Making the decision to begin a regularly scheduled email newsletter project is daunting, challenging, intimidating, and scary – I get that. After all, this newsletter is my own 4th Edition, literally my 4th attempt at creating a compelling, ongoing information package that has value to friends, associates, and clients; with long periods of silence in between. Wow, that’s just like the old saying, “Do as I say, not as I do,” isn’t it? Well, enough of that…
I know many of you out there are finding the thought of communication with your audience just as challenging, so I figure it’s time to lay it all out for you in a “How To” article; exactly what you need to do to send out an email Newsletter (or Ezine, or list-builder, or email ad – or whatever else it might be called) to your peeps. And, I promise to take my own advice here and continue sending you valuable information in this format.
How do I create an email newsletter?
Ok, so here’s what you need to get started communicating with your fans:
#1. A way to send mass amounts of emails to your list.
No, you can’t just start using Outlook or Gmail to send out mass mailings. Why? For a number of reasons, including no feedback on who is actually opening and reading your emails; no tracking of responses; no anti-spam compliance. Plus, if you simply bcc a few hundred clients, you’re likely to tossed into the spam folder and, if too many people complain about your spamming them you might even have your email shut down permanently. (How much would something like that set you back in a day, huh?)
So, you need an “email marketing” system…
- iContact is a great email only system. This is easily my fave if you are looking for a way to easily send great looking emails and you don’t have a lot of technical skills. They have pretty templates, the program is easy to use, and the price is great.
- 1ShoppingCart (or 1SC) is an all-in-one shopping cart with an affiliate marketing program, and email marketing too. This is my fave if you are looking for all the bells and whistles of a shopping cart with a built-in email marketing program (i.e., you want to sell stuff on your website. (Disclaimer – 1SC is not the ONLY way to sell things on your website. We will cover that in another blog post, someday, I’m sure.)
#2. You must have something to say to your peeps.
Seems like this should go without saying, right? I mean, it’s pretty obvious that if you’re sending out regular emails to your list you’d better have some good information to offer your fans – but, this is where most of us get hung up. What the heck does anyone have to say week after week or month after month, right? Actually, finding subjects is easier than it sounds, so bear with me for a minute, OK?
- FAQs about what you do, or the most common client you get (hence the Frequently Asked Questions title) make for great sharing in your Ezine. What kinds of questions might these be? How about, “What should I put in my monthly Ezine…?” well you can answer them in your Ezine!
- A mission statement is always good to offer. Think about the basis for your business. Why are you in business? What expertise do you have that people want? Give them bite-size pieces in your Ezine. (Think: short tips, tricks, recipes, how-tos.)
- Interviews are a great way to share info. Did being up with a crying infant, sick child, dog, or hamster all night suck the creative juices right out of ya? No worries! Just call or email someone you love and admire, and interview them.
- Product reviews get great responses and, it might just help you sell one of your affiliate products or services. Be honest and up-front about your affiliation, sure, but there is nothing wrong with promoting a product or service you use – and that you might make a little bit of money from promoting.
- Have you ever done a teleconference? Get the audio transcribed, and send it to your favorite copywriter. Tell her to turn it into some Ezine articles or blog posts for you. (Phew – that one was totally easy!)
#3. Uh, you need someone to send it to…D’oh!
Obviously, you need a list of folks to send your Ezine to; but you don’t need a lot of people to get started. Even if you just started your business yesterday, I’m sure you know some people who could benefit from the info you have to share. You have to start someplace, right? So – put your mom and dad on your list, add a sister or brother, maybe a few cousins, and some friends to get your list started and – watch it grow from there!
Aaaaand – that’s it. That is seriously all you need to send out an Ezine; just 3 things. Can you do three things? I thought so!
What else can I write about?
Now, I’m no mind-reader but I’ve been doing this for a while now and I already know what you’re thinking…“Noooooo that’s too easssssyyyyyyy.” OK, I get it. So, to satisfy the rest of you, here are other ideas for things that you CAN put in your Ezine, but don’t have to:
- A personal note to your fans. It’s nice to start your Ezine off with a personal note from you. It brings a personal touch to your company; you know… it takes the edge off of the seriousness of it all. Yes, it’s one more thing to write, but it’s nice.
- Offer up a “We Recommend” or Featured Product. This is not the same as a product review but you can certainly promote your own projects (or other people’s products) in your Ezine. Just be careful about not making the thing too “salesy.” That can turn people off. (I mean…do you love getting advertisements in your Inbox? Just sayin’.)
- Publish a list of important upcoming events. Everybody loves an event! It’s nice to promote your own or other people’s events in your Ezine, so this is an idea for a section you could create. (You can also add in National Observances that tie in with your subject or niche; things like National Virtual Assistant Recognition Month, for example – if only!)
- Give them a quote, joke, or thought of the day – inspire people with your deep (or not so deep) thoughts, or put a smile on their faces.
- About us – juuuust in case somebody doesn’t know who you are (or needs a reminder or forwards your Ezine to a friend) it’s nice to have this in there. Not too long, though. Keep it quick and concise. Use your “elevator speech.” Hopefully you aren’t spamming your list, so they know who you are.
- Connect with us and your social media buttons. Social is in, so you should do this.
- Client testimonials
- Case studies
- Company employee or team profiles
- Client profiles
Really, when you’re looking for subjects and content for your Ezine, the list goes on…and on…and on… But, you don’t need all of these things and you really should not try to include them all in every newsletter. Use them sparingly from time-to-time, and add a few later when your list grows beyond your mom, sister, and best friend.
Stay tuned for our next article – Common Misconceptions about Ezine Content, coming soon to an email Inbox near you…