EZines: Get from Adequate to Fabulous

Home
>
Ezine Publishing
>
EZines: Get from Adequate to Fabulous

EZines: Get from Adequate to Fabulous

If my in-box is any indication, most of the business world is hot on e-newsletters. I receive half a dozen every day. Some are thinly masked advertisements; most, however, provide some degree of valuable information.

E-newsletters provide a relatively easy and low-cost way to accomplish a number of business goals, including:
? Maintaining connections with current and past clients
? Demonstrating expertise in a particular field
? Sharing resources and building an active network
? Educating clients and prospects about products, services and how best to access them

As a communication professional, though, I review the newsletters I receive with a critical eye; many of them leave much to be desired in their planning and execution. Luckily, it isn't difficult to make the leap from adequate to fabulous, if a newsletter publisher is willing to take a close look at the purpose, audience, content and execution of the project.

What's the Point?
E-newsletter publishers often confuse the tool with the purpose. An e-newsletter is a tool used to achieve some greater business purpose, yet novice publishers often forget the greater purpose in the effort to put out the newsletter on something resembling a regular basis.

Knowing the point of the newsletter within your business context, though, helps you make better decisions on everything from content to frequency. It's critical to your success ? and your sanity ? to understand up front what the purpose of the newsletter really is.

Newsletters always address one or more of the following three purposes:
1. Serve the needs of current and past clients
2. Position in front of prospective clients
3. Build a base of repeat business

In other words, e-newsletters, like all business communications, have the core intention of creating, sustaining or deepening a business relationship. As a newsletter publisher, you have to know what kind of relationship you are asking your readers for; what do you want from them? Loyalty? New business? Referrals? Increased business? Believe it or not, most of your readers are perfectly willing to give you what you want, as long as your wants are clearly communicated. Most publishers don't communicate clearly enough.

Which of the three purposes is most important to you? Are you helping current and past clients improve some aspect of their work on an ongoing basis? Are you demonstrating your skills to prospective clients? Do you offer a wide range of services that could lead to repeat business if your clients only knew about them all?

Naturally, some overlap exists between the three essential purposes, but one may emerge as the primary purpose. Know what it is, and plan your content to satisfy the requirements of that purpose.

Make Your Point
Once you have a clear idea of what your purpose in publishing your e-newsletter is, you will find it easier to make decisions that help you maximise the benefits of publishing in a digital medium, while overcoming some of the obstacles.

Chief among the obstacles is the notoriously short attention span of online readers. A writing style that engages readers emotionally as well as logically is a must. When your e-newsletter arrives in their inbox, the very subject line must capture their attention. Then, in the body of the newsletter, use compelling headlines, short sentences, action verbs and a story-telling approach to draw readers in.

Headlines are of particular import because readers make nanosecond decisions on whether to delete or keep reading based on headlines. Try these suggestions to come up with effective headlines for your e-newsletter:

? Solve a problem. Examples:

o Spend More Time Providing Value than Hunting for Information.

o Don't Make Your Business Vulnerable to the Taxing Authority

? Use a statistic. Examples:

o Most Companies Lose 30 Percent of Their Mailing Lists Each Year

o Office Workers Waste 6 Weeks per Year Searching for Lost Information

? State a quote or adage. Example:

o Whoever Said "Ignorance is Bliss" Didn't Know a Librarian

? Ask a question. Examples:

o Is It Possible to Get Through Divorce with Dignity?

o What Do Your Clients Really Think of You?

? Create a mystery. Example:

o What Is the Real Agenda of Google?

Interact!
Unlike print media, e-newsletters offer the opportunity for two-way communication with your readers. This capability can be one of the biggest benefits of publishing an e-newsletter, so make creative and strategic use of it. Build the expectation of interaction into your newsletter, and you create the opportunity for meaningful engagement with audiences of all kinds.

For example, you can incorporate links in your text inviting readers to send immediate feedback or questions on your content. Live links embedded in the text are more effective than relying on the "reply" function of e-mail, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that readers often need to be reminded that you really do want them to respond in some way. By including the link (which handily shows up in an eye-catching blue amidst a plain-text message), you reinforce the suggestion that you are inviting discussion and response.

Where do these links lead the reader? If you have a web site, the links can bring readers right into your site to fill out a form, join a discussion forum, or complete a registration for a program. Be sure to create a back-end automated tracking system that will capture information about how many visitors arrived by clicking a newsletter link, what they did when they arrived, and other data points that will help you deepen your relationship with them individually and en masse.

Realistic Outcomes
Quality e-newsletters take time to create and manage. Expect to devote time each issue for planning, writing, editing, layout and production, distribution, and database management. A monthly e-newsletter will require human and financial resources; I usually counsel clients to start with a quarterly or bimonthly newsletter, as it is preferable to increase frequency than to create the expectation of more than you can consistently deliver.

As you create and distribute your newsletter, think carefully about what specific result you want for each issue. What do you want a reader to say, think or do as a result of receiving the newsletter? Your desired outcome might be for readers to:

? Visit your web site
? Request additional information
? Sign up for a class or seminar
? Use a particular tool/resource
? Refer you to others
? Give you feedback
? Feel they can't live without you

All but the last of these desired outcomes are measurable and relatively easy to communicate to readers. When reviewing your newsletter content, ask yourself if what you want is clear. Put your "call to action" in no uncertain terms, and make it easy for readers to fulfil their side of the bargain by placing live links, contact information and other next steps right in their path.

Within the context of your e-newsletter, your words can shape opinions, behaviours, business decisions and profitable relationships. Make your efforts pay off by understanding your purpose and how to work toward it in every single issue.

Robin Neidorf is the author business books, articles and reports and the founder of Electric Muse, a research and communications consultancy. Go beyond ezine basics with Robin's full-length report: E-Newsletters: A Guide for Publishers (http://www.freepint.com/shop/report/enews/), published by Free Pint.

In The News:

Top Stories - Google News
Updated : Fri, 19 Mar 2010 17:08:02 GMT+00:00

Long Island Democrat Enters Race for Governor as Republican - New York Times

New York Daily News

Long Island Democrat Enters Race for Governor as Republican
New York Times
ALBANY — Steve Levy, a sharp-tongued, politically independent Long Island Democrat, announced his campaign for governor as a Republican on Friday, pledging to bring fiscal responsibility and reform to the State Capitol. ...
LI Dem Announces GOP Bid for GovernorNBC New York
Staten Island GOP backs Rick Lazio in gubernatorial raceSILive.com
Levy joins GOP, race for governorAlbany Times Union
The Journal News | LoHud.com -1010 Wins -WBEN 930
all 161 news articles »

Publ.Date : Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:55:05 GMT+00:00

Women in critical conditon after bees attack - msnbc.com

WNCT

Women in critical conditon after bees attack
msnbc.com
Elk City Daily News via AP PHOENIX - Two women are in critical condition with hundreds of bee stings after a swarm attacked them while they were out for an evening walk. A witness told KTVK-TV that she heard screaming Thursday evening and saw the women ...
Killer Bees Attack 4 People In PhoenixKPHO Phoenix
Women attacked by hundreds of bees in PhoenixAZ Central.com
Smoke detector saves Phoenix homeowner from early morning fireAZFamily
Los Angeles Times -Independent Online -KSWT-TV
all 231 news articles »

Publ.Date : Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:30:10 GMT+00:00

Here come the sandbags - people get ready for Fargo flooding - Christian Science Monitor

Boston Globe

Here come the sandbags - people get ready for Fargo flooding
Christian Science Monitor
Volunteers build a sandbag levee in the River Vili neighborhood of Fargo, ND, on Thursday. City officials delivered about 12000 sandbags Friday and put out an emergency "code red" call to residents in the area. The Red River is expected to crest on ...
'We're hoping this is the last flood we have to fight'Minneapolis Star Tribune
Fargo Floods Turn Farm Fields Into Sprawling LakesABC News
Fargo Faces Near-Record Flood Crest This WeekendBusinessWeek
News Channel 7 -UPI.com -KTTC
all 3,406 news articles »

Publ.Date : Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:51:24 GMT+00:00

PHOTOS: Lady Gaga Sued by Ex-Lover - ABC News

Washington Post

PHOTOS: Lady Gaga Sued by Ex-Lover
ABC News
Life is not all about sold-out performances and defiant fashion for Lady Gaga. The singer is being sued for $35 million by songwriter and former boyfriend Rob Fusari, who claims he was instrumental in Gaga's development as an artist. ...
Ex-boyfriend sues Lady GagaCNN
Lady Gaga Sued For $30 Million By Producer/Ex-Boyfriend Rob FusariRolling Stone
Lady Gaga Slapped With $35 Million LawsuitFMQB
The Money Times -Us Magazine -BBC News
all 975 news articles »

Publ.Date : Fri, 19 Mar 2010 14:54:26 GMT+00:00

Dutch lash out at gay link in Srebrenica massacre - Reuters

New York Daily News

Dutch lash out at gay link in Srebrenica massacre
Reuters
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende attacked on Friday claims by a retired US general that Dutch forces were overrun in Srebrenica in 1995 because of the presence of gay soldiers. At a US congressional hearing on Thursday on ...
US general blames gay soldiers for SrebrenicaTimes Online
Dutch fuming at retired US general's gays commentWashington Post
Dutch fury at 'Srebrenica gay link'Aljazeera.net
New York Times (blog) -Monsters and Critics.com -On Top Magazine
all 555 news articles »

Publ.Date : Fri, 19 Mar 2010 15:45:12 GMT+00:00

Latinos press Obama to deliver immigration reform - Washington Post

Boston Globe

Latinos press Obama to deliver immigration reform
Washington Post
PHOENIX (Reuters) - Hispanics, frustrated that President Barack Obama has yet to fulfill a pledge to revamp the immigration system, are warning him to deliver this year or face the consequences in congressional elections in November. ...
Broken Borders: Will Immigration Reform Be Next?ABC News
Immigration rally scheduled in WashingtonCNN
2 Senators Offer Immigration OverhaulNew York Times
Santa Rosa Press Democrat -Reuters -Los Angeles Times
all 934 news articles »

Publ.Date : Fri, 19 Mar 2010 16:26:14 GMT+00:00

Arrests of Top Taliban Figures Ended Talks, Ex-Envoy Says - New York Times

Reuters

Arrests of Top Taliban Figures Ended Talks, Ex-Envoy Says
New York Times
KABUL, Afghanistan — The former top United Nations official in Afghanistan said that recent arrests of high-ranking Taliban figures by Pakistan have severed important secret communications between the Taliban and the West, ...
Former UN envoy Kai Eide explains why he held talks with the TalibanBBC News
Pakistan arrests halt UN contacts with TalibanThe Herald | HeraldOnline.com
Pakistan accused of derailing UN talks with TalibanTelegraph.co.uk
Politico (blog) -Press TV -The Guardian
all 426 news articles »

Publ.Date : Fri, 19 Mar 2010 11:54:49 GMT+00:00

RSS Feed Reader
Increase Traffic

EZines: Get from Adequate to Fabulous

Ezine Publishing