If your business doesn’t have a solid newsletter content strategy, you could be missing out on one of the most valuable assets for marketing your business today.
Not that you need to quit everything else you’re doing and go into the newsletter business…
But to give you an idea of the value of producing a regular high value newsletter at about the time of this writing, The Hustle was acquired by Hubspot, in a deal rumored to be worth a healthy eight figures.
Just this past week I had a conversation with one of my private clients about using a print newsletter to nurture their high value prospects.
Then one of my loyal subscribers and dear friends (Hey there Nancy!) was asking me for advice how to start her newsletter…
It also just so happened, I’ve been researching some of the newer formats like The Hustle, Substack and others…
So I figured now might be a good time to share with you what I’ve learned about newsletters — whether print or electronic — as one of the most powerful media there is today for marketing your business.
What’s your newsletter content strategy?
No doubt, email open rates are tougher to crack than ever.
But email is still the number one media that offers you with a direct connection with your audience.
And as people become more jaded with Facebook and other social media, the kind of intimate, trusted connection you can achieve with a regular newsletter of your own is becoming that much more valuable.
I’ve been writing a regular newsletter for about 15 years now, other than a brief pause when my real estate investing business blew up back in 2009.
What got me started was a mentor who advised me to start writing.
She said, even if it’s just a little bit every day, just keep writing and you’ll get the hang of it.
It was one of the most profitable bits of advice I’ve ever received — and followed.
At first the writing quality sucked…
I mean, really bad, as I look back on it now…
And it was really bad for several years.
In fact, I still have days when I feel like the writing really sucks.
It’s just part of the process.
“Amateurs sit and wait for inspiration, the rest of us just get up and go to work.”
― Stephen King, On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft
But over the years writing a regular newsletter has been one of the most consistently powerful ways of generating income and keeping my business on track.
Here’s why I believe that’s true:
Number one, it gives you practice.
By writing every day, every week, every month or whatever, you build up an irresistible cadence.
Whatever your particular rhythm and frequency is, you get practice articulating your vision and voice.
And that can be extremely helpful in terms of clarifying what makes your business really stand out.
Secondly, it keeps you top of mind with your prospective customers.
If they don’t know you’re there, they’ll be easily distracted into some other solution not nearly as good as yours.
So, it serves you, and it serves them for you to stay top of mind with your customers. One day, they’ll say, “You know what? I need this…” And reach out to you.
Thirdly, a newsletter opens a two-way dialogue with your ideal prospects.
You can invite your ideal prospects to provide feedback…
You can offer them surveys and quizzes…
And you can invite them to share with you their deepest desires, frustrations and challenges…
Publishing your own newsletter gives you the opportunity to find out what’s really going on in the minds and hearts of your audience and your prospective customers.
Número cuatro, by forcing you to produce an ongoing stream of content, a newsletter gives you a rich treasure trove of content you can repurpose through a variety of media…
YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, your blog or podcast…
There are so many ways you can reuse your content.
You’ll have a valuable vault of content, building up for you week after week, month after month,
And you can use it to show up wherever your prospective clients hang out.
Fifth and finally (for now anyway) a newsletter is under YOUR control.
If you feel like you have any degree of control of your audience on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or any of these platforms, you’re forgetting something really important…
Whose sandbox are you playing in?
In essence you don’t own that list.
I would submit you that a business without control over the connection to their audience doesn’t really have a business, much less the strength to weather the hard times
Oh, and one more thing…
In case five reasons aren’t enough for you:
People who read newsletters tend to be literate, sophisticated, affluent — and great clients!
So now you know why publishing your own newsletter can be a powerful marketing asset for your business.
Get started today — it’s never too late!
And if you’d like help or have questions, check our newsletter writing service.
Or just ask about our DIY or “Done With You” coaching options.
Why?
I truly believe the world will be a better place because of entrepreneurs like you and me and the value we deliver.
So let’s get your newsletter content strategy together and get the word out!
