HOW TO WRITE A NEWSLETTER WITHOUT BEING A WRITER


One of the best ways to stay in touch with current and past
clients, colleagues and fans, is to publish a regular
newsletter. Whether you use a HTML template tool like
Constant Contact, simply create a good looking text email
to send out to your contacts, or publish something fancy
with PDF, it can draw new business simply by making sure
that no one forgets what your business does and can do for
them. For every company that benefits from this form of
marketing, many more feel they are not good enough writers,
do not have the time, or are not comfortable enough
with the computer to make the effort.

There are many ways a small business can develop a
newsletter, when the full do-it-yourself route is not an
option. First, keep in mind that it is acceptable that
20-30% of the newsletter is promotion and good news about
the business, assuming the audience is primarily made
of clients and prospective clients. To come up with the
rest of the content, try these techniques:

1) People who know how to write well, but cannot think of
subject matter can visit one of the many article databases
on the web, and browse for ideas. The idea is to use it for
inspiration, and as a brainstorming tool for topics. Once
an idea is established, start writing for the audience and
put a unique spin on it.

Some of these databases include:

http://www.goarticles.com
http://www.marketing-seek.com/articles/search.shtml
http://www.ezinearticles.com

2) Anyone who doesn’t like to write can reprint any of the
articles in these databases. In other words, he might decide
to do a feature article on, say, logo design, to provide
some substance along with business news and other thoughts.
This is perfectly acceptable. Just make sure the author’s
credits and bio are always included.

3) For those who know their subjects, and are willing to
write but aren’t confident in their ability, there is the
option of arranging to have an editor. Many freelance writers
would be pleased to have a steady monthly or bi-monthly
arrangement, on retainer, to work on editing newsletter items.
It is also possible to find someone who is willing to barter
this service for products or services on a regular basis. You
can also hire someone to handle the design and technical
implementation of the content and manage your mailing list.
Be creative and consider getting help if having a newsletter
would bring marketing and communication benefits to the
company.

4) When the subject matter is not commonplace, and available
in an article database, consider asking members of specific
industries or disciplines to pen articles for the audience
in exchange for credit. If it is a complementary service, or
related product they sell, it will broaden the information
provided your audience. These strategic alliances can bear
fruit in many ways if we are confident about the quality of
what we provide our clients to offer them knowledge they might
not get otherwise.

5) Subscribe to industry newsletters and create a
compilation of the best feature articles there. Your
audience will appreciate the effort you take to discern and
distill the most useful information for them, and bring it
to them in one place.

The important thing is that the information is of use to the
audience, and that they have the option at all times to stop
receiving the newsletter if they request it.

Make a realistic monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly schedule.
Create a plan for how you will accomplish this goal.
Determine which route you will take to build your content,
and which tools you will use. Set recurring deadlines. For
example, put on the calendar that the newsletter feature
article is due by the end of the second week of every month,
and whether writing it, finding it, or submitting to
an editor, it will be ready to go.

With good planning and taking advantage of the resources
which are online, nearly any small business can develop a
solid, informational newsletter to share with their
customers.


Eileen 'Turtle' Parzek (c) 2003 All Rights Reserved

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eileen 'Turtle' Parzek is a veteran web designer and an
online marketing & communications consultant who has been
working from home and virtually since 1995. You can
subscribe to her free monthly newsletter called
Increase Your Reach: Infuse Your Marketing with Technology
at http://www.soho-it-goes.com

NOTE: You’re welcome to “reprint” this article online as
long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the
“about the author” info at the end), and you send a copy of
your reprint to ezine@soho-it-goes.com