|
|
| Information |
|
|
When Good Newsletters Go Bad: How to Avoid the Rut and Capture Hearts
The wizard in Wizard of Oz and the guy behind the curtain pretending to be him have different personalities. Which one would you rather listen to? The wizard comes across as bigger than life and unreachable. The little guy hiding behind the giant green face is one of us, a person. Companies that publish newsletters without a name or a voice feel cold and untouchable like the wizard. Give a voice to one person and you put a face on the company. Readers respond to a person better than an invisible entity. Think of an email newsletter that provides a wealth of information and over time becomes a victim of its own success. You used to look forward to receiving the newsletter, but it has turned into a big commercial. This has happened to award-winning newsletters. At the time of receiving the award, the newsletter provided powerful stuff, helping it achieve success and earn its large mailing list. Once it reeled in readers, the material changed and not for the better. When working on something for a long time, falling into a rut happens. But there is a difference between falling into a rut by turning the newsletter into a news release and providing readers with something of value. Read on as I alert you to the pitfalls of this rut and give you ideas for keeping your readers satisfied. Prevent Mr. Big Head One newsletter no longer provides articles and instead points to the publisher's blog, products for sale and webinars starring the publisher. Another still offers an article, but not as much or as valuable as in the past. The newsletter also announces the person's accomplishments, newly landed clients and includes short articles recommending a product -- articles that sound more like affiliate recommendations than reviews. Another company keeps distributing news releases about its successes. Most issues leave the reader wondering, "So what? That has nothing to do with me or my needs." Once in a while, it sends an issue with the latest products added to its database, which is the purpose of the mailing list. But it doesn't provide updates on the industry anymore unless it's about the company. An egotistical publisher takes advantage of the mailing list by sending out emails with specials, "check out this product," "come see me," "attend my webinar," and "attend so 'n so's webinar" (that has nothing to do with the newsletter topic). The message comes across as if the person is a celebrity. Throw his name around to friends and colleagues, and no one will have heard of him. These newsletters from Mr. Big Head are in danger of losing readers. They miss the old down-to-earth style and person's original voice that came across like a friend or colleague providing advice or information. If the unsubscribe rate doesn't change much, it doesn't mean you're safe. It could simply mean readers don't want to bother unsubscribing, and instead, they send the unread newsletter to the trash bin whenever it comes in. For example, in a recent conversation, a colleague and I admitted to each other that we don't unsubscribe to certain newsletters for political reasons. We know the publisher, and it would be noticeable if we dropped the newsletter. Instead, I've created a filter to send it to the trash bin. Know that change happens Change happens, and it's okay to do it, but change depends on the why and whether or not it has readers' best interests in mind. For instance, a popular newsletter drastically redesigned its layout, leaving many to write about their displeasure with the change. It doesn't mean never redesigning the look and feel of your newsletter, but rather tread carefully how you go about it. If you include readers in the process, you're a step ahead of many. The publisher should've alerted readers of the redesign plans and explained the reasons for doing it. To make readers more accepting, the publisher could ask readers for feedback as to what they want and don't want to see. Some readers might be willing to review preliminary designs and provide feedback. After the change goes in effect, write an introduction talking about the change and invite input. Don't be a victim of the success trap Readers hesitate to write and tell the publisher to "stop focusing on yourself so much." It's easier to provide feedback on a newsletter's design or a new column than one related to a person. How many of you have written a note to a person criticizing the person as opposed to an object or thing? One editor does a fabulous job of sharing her news and successes without adding a drop of ego. She writes like a friend reporting on what's happening in her life including the bad things. I use her as a model for avoiding the "me, me, me" trap. What about the fact newsletters are supposed to bring value to the publisher and not just the reader? Many successful newsletters accomplish this without becoming a commercial or an ode to the company. Ways to accomplish this:
Sending special offers between issues is A-okay. The approach and the frequency make the difference. Some companies increase them between issues, and soon readers give up looking for the real content. A successful publisher sends a special once after every issue or every other issue. She also identifies such emailings by using a different subject than her regular newsletter. An example: Subject: eNewsletter Journal: January 2005 Subject: eNewsletter Journal Special for Readers Not the most exciting or creative subject line, but I'm sure you can think of better. The point is to use something that doesn't have the date or issue information. Ensure the newsletter / publisher is recognizable, while giving the offer emails a different identity from the newsletter emails through the subject heading. Keep your voice Your personal voice drives your newsletter's success. When reading a favorite newsletter, what voice do you picture? A corporation? An employee? The company whose newsletters have turned into news releases comes across as an organization rather than a person, like the Wizard of Oz hiding behind a big scary figure. When we meet the guy behind the curtain, it's surprisingly a different personality and more likeable than the great Oz. See if you can't bring that personal touch to your newsletters. Then, the next time you read various newsletters, see which ones draw you in and which ones repel. Answer the question of why they make you feel this way and use that to help you with your newsletter. When you show credibility and readers trust you, they will buy as long as you provide them with value and a unique voice. Meryl K. Evans is the Content Maven behind meryl's notes, eNewsletter Journal, and The Remediator Security Digest. She is also a PC Today columnist and a tour guide at InformIT. She is geared to tackle your editing, writing, content, and process needs. The native Texan resides in Plano, Texas, a heartbeat north of Dallas, and doesn't wear a 10-gallon hat or cowboy boots.
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news JCDecaux in talks for News Outdoor Group in Russia (AP via Yahoo! News) French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux SA said Thursday it is negotiating to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. JCDecaux and News Corp. in talks to combine outdoor ad groups (International Herald Tribune) The News Corp. chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, has recently expressed nervousness about investments in Russia, where News Outdoor generated the bulk of its revenue last year. News Corp tightens grip on Premiere with new CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Rupert Murdoch tightened his grip on German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere by appointing News Corp executive Mark Williams as CEO in a move to get the company back on track. News Corp says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) News Corp. executive Mark Williams has taken over as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere in an interim capacity, News Corp. said after the move led to renewed takeover speculation. News Corp. says Mark Williams interim Premiere CEO (Reuters via Yahoo! News) Mark Williams, a News Corp. executive named late on Wednesday as chief executive of German pay-TV broadcaster Premiere, has taken over in an interim capacity, a News Corp. spokeswoman said on Thursday. United shares climb after news debacle (UPI) CHICAGO, Sept. 11 (UPI) -- A computer program assigning dates to news stories was partly to blame for a sell-off of United Airlines stock Monday, a Google spokesman said. Column: Palin's Nomination Good News Even For Democrats In Alaska (CBS News) So, John McCain picked Sarah Palin to be his running mate. Let me just say, wow. That's not exactly what I repeatedly shouted out when I first heard the news, but it's close enough for publication. Like everyone else, my astonished reaction wasn't due to the event itself being inconceivable - I've heard pundits debating the likelihood of a McCain / Palin ticket for months. JCDecaux in talks for News Outdoor Group in Russia (San Francisco Chronicle) French outdoor advertising firm JCDecaux SA said Thursday it is negotiating to buy Russian rival News Outdoor Group from global media company News Corp. In a statement, the global seller of outdoor advertising said it was in exclusive talks with Rupert... Premiere CEO Is Replaced by News Corp.'s Williams (Update2) (Bloomberg.com) Sept. 10 (Bloomberg) -- Premiere AG , the German pay- television company partly owned by News Corp., said Chief Executive Officer Michael Boernicke is being replaced by a senior News Corp. executive. News Corp exec becomes chief of Germany's Premiere (Reuters via Yahoo! News) News Corp's chief financial officer for Europe and Asia has been named chief executive of German pay television group Premiere, following the resignation of Michael Boernicke, Premiere said on Wednesday. Site: news - Google News New Voices in Congress Will Change the Tone of the Democratic Majority - New York Times
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for ezine marketing New E-book Details How to Increase Sales Using Proven B-to-B MarCom Strategies (PRWeb via Yahoo! News) Free e-book outlines how marketers can use simple business-to-business marketing communications strategies for increasing sales leads. Expertus and Training Industry, Inc. Research Indicates That Customer Training Is Growing Faster Than Employee Training (Marketwire via Yahoo! Finance) Expertus, a global leader in helping companies fuel business growth by maximizing the value of training investments, and Training Industry, Inc. (www.trainingindustry.com), an objective and trusted expert on the marketplace for learning, today announced the release of the findings from their joint August 2008 study, Optimizing Customer Training. Site: ezine marketing - Google News Ezine article marketing - Meadow Free Press
|
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Is Your Ezine Being Zapped? About a year ago I wrote an article titled 'WinningThe War On Sp^m'. Unfortunately, the war on sp^m isnot being won at all. Five Ways To Promote Your Ezine After you've spent countless hours creating and publishing your own newsletter online, you still have to consider the fact that merely adding it to your website will not make it an overnight success.You need to attract subscribers. Success With Newsletters Newsletters really DO work! With just a small amount of effort on your part they will work for you, even if your marketing budget a small.Customer orientated newsletters are a wonderful way to market your business when on a budget. 5 Tips To Create A Kick-Butt Mini-Course That Pulls In Thousands of Rabid Subscribers... in a Flash! One of the fastest ways to develop, build, and grow your ownlist of subscribers is to develop a "mini" course with anincredibly compelling promise.I have personally used "mini" courses to build lists ofseveral thousand subscribers in as little as a week. Article Distribution: How Will Your Results Vary? It's not enough to just sit around and expect that yourarticles will bring you a good amount of traffic right afteryou submitted your articles for distribution.Might as well think of some factors? Is your article worthy tobe reprinted? Do the content and title ring a bell to mostwebmasters and publishers?Questions like these are just some of the many factors thatcould greatly affect your article distribution results. 10 Sure Fire Ways To Get More Ezine Subscribers 1. Place testimonials for your ezine on your site. How to Increase Your Opt In List by 322% in 28 Days "The money's in your list" - how many times have you heard this statement? Plenty I'll bet.. Increase Your Ezine Sign-up Rate By 500% or More Starting Today If you're satisfied with a newsletter subscription rate of five to ten percent, then you don't need any of the information I'm about to share with you. If you're serious about converting up to 50%, or more of your website visitors into newsletter subscribers, though, then read on. What's In Your Resource Box (SIG File)? One of the most important things you can do to improve your visibility and connect with customers or clients is to create a strong personal branding statement in your resource box. I'm not talking about adding your job title. Advertising in Newsletters In this article we will discuss advertising in other companies' newsletters and how it can be as equally beneficial.By advertising in other newsletters, you can reach anaudience which is highly targeted and cost effective. Volcanically Erupt Your Online Newsletter, Ezine or e-Course Opt-Ins in No Time Flat Are you ready to build your opt in email list quickly?Matt Bacak, ThePowerful Promoter's techniques will help reveal new paths to have subscribers come to you. The Powerful Promoter, Internet marketing guru, shares his secrets for creating an explosion of opt-in email subscribers. Article Marketing: How to Submit Your Articles at Turbo Speed Want to become an article-writing machine? Here are a few tricks for submitting articles on the internet at top speed and accuracy.As always, you should first type your article text into a Word document and save it on your hard drive. Surefire Ways to Pack a Punch With Your Ezines & Newsletters Newsletters, or ezines, can be an extremely effective marketing tool for your business. It puts your name in front of your potential clients, regular clients, and peers while showing your expertise and professionalism. 5 Ways to Use Your Software to Build Your Optin List and Get Traffic With all of the software creation products available these days, many of us Internet Marketers have an abundance of products that we can use to drive traffic to our websites.If this sounds like you, I suggest you try the following five ideas to boost your traffic, sales, and optin list:1. How to Publicize Your E-Zine Once you've created a webzine, how do you get the word out? This short guide offers some strategies to let the world of readers know about your work.* ANNOUNCE YOUR E-ZINE *Once you have your e-zine or webzine in place, visit yahoo. 13 Ways To A Build A List Of Readers Of Your Ezine If you have an ezine or online newsletter you want to send it to potential customers. In order to send it you need a list of people who want to receive it. Newsletters - How To Build Your Subscriber List If a visitor comes to your web site looking for information and doesn't sign up to receive your e-mails, you have missed an opportunity to turn that browser into a customer. This month we will be concentrating on how to build your subscriber list using the tips and techniques below. Fishing For Ezine Subscribers The Bible tells the tale of the fishermen who were just not catching a thing. Jesus came along and told them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, which they did. DOUBLE Your Profits from These TEN Tips on Sending Email Ads 1. Make your ad prominent:This can be done by keeping special characters like *, >, # , = etc. When Good Newsletters Go Bad: How to Avoid the Rut and Capture Hearts The wizard in Wizard of Oz and the guy behind the curtain pretending to be him have different personalities. Which one would you rather listen to? The wizard comes across as bigger than life and unreachable.
|
| Home | Site Map | Resource Links |
