I've spent the last couple of days working on my monthly newsletter. In each issue, I deliver (for free, to their inboxes) news people can use like trend information, inspiring links, product reviews, plus, info about my latest books & articles, and what's happening in my studio. This month, my newsletter includes fall decorating ideas, quick gift ideas and links to free, fallish beading projects. Intrigued? Sign up for my mailing list! But do it quickly - it sends on Sunday.
If you have your own business, a newsletter is a good way to stay in touch with the people on your mailing list. There are lots of newsletter services that will create a template for you, handle the address book maintenance and do the actual sending of the email. This is great because it frees you up to do your own creative work. Delegate, I say!
The main things to remember about newsletter writing are: inform & entertain. Give people a reason to read. Talk about yourself, but not too much. Provide useful information that you aren't sharing elsewhere.
I go back and forth about whether or not it is essential to have a newsletter - it seems old-school compared to blogging. But, it's more directed than blogging. The people on my mailing list are there because they've signed up or have worked with me at some point. What do you think?
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
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4 comments:
I am learning the value of newsletters as well. I have been sending out montly ones for about a year now. Still learning what kind of content is best. Mostly I tell about the big news like events and press. And tell aobut new items and sales. Its good for people who want to keep up with me every so often, but maybe not every day on my blog. My blog content has become much different lately, more aobut my actual thought process from day to day. That might not interest everyone...
Thanks for the helpful tips and links!
Yes, I know what you mean. It's like the newsletter is a condensed version of the official news that you have to share.
I have a weekly newsletter that I do for the stores and it is amazing to me how popular it is. I chat a bit about what it's like to be me, tell the happenings at the store and what the new items are. I don't use a newsletter service because it arrives in a very low-tech email format. Everyone can read it and it gets past all the spam filters that way, plus folks often think I am writing them personally. Kinda funny, that.
My blog is more for the hard core folks and so I have a place to put stuff on a day-to-day basis.
Now to go subscribe to Katie and Melanie's newsletters!
I appreciate the newsletter. I don't have time to log onto various websites to check out blogs, especially when it's hit or miss on whether they've been updated between visits.
Thanks for taking the time to send out a newsletter. It's a good way to keep in touch with your busy fans.
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