Getting Started With Your Newsletter – Checklist

Getting started with your newsletter might seem like a daunting task, but if taken step by step, it is well worth the time and effort. Initially the creation process is the most time consuming. However, once you decide on a format, a publication schedule and you have a template in place it’s just a matter of creating new content for each issue.

Here’s a checklist that will help you put the pieces together that will become your unique newsletter.

On the technical side of things you’ll need to:

[ ] Decide what email delivery system you will use to send your newsletter and set up an account. The two I use most and recommend are either ConstantContact or a shopping cart such as Practice Pay Solutions. Do your research to determine what best suits your needs. ConstantContact is a good place to start if you prefer working with templates. If you know that you will be selling products from your website and creating e-products such as e-courses in the near future, then go with a shopping cart that has ecommerce capabilities you can activate when needed.

[ ] Get the electronic files of the headshot you would like to use and your company logo. You may have to ask your photographer and graphic designer to send these images to you.

[ ] Compile your lists. Start working on getting your lists of contacts organized (or send them to your assistant to do so). For importing purposes simply set up a spreadsheet in excel with 3 headings; First Name, Last Name and Email and sort your contacts accordingly ready to be uploaded into the email delivery system you have chosen.

Practical considerations:

[ ] The type of content to include. For example, Welcome Message, Article, Tip etc.

[ ] The name of your newsletter. An important consideration when choosing a name is to imply what benefits your readers will get from your newsletter. Google “newsletter titles” for ideas and inspiration.

[ ] Develop a publishing schedule. Decide on frequency (monthly is good to start), day of week and time of day.

The creative process is the fun part. First start by gathering samples of online newsletters that you like various aspects of. Here are some things to consider:

[ ] The overall look and feel.

[ ] Colour theme. Remember to carry your branding through to your newsletter design.

[ ] Layout.

Remember:

*Permission based marketing is essential. Whenever possible invite contacts to sign up to your newsletter. Within the welcome note advise your readers what they can expect from you each month, what’s in it for them as a subscriber and clearly indicate how they can easily unsubscribe from your mailing list. That option must always be available.

*Be consistent. Once you have your publishing schedule in place you must be committed to sending out your newsletter as planned. People will come to expect to hear from you on a regular basis and if there is a lapse in your mailings it may reflect poorly on your reliability in all aspects of your business.

Your website alone cannot help you develop the type of ongoing relationship with your contacts that your newsletter will. Newsletters have a personal feel to them because they arrive in your prospects’ inbox. This type of communication is one of the best ways to position yourself as an expert and sell your services and products. Over time, newsletter publishing can change the way you do business for the better!

The Top 7 Reasons Why You Should Write A Newsletter

Have you been thinking about writing a newsletter but haven’t got around to it yet? Does it feel intimidating? Have you heard you should but not exactly sure why it’s worth the time and effort? If you answered ‘yes’ you are not alone.

Here are the top 7 reasons why you should write and distribute a newsletter and the benefits associated with doing so.

1. Stay in touch. Maintain ongoing client relationships by engaging your list of followers on an ongoing basis. ‘Touching’ your subscribers regularly keeps you top of mind and reminds them that you’re open for business. To grow your list, ensure you have a sign up box on your website to invite visitors to subscribe to your newsletter.

2. Show your expertise. You may think it’s all been said before and there is nothing new for you to write about. But when you write what you know it shows you have something important to share and you will have your own unique way of doing so that sets you apart. Demonstrate your expertise with informative articles and tips that address your clients’ needs.

3. The KLT (Know, Like and Trust) Factor. Your readers get to know you, like you and trust you by way of this type of regular communication. Providing them with great information shows that you care about them. And who will they call when they need the type of products or services that you offer? That’s right, you! Like any of us, they want to do business with the person they know, like and trust.

4. Help generate the ‘buzz’ about your business. Have you attended an industry event, conducted a workshop or been interviewed on the radio? Sharing where you’ve been and what you’ve been up to helps build your credibility. It shows that you are active and committed to your area of expertise and you are the skilled and knowledgeable ‘go to’ person when they need what you provide.

5. Build your library of content. The articles you write for your newsletters can be repurposed later and distributed to the article marketing directories, posted to your blog and compiled to create information products to give away or sell. 500 words is the standard requirement for article submissions so keep this in mind when writing.

6. New opportunities arise. A reader may approach you to speak on a topic that you’ve written about or be a guest on their blog. You may also be asked to partner with someone to develop a new program and more. All of which opens up opportunities to reach more people and build your list.

7. Make more sales. Your newsletter should be 80% informational, 20% sales-y. Once you have informed your readers, let them know what you have to offer that may help them. Launch new products and services through your newsletter and include ‘special offers’ exclusive to your subscribers only.

Creating and distributing an email newsletter is a marketing strategy that works and has many benefits. By building relationships and a level of trust your readers feel confident to do business with you. All of which can lead to more clients, more opportunities and more income!

Try it yourself and see how your business can change with a newsletter.

Networking With A Twist

If you’re an active networker, you know the drill. At meetings each member gets their turn in the spotlight for 30 or 60 seconds, time to mingle and exchange business cards with others, an opportunity to display marketing materials, provide a door prize and have a space on the website to advertise their business. Networking in the traditional sense usually involves both membership and meeting fees. Often the commitments required of members are quite demanding such as attendance at early morning meetings every single week and referral quotas to meet.

Business owners are getting tired of the traditional networking events and some savvy business owners have come up with a few twists to spice up the experience. These innovative new groups are generally more flexible, less formal and either have no meeting fees or are affordably priced (under $20).

Here are 3 networking events with a twist that I have attended. They are a little less intimidating for those who don’t enjoy being in the spotlight and who prefer one-on-one communication to get their message across. They also tend to be more fun!

1. Crazy Networking: The main idea is that you promote each other’s businesses letting other people do your marketing for you. Attendees are assembled into small groups and each person in the group has their opportunity to be the Star. The Star explains their business to the others and relays a specific request. The group in turn speaks to as many of the other attendees as possible to find people to fulfill the Star’s request in a specified amount of time. It’s a great concept but for this one to work you have to be an effective communicator and listener as the Star only has about 2 minutes to convey their information. At $20/meeting I found it a little pricey.

2. Kitchen Table Networking: It has that homey feel for those intimidated by speaking in front of large groups and in that it usually takes place in the home of the organizer of the group. And often, yes, around a kitchen table. In this very relaxed environment of about 6 or 8 business owners, each attendee gets 10 minutes to present their business to the others in any format they prefer with an additional 5 minutes of Q and A. This is much more effective than a 30 or 60 second elevator pitch. I have developed solid long term business relationships through the events I have attended. There is no fee to join.

3. Speed Networking: In this setting you get to have one-on-one time with each guest which is rare for a networking event. It works well with about 20 attendees. Each networking session is 2-3 minutes in which the pair share information about their business. Participants alternate their seating until everyone has interacted with each other. There isn’t a lot of time to convey your message but when attendees don’t adhere to the time limits, it interrupts the flow of the meeting and doesn’t look good on the business owner. It is speed networking after all. These meetings are free to attend.

Do any of these unique events appeal to you? I find the more non-traditional types of networking groups are a better fit for me and you might want to consider one too. Check your local Meetup groups, ask around amongst your fellow business owners or better yet organize your own.

The traditional type of networking events can still be effective but there are other options out there that you might find suit you better and give you good or even better results.

Make The Time To Invest In You

Continuous learning is essential for small business owners and it is easier than ever to learn something new, often without having to leave the comfort of your home office. Although some may think that learning is only for schoolchildren, it is actually a lifelong practice. Developing new skills builds confidence and increases our value to customers and clients.

If you think you don’t have time for learning, think again. All it takes is a commitment of an hour each day. If you examine your schedule you will likely find an hour a day that you have been spending doing non-essential things. An hour isn’t much but it does add up. If you’re dedicated to learning something and you are consistent, you will have invested 20 hours to your education within a month.

Here are 5 simple ways to productively spend an hour of your time to learn and absorb new knowledge:

1. Read a Book: There is an unlimited supply of highly rated books available to help you succeed in business. Visit your local library, book store or shop online for books on marketing, branding, networking and more. Did you know that the average person can read about 60 pages in 60 minutes? Take an hour each day to learn how to be more productive and successful or learn a new skill and apply this new expertise in your business.

2. Attend a Teleclass: Teleclasses are typically an hour in length, conducted via a telephone conference call. Many are no cost; you only pay the long distance charges if any. You will gain valuable information, get new ideas, and/or learn new skills. Attend live if you can as most are very interactive. There are often networking opportunities in a teleclass setting. I have gained new subscribers just by sharing my url and business description with other attendees. Did you miss the last teleclass you signed up for? Take the time now to listen to the recording and make a few notes.

3. Invest in an E-Course: Most e-courses are a number of weeks in length. Each lesson complete with homework arrives in your inbox once a week. Set aside an hour each day to review the current lesson and complete the homework. Learn some new skills that will help you to better support your clients or manage and grow your business.

4. Attend Local Events: These events are typically low cost and some are free of charge. Interact with other small business owners and align yourself with industry experts. You can even find quality affiliates and joint venture partners by attending conferences, trade shows and local meetups. Guest speakers entertain, educate and inspire their business event audiences through motivational presentations.

5. Learn through Trial and Error: Is learning by experience your personal learning style? This method is used widely in many fields but can be time-consuming and tedious. As long as you have resources to refer to for help, this problem solving style of learning is a valid option.

Remember, you don’t have to know it all. Specializing in one area and getting really good at it is preferable to being a ‘Jack of all trades, master of none’. It’s motivating to know that using the one hour a day plan, how good you will be in 6 months with over 100 hours invested in continuously improving yourself.

The Three Golden Rules of Social Networking And Email Marketing

If you are looking to build rewarding relationships with your prospects there are 3 things you must do well in your Social Networking and Email Marketing. It takes some time and energy to build a responsive list and one where you provide value to each other but you will both enjoy the benefits if you remember the 3 Golden Rules:

1. Quality – When growing your list of contacts it’s about quality first and foremost, not quantity. Sure you want to have a good sized list but it is not all about the numbers. More importantly you want to attract the people who want and need the products and services you have to offer. Invite those who you have met at an in-person networking event to connect with you on your online social networks. Make sure it is someone who expressed an interest in what you do, someone who you will be able to provide value to. You’ll notice on Facebook when you are about to send a friend request there is a note that reads “Please only send this request if you know him/her personally.”

2. Consistency – If you plan to use social networking and email marketing as strategies, then you must be consistent. Maintain your online presence on the social networks by making relevant posts that serve to educate your target market. Respond to any questions or comments you receive. If you are using email marketing by way of putting out a regular ezine, then ensure you have a publishing schedule that you follow. People will come to expect to see your newsletter in their inbox on a regular basis. If they don’t hear from you for a couple months or you email them a lot at once and then nothing at all for awhile, your readers will start to wonder what’s going on. Are you still in business? Is everything okay?

3. Permission – Seth Godin who coined the phrase Permission Marketing, also known as Permission Based Marketing says: “Just because you somehow get my email address doesn’t mean you have permission.” A big pet peeve of mine is when you exchange business cards at a networking event and the next thing you know you’re receiving emails from this person. Has this happened to you? No one appreciates your unsolicited messages. More often than not I will end up unsubscribing if I receive something I am not interested in or did not ask for. Remember that permission-based marketing is just that – you are sending your marketing messages to a person based on the fact that you have received their permission to do so. It is best if you have had some sort of interaction with this person, that they know who you are and what your business is all about prior to asking them to join your list. Then invite them to sign up to receive your newsletter or other updates you might send out from time to time. Always give the option to easily unsubscribe.

I found some interesting statistics on open rates based on an actual test of e-mail newsletters sent by Selling Communications Inc. to a permission-based audience versus a targeted list of individuals. (An ‘open rate’ is a measure of how many people on an email list open a particular email.) The statistics speak for themselves:

E-mail Newsletter With Permission 43% viewed

E-mail Newsletter Without Permission 17% viewed

As business owners we’ve all heard about the know, like and trust factor. By following the above rules you can ensure that your market of targeted prospects will get to know you, like you and trust you helping to build long-lasting and profitable business relationships.

7 Steps To Creating An Information Product That Can Make You Money While You Sleep

If you write on a regular basis or even have lists of FAQ’s (frequently asked questions), you have enough content to create an information product to give away or sell. Set aside an afternoon to gather and arrange your content and piece your product (free giveaway/pink spoon, e-report, e-book, e-course) together. Once you have done the groundwork and added your final details the rest of the process can simply be outsourced in order to automate the sale and delivery of your product.

Here’s how:

1. Create a spreadsheet with 3 columns using these headings:

*Title – the title of your content or topic of the article

*Summary – a short description of the content

*Category – specific to your content. For example, I categorize my content as Home Office Organization, Marketing, Time Management etc.

2. Gather all your content together and fill your spreadsheet with the above information for each piece of content you have. Use your blog posts, articles and FAQ’s.

3. Sort your spreadsheet by the ‘Category’ heading. This will group together all the content within the same category giving you a good overall picture of the quantity of content you have for each category.

4. Determine how you will package this content. Your options are to:

*create a short e-report as a free giveaway to build your list

*create an e-book to sell (generally priced between $10 – $47)

*create an e-course complete with assignments and set up the information to be delivered over a 4 – 6 week period or even longer (generally priced higher than an e-book)

5. Create a new document in a program like Word. Build your product by laying out the content you have chosen to use by copying and pasting it into your document. Play with the order and formatting.

6. Proofread your document. Add content to connect pieces where needed or subtract content to ensure your material flows and is easy to follow.

7. Congratulations! You now have the foundation of your info product. Finishing touches include the addition of:

-headings

-subheadings

-images

-table of contents

-cover page

-conversion of file to PDF format

Note:

* You may also want to add a headshot and your bio written in third person on the last page. This can include a call to action consisting of an invitation to check out one of your related products, programs or services.

* After your product has been created it is time to launch. You will need to have a sales page and a plan for ongoing marketing and promotion of your product to encourage sales or sign ups in the case of a free giveaway.

* Decide how you want to accept payment. You can use a shopping cart system or PayPal.

Tools you will need:

a. A program like Word and/or Excel to organize your content and piece it together into a product.

b. A website to announce your product for sale or invite visitors to sign up for your free offering.

c. A shopping cart program to set up, deliver and sell your product and communicate using autoresponders.

Remember, once you have assembled your product you can outsource the technical aspects of the process. A Virtual Assistant can create your sales page and automate the process by adding “buy now” buttons or a sign up form doing all the back end work on your site and in the shopping cart. This will ensure that sign up, purchase and delivery of your product operate seamlessly.

Whether the goal is to grow your list or make more sales or both, product creation is a great way to boost business. It is a one-time creation and set up process that is fully automated. Once you have invested the initial time and effort it will work for you over and over again. It is a very real possibility that while you’re in dreamland at 2:00 am a visitor to your site will make a purchase proving that, yes, you really can make money while you sleep!

How To Easily Write A Multipurpose Article In Just One Hour

If you don’t consider yourself a writer then sitting down to write an article may seem like a very daunting task. However, there are several methods you can use when writing and if you have all the tools that you need in place you will soon find that it becomes quicker and easier each time. Here I’m going to share with you what works for me and it’s quite simple.

A few must-haves to have in place before you start to write are:

An article ideas file. Any time you think of something you can write about, jot it down. Make sure you always have a pen and notepad on you because inspiration can hit at any time and once that moment has passed it’s difficult or impossible to get it back.

Research notes. Gather all the supporting info you need. You may have already jotted down some notes when the idea struck. Great!

A format to follow. There are any number of templates that can be used to create an article but the first thing you’ll need to have is a simple structure to piece your ideas together. Here’s one:

*Title – Write an attention getting title.

*Introduction – Write a strong introduction paragraph that describes your topic.

*Body – List at least 3 examples that support your main point including facts and opinions, about 4-5 lines each.

*Conclusion – A brief summary of your article restating your main point with a call to action for the reader.

Now let’s get started:

1. Set an alarm clock or timer for one hour.

2. Grab an article title or article idea from your ideas file. Just choosing what you’re going to write about can be time consuming so having an ideas file to pick your topic from is a great time saver.

3. You may need to do some research to gather more info. Spend about 15 minutes researching your topic and making notes.

4. Start writing. Spend about 5 minutes structuring each piece – Title, Introduction, Body and Conclusion. Lists work great for the body of the article. Numbered lists or bulleted lists are easy to construct for the writer and appeal to readers as they are easy to read or quickly scan and understand. I often leave my title for last when the article is complete. There might be a catchy phrase within the article that can serve as your attention getting title.

5. Aim for 500 words. If working with Microsoft Word you can check your word count by clicking on ‘Review’ and ‘Word Count’ (or something similar, depending on what version you are working with). Add or subtract content as needed.

Follow this process and within an hour you will have a completed piece. Review your article the next day and look at it with fresh eyes. Another 15 minutes to refine your article, correct, edit and a final proofread and you are ready to use and reuse your article in your newsletter, on your blog and in the article directories. These are only a few of the ways your article can be repurposed. Just think, if you set aside an hour a week to write you will have around 50 articles in one year and enough content to put together a free report, an ebook, or an ecourse to sell. What are you waiting for?

The Value Of Testimonials

When was the last time you updated your testimonials? Do you have a following of raving fans that only you know about? You should have a smattering of testimonials on your website or throughout your marketing materials, sales pages or within your newsletter. If not then it’s time to get to work on gathering your testimonials so your testimonials can get to work for you.

Just think of the process you go through when seeking out a new service or product. You likely start by asking those you trust for referrals. You also do your own research then compare factors such as cost, features and benefits. You also probably look for written reviews. Those reviews play a big part in your final decision and can even outweigh the cost factor when you consider the value you are getting for your money. Value can be found in great customer service and reliability.

If this is the process you go through then you can be pretty sure that this is what others are doing when looking for the product or service you offer. That’s why it’s important to have this information up front and centre. You may still get requests to speak to references but without any testimonials up front, your business may have already been eliminated from a potential buyers’ list of possible choices.

How do you go about getting testimonials? Just ask. Most delighted customers or clients will be happy to provide you with one. But people are busy or may not know what to say or how to say it, so help them out with a template you can provide when making your request.

You want the testimonial to be specific and state the reason why working with your business benefited them. By simply getting the answers to the following questions, you can build the testimonial. These questions can be altered slightly to suit your business.

Here’s what I use for my service-based business:

1. What challenges were you facing in your business?
2. What made you decide to hire someone to help?
3. What difference has working with me made? Please explain specific results or benefits.
4. Any additional comments.

When sending your request, be sure to mention that with their permission in exchange for their testimonial you will include their full name, company name and website url as well as a headshot.

And remember, unless your business holds a privacy and confidentiality factor, a testimonial from ‘Joe S., Toronto’ won’t hold as much weight. A full name and picture add validity to your testimonials. Also, if you slightly alter the testimonial, send a copy of the final version for your customers’ review before publishing.

How can you present the testimonials you collect? I proudly display my client testimonials on a dedicated page on my website. Testimonials can also be used on sales pages, strategically placed throughout your site or set up as a scrolling or fading list.

One of my clients shared her story of what led us to working together in the form of an article which is posted to my blog. Elizabeth speaks about how using virtual support has helped her to grow her business and the positive effect our working relationship has had.

If you have received a letter of accolades from a happy customer, feature it on your website or blog. And if your business uses print advertising, be sure to add testimonials to your promotional materials too.

Nothing is stronger than an effective, meaningful testimonial documenting a positive experience with your business. Use as many as you can. A diverse mix of testimonials with a variety of experiences and benefits leaves no room for doubt for your prospects. And as a business owner, feedback from clients in the way of testimonials can be very encouraging and motivating and helps make what you do all worthwhile.

The Top 5 Ways To Save Time And Get More Done

How do you make the most of your time? What are the best ways to save time and get more done? I regularly challenge myself to see how I can make the best use of the 5 or so hours I have available on a typical workday. I often review my schedule, rearrange a few things and try different methods. I’m always interested to hear what others are doing and what works for them.

Here are a few ideas that I have read or heard about and examples of what I have found works for me that you might like to try:

1. Dedicate an entire day to one specific action. Tim Ferriss, author of The 4 Hour Work Week says that this is one of his keys to success. He avoids breaking up days into tasks. For example, Monday is for going through emails, Tuesday is research and writing for new products and so on. This way, he can focus on one particular task per day and improve his performance on each task.

2. Allocate blocks of time to selected tasks. Similar to Tim Ferriss, I have found that it is best not to break up the day too much. However, it’s not always possible to devote an entire day to one task. Larger blocks of time will accomplish more. A couple of hours a day dedicated to one task twice a week is more effective than four 30 minute sessions a week.

3. Never break away to answer the phone or read an email. If you’re working on a task and are distracted, it takes about 20 minutes to get back to where you left off.

4. Spend a day alone, away from customers and clients. Commit one day per week on a regular basis to work on your business. This can consist of record keeping, scheduling, managing emails, writing articles, ezine creation, blog posts, business training/learning new skills or product creation and using your expertise to create alternate streams of income. When done on a regular basis you have plans in place, no lost time looking for documents and ongoing business building activities.

And last but not least…

5. Schedule in an appointment with yourself. My yoga instructor told me about a colleague of hers, an alternative health care practitioner, who schedules in a fake client each week. Her fake client is actually her ‘me’ time and she finds that she must schedule this time in order for it to happen. And as far as her assistant knows, she is booked and will not take any other clients during that time slot. Don’t just value yourself by what you’re doing. Take the time to recharge and take care of yourself.

To build a strong business and truly achieve success there’s no need to rush around feeling stressed. Your time is the most important resource you have. Just manage your time well, don’t become addicted to ‘doing’ and take time for yourself.

What time saving steps do you take to get more done and stay on track?

Tried, Tested And True Timely Tasks

“The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” ~Robert Burns

No matter how well you schedule your day, we all have those days that our plans get disrupted and we have to rearrange how we spend our time. Your child gets sick and has to come home from school or a task takes much longer than expected due to technical difficulties. As solopreneurs we enjoy such things as the freedom to be there for family when needed without having to ask for permission but at the same time we don’t have someone to step in for us when life happens. So what can we do when time is in short supply?

An hour doesn’t seem like much and if we let it will get wasted away on some mindless task. Remember Parkinson’s Law? “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” If you really want to accomplish something in a small amount of time, you need to have what I call ‘focused time’. It is amazing what you can accomplish and feel really good about with just an hour of focused time.

In an ongoing effort to make better use of my own time, I would like to share with you my personally tested and proven list of tasks that can be accomplished when an hour is all you’ve got:

*50 emails in 50 minutes

Start by sorting your messages by ‘From’ name. (In Outlook click on the word ‘From’ and your messages will sort alphabetically). You can quickly scan thru and manage the least important 50 messages that only require a short response or a quick read. Or use the hour to reply to at least five priority emails with full responses.

*A dozen article ideas in an hour

Do you struggle with what to write about in your ezine or on your blog? Develop a pool of resources by taking an hour to brainstorm. Take 5 minutes to write each title and related points.

*One article written in one hour

Grab an article title from your ideas file and start writing. Within an hour you will have a completed piece.

*6 article submissions in 60 minutes

Assuming you have your articles written and article submission accounts set up, you can submit at least one of your articles to 6 article directories in an hour.

*One information product assembled in one hour

If you write on a regular basis or even have a list of FAQ’s, you have content to create an information product to give away or sell. Gather your content, organize by category and piece your product (free giveaway, e-report, e-course, e-book) together.

*60 minutes of Social Networking

Maintain your online presence. Make a relevant post and respond to any comments. Accept or decline friend requests.

*One hour of learning

Did you know that the average person can read about 60 pages in 60 minutes? Take an hour to read one chapter in a business book and gain some valuable knowledge. Teleclasses are typically an hour in length. Did you miss the last teleclass you signed up for? Take the time now to listen to the recording and make a few notes.

*One weekly schedule created in one hour

I plan in advance for my week ahead by blocking off chunks of time each day dedicated to specific to do’s. Make this as detailed as you can and you will find you only have to tweak it slightly to accommodate for changes throughout the week.

Having completed the task reminds you that it’s possible to achieve something significant in one hour and you can do it again and again. Just remember ‘focused time’ means you are doing nothing else during your hour. Not answering your phone or responding to new emails coming in. This strategy works well on your Business Development days too. For best results commit to one day or one half-day a week and try one-hour blocks of time.

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