect the words of all authors. When you get permission to edit the text, try to edit for structure and plain language, not content.

What is plain language?

Plain Language is writing which is understood by 90% of the general public. This means each sentence is written on a 7th grade level, with 20 words or less and related points are in bulleted lists. Also, write in active voice, instead of passive voice. Active voice gives responsibility to someone for the action. For example, change the following:

"The book flew across the room." to "I threw the book across the room.", or"The speech was good." to "She gave a good speech."

Plain Language helps to eliminate confusion for the reader.

You're now a businessperson.

You have to attract "customers" and keep them. How can you do this? Whenever you go out to the grocery store, movies, anywhere...always speak to everyone. Now is the time to stop disrespecting someone because your best friend doesn't like them. YOU NEED ARTICLES! And after you receive the articles, thank the person when you see them again. If someone has taken the time to write an article, give them as much praise as possible. As far as they know, every article is a good article to you. Remember the phrase, "That sounds good to me." This is your chance to say it. If someone tells you they want to give you the poem from their 5-year-old grandson, then you say, "That sounds good to me." Maybe you can't fit the poem into the newsletter, because of other material. But when given a cheerful, honest reply, that person knows they are welcomed to submit other articles.

With a little determination, and by building on one article at a time, you too can have an award-winning newsletter.

Find more articles

There are plenty of sites where you can find articles for your newsletter. It's good to have someone else back you up on a point with their words.

Web Sites to visit:

Family -content.com
Articlecity.com
Findarticles.com