In 2012 where so many people are trying to get your attention, I'm still surprised at the number of Mompreneurs who either aren't publishing an e-newsletter or do so infrequently. I've heard a number of reasons why they don't publish one, here are a few...have you said any of these yourself?
I'm not ready I don't have a list My list isn't big enough I don't know what to write I don't have time I'm too busy with my blogSound familiar? Maybe you've something else but my point is, they're all excuses and not good ones at that. Here's some truth...if you have an online presence, either through your website or some other social media platform and you are building an in house list then you should be regularly publishing an e-newsletter.
I've shared what you should include in your newsletter and in case you missed it, sorry, you'll need to find it on my blog. In it I talked about some of the different sections you should include in your newsletter. Now,let's talk about what to actually write. There is a really big misconception that if you blog you also have to create totally fresh content for your e-newsletter and that prevents many Mompreneurs from starting and or maintaining one.
They get burned out! Ah...no kidding.
Check this out; if you look closely, you'll notice that my latest blog post is also the main article in my current e-newsletter. I can see some of you sitting there with your mouth open. Why would I do that and expect to be taken seriously?
Great question! Remember that some readers will NEVER go to your blog and some of your blog readers may NEVER read your newsletter. Here's something else, there are sections to my e-newsletter that NEVER appear on my blog and you can do the same.
Here are some fun sections you can add to your newsletter:
Product promotions Contents Client testimonials Student of the month Remember when? Birthday/Anniversary corner Photo of the week/month Coupons for newsletter subscribers onlyGot you thinking now right? I'm sure you can come up with a dozen more.
Ready to Publish
I've been publishing my e-newsletter for more than a year now. It's gone through changes but it goes out consistently and since last April, it's gone out twice per week. Some people may barf at the idea of publishing so frequently but if some of the TOP marketers have studied the market, done the research and recommend that schedule then who am I to question it.
To be perfectly honest, when I receive a newsletter from someone who publishes once a month, I almost have to remind myself who this is. I've also seen people who publish sporadically...NOT at all professional.
Again, market research shows that the best times to publish and have your content read are Monday and Thursday morning before 7am EST. I don't ask why, I just do it. "But what about your open rate?", I wouldn't worry about it but here's a suggestion.
There are a number of services that you can us but hands down I recommend Aweber. Yes, there are free services but let's not be cheap. We're business owners and while we can cut corners with some things, when it comes to building and managing my list, I'm not cheap. Their service isn't expensive. It's a small investment that will deliver tremendous benefits.
Time to Outsource
If you've start consistently publishing great content one day you'll notice that you're just so busy. Clients are demanding your products and or services, your list is growing like gangbusters and you realize that you need help and you need it pronto. That's a great sign that you may need to outsource...by the way, that's a great thing.
You write your content and have your assistant edit, format and schedule publication. The work still gets done but you don't have to do it all, what fun! Now that you see how ridiculously simple the process is, ask yourself if you can afford not to start publishing your newsletter right now.
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