Last week, I wrote about why newsletters can be a huge asset to business owners. But as I pointed out there, if you don’t have slam-dunk content for your newsletter, you got nothing. So, how do you produce fabulous content that keeps readers tuning in? Simple. Just write with one thing in mind:
Your readers.
Every single time you sit down to write a newsletter, ask yourself: how does this information benefit my readers? Because subscribers will only read your newsletter if they believe it contains information that will improve their life or business. Fill your newsletters with too much self-promotional material or information that rambles on about you and your business and you’ll quickly lose your audience.
Instead, engage readers by featuring a mix of these categories:
1. Industry tips. Consider the questions you are asked most frequently by customers or clients in your business; you could do a series of newsletters that provide an in-depth look at each of those questions. For example, if you’re a jeweler, you could include as part of your newsletter a series on how to care for different types of jewels and jewelry (e.g., “What is the best way to care for my gold jewelry?”) or provide information that helps customers with the decision-making process (e.g., “White gold, silver or platinum: which is right for me?”)
2. Industry news. When something interesting happens in your industry, alert clients to the news and discuss how it may affect them. If your business has solutions for any problems resulting from the news, write about that too.
3. Case Studies. Did a customer use your business to great effect? Tell your readers about it. Remember to focus on the results of using your product/service rather than benefits the product or service itself. Readers want to easily visualize themselves receiving the same results.
4. Interactive Questions: Grab attention with your newsletter by asking subscribers to participate in a poll, or weigh in on some new, controversial or intriguing issue that’s current in your industry or business. In a subsequent newsletter, you can publish the results and,, when appropriate, offer an analysis.
5. Promotions/contests. Offer newsletter subscribers special promotions, deals and the opportunity to participate in contests. You probably shouldn’t do this with every newsletter, but link the promotion/contest to a holiday or other special event. Give readers something to look forward to! If you’re having a contest, remember to announce the prize and winner (perhaps with a photo and quote) in a later newsletter to heighten credibility.
“But Barbara! (you might be saying) I’m doing all these things to produce great content and I’m still not converting customers!”
Yep. There are still pitfalls. In my next post, I’ll give you several reasons why your newsletter may suck.