Believe you can and you’re halfway there. – Theodore Roosevelt

Happy April Fools' Day!

How to Create a Newsletter That People Will Actually Read

Do you have a newsletter? Are people reading it? Do you really need a newsletter?

Re-examine your business’ goals. Are you trying to increase the number of your leads? Do you want to close more deals? Retain more customers or upsell customers? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then a newsletter could work for you.

Newsletter content

Your newsletter subscribers probably don’t want to hear about your products or services. Keep in mind, for a balanced newsletter, your content should be 90% educational and 10% promotional.

Don’t self-promote. Focus on including content that educates your readers. If you blog, your newsletter is a good place to re-use your blog. (Remember, your blogs should be educational!)

Use creative email subject lines

Even if your newsletter subscribers sign up for your newsletter, there is no guarantee that they will open the newsletter email when it arrives in their inbox.

Have a unique, creative subject line for each newsletter you send out.

Include one call-to-action

Think about what you want your readers to do. Do you want them to click on a link to read the rest of your blog on your website? Or do you want them to share the newsletter with a friend?

Keep design and copy minimal

Often, newsletters are very cluttered. This will turn off your readers and your newsletter won’t get read.

Short, concise stories will give your readers a quick article that they will read. If the article is your blog and it is long, include a link back to your website. Give them just a taste of your content and let them click and learn more.

White space helps keep the newsletter visually uncluttered. Include images that relate to the article and help tell the story. These are eye catching and will encourage people to read your newsletter.

Do you have a newsletter? What tips do you have for creating a successful newsletter?

You become what you believe. – Oprah Winfey

I don’t go by the rule book. I lead from the heart, not the head. – Princess Diana of Wales

3 Ways to Determine Your Target Market

Knowing who your clients are is a necessary so you can spend your time marketing to the right audience.

There are three questions you should ask yourself to start the process of creating a target market.

Who is your ideal client?

This is where you should get specific about the type of client you want to work with. Ask yourself specific questions about your ideal client such as how much money to they make, what is their age, what is their education level, and any other questions you think would be relevant to create an ideal client.

These questions help you weed out those that would not be the right fit for your business and attract those that you can better serve.

Where do you find your ideal client?

You need to know where to find your ideal client so you can focus your marketing and advertising efforts. Are they online or offline? If your ideal client is on LinkedIn, but not on Facebook, spending time on Facebook would be a waste of your time, effort and money.

If your ideal clients belong to certain organizations or groups, you need to start attending these meetings and make the investment to join and be active.

The goal is to get yourself in front of your ideal client as often as possible. A general marketing rule is that it takes a client at least 5 points of contact before they make the decision to buy from or work with you. Position yourself to be seen in multiple places. But make sure they are the right places.

Use your marketing efforts to drive potential clients to your website where they can find more information about your products or services.

What problem does your product/service solve?

Part of determining your target market is determining what problem you are solving for your clients.

How will your products or services help your client? Will it save time or money for your client? Will it make things easier for your client? Is it something they can’t get anywhere else? The answers to these questions can help you create your unique selling position (USP). Once crafted, your USP should be used in your marketing materials and on your website home page to tell your potential customers why they need your products or services.

Remember, when you’re marketing your business, it’s not about you but about your client. Figure out what your client wants and needs, create a plan on how you can solve their problem, and market that to your target audience. The process of creating a target market can take time but in the long run, it will save you time and money by only marketing to the right audience.

Happy First Day of Spring!