4 ways to distribute newsletters & 4 key points not to miss

The recent pandemic has forced many small businesses to close their doors, which sadly has crushed the hopes and dreams of hard working men and women around the United States. No one could ever have imagined that our great country could be brought to its knees so fast. The struggles are real and far from over as the supply chains are at a standstill, mandates are being passed to tell you how your business should operate, and people are hesitant to return to the workforce. Customers are disappearing. So how does a start-up, small business, or non-profit stay a step ahead of these unexpected events?

First and foremost, take the time to review your business in today’s ever changing environment.

  • How have the past two years affected your business?
  • Is what you offered two years ago still viable today?
  • Do you need to change course and reinvent your brand?
  • How will you communicate these changes to your customers without losing them?

Reinventing a brand is common among businesses. Businesses constantly evolve. Economic conditions will always effect how businesses operate and be a primary factor in the owners final decision. Never just throw in the towel on your hopes and dreams until you look at all of your options. There are so many resources available.

If you do need to communicate a change in your operations, consider creating and distributing an e-newsletter to keep your customers and followers up-to date with the changes at least until you are in a position to expand your marketing efforts. It is economically feasible. WHATEVER YOUR DO, DO NOT KEEP YOUR CUSTOMERS IN THE DARK. They made your business successful once and will do it again if they feel they are a valued.

There are four ways to distribute newsletters but each comes with pros and cons. Making sure to obtain a list and keeping it active with new content can quickly build your customer base. Failure to do that can lose a majority of customers within 5 years. Though not all subscribers will become active customers, many will. Often times, people read newsletters because they are interested in learning what a company has to offer before reaching out to them for more information. Constant emails or phone calls can easily become a nuisance if they were unsolicited. If the newsletters are informative, readers will eventually contact the company for more information. A list of distribution means are listed. Their advantages and disadvantages will be discussed in a separate post.

  • Do It Yourself
  • Social Media Sites
  • Email Services Providers
  • All Inclusive Email Services

A newsletter should take no longer than 5 minutes to read and it should accomplish a few key points.

  • Respond to a customer’s needs or wants. There is a reason they have come to you in the past or have sought you out now. Make sure they are satisfied.
  • Be authentic. In other words, don’t make it sound like a marketing effort. Draw the reader in so that they feel they may be a part of a solution for you and will want to recommend you to others. Offer them information that is beneficial to them. Identify issues that are relevant to products onthe market or explain why you need to rebrand your business.
  • Offer something for free. This may be a printed how-to guide or a training video, a gift certificate, or a discount on a service. The possibilities are endless. Be creative. Set up questionnaires to learn your customer’s wants and needs. Then address these, if applicable, in future newsletters If it is something of value to your customer, you will have them return time and again as well as passing your information along to others. It also keeps them coming back for more if they found the free item to be worthwhile.
  • Keep your content clear, concise and organized. Remember, it should be no longer than a 5 minute read. If you want to add more information, provide them with links to learn more. A sample newsletter appears below.

If you would like to learn how a newsletter can help your business, please contact me. To receive future blogs pertaining to the businesses today, please subscribe on my home page.

Introduction

Sports Afield columnist Gene Hill often wrote about his dog: ” He is my other eyes that can see above the clouds; my other ears that hear above the winds;…He has told me a thousand times over that I am his reason for being…He is loyalty itself…He has taught me the meaning of devotion…With him, I know a secret comfort and a private peace…His prescence by my side is protection of my fears of dark and unknown things. He has promised to wait for me…whenever…wherever – in case I need him. And I expect I will, as I always have.” Although this is paraphrased from a much longer quote by Hill, it is a true reflection of how many people fee about the bond they have with their dogs. I know I do.

No matter what has happened in my life, my dogs have never left my side.These gentle souls have comforted me through illness, death, lost jobs, dreams and even a pandemic. Somehow, they always knew when my day caused me stress and they were ready to cheer me up. Dogs have a way of making me laugh through their silly antics. Pushing their head up under my hand forced me to run my fingers through their soft fur. Soon, I’d be massaging their ears, face and under their chin. Their eyes would close and they would be so relaxed. The gentle strokes of my hands across their body relaxed me as much as it did my dog. It sent me the message ‘let me share that stress and anxiety with you and together we will get through this’. Shortly, my stress would disappear. I could always count on the loyal, devoted companionships of my dogs. 

Sadly, I am down to one boy now; Thor. The rest have passed on, taking a small part of my heart with them, but leaving me more compassionate, understanding and patient. They have also taught me how to love unconditionally and to be grateful for the company of loved ones. For this, I will be forever thankful that they shared their lives with me and they will never be forgotten. Like Gene Hill said, I expect I will always need my dogs. They make life manageable and remind me every day that life is to be enjoyed, family is first, love unconditionally and when you are responsible for the care of another, whether it is an animal or human, you have their full trust to make those hard decisions. Never ever break that trust.

Why did I start my first blog post about dogs? It’s simple. The way I dealt with my dogs over the years is the same philosophy as I use with all business transactions. Be grateful for the little things. Always acknowledge a good job and if a mistake is made, learn from it and move one. My dogs trusted me fully to see to their needs and to always make the right decisions in their care. That same trust needs to be with a client when helping them build a business. With my dogs, I always did the research so I could provide them the best care; sought input from others when needed and always watched my dogs so I could speak their ‘language’. My dogs would let me know when enough was enough and trusted me fully to do what was best for them, not for me. They were my responsibility. With clients, research must be done to present them at their best and communication must be open and honest. I need to speak my clients language, but also listen closely to them so I fully understand their needs so I can convey a message for them. Every business wants to trust those they work with to be their ‘WINGMAN’ just as my dogs trusted me.

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