Work at Home

Putting "Cool, Compelling Content In Your Newsletter [Part 1] Cliff Ennico www.creators.com "I am planning to launch an e-mail newsletter in an effort to promote a local service business. But I'm not exactly sure what should go in it. I don't want the newsletter to sound too 'salesy', yet at the same time I want people to know about the excellent service I provide. Do you have tips for people in this situation?" It's a lot harder than it ever used to be to "broadcast" your marketing message to folks. Thanks to the Internet, we are living in a "pull" world when it comes to advertising. You can't "push" your message into people's faces anymore, because there are too many ways for people to block the message out. Instead, your customers have to find you, and seek out your message. As a syndicated columnist, I get more than 50 e-mail newsletters every day. Some of these I actually signed up for, but most of them are from well-meaning friends, publicists and nonprofit organizations who have put me on their list along with just about every business journalist in these United States. I use the "preview" pane in Microsoft Outlook, so when an e-mail arrives from an unknown source I can scan it quickly and figure out if it's worth opening. It takes me about 2 to 3 minutes to scroll through my morning e-mail, hitting the "delete key" merrily as I go. If you are trying to reach me with your marketing message, you've got exactly 2 seconds and about five or six words to catch my attention before I move on. You're not about to do that unless your newsletter contains some "cool, compelling content" that reaches out, grabs me by the throat and doesn't let go - what I call the "three C's" of Internet marketing. A number of years ago, a middle school English teacher in our town started a part-time business cleaning people's windows and carpets. He realized that most of his business would come from repeat customers. So whenever he cleaned someone's carpets or windows, that homeowner was added to a subscription list to his quarterly newsletter, which he called: THE CLEANING NEWS!!! "The Cleaning News!!!" (the three exclamation points were part of the title) was a single-page newsletter printed on both sides. The headline was done in 14 point Gothic script on a professional looking masthead - just like the New York Times - and was accompanied by his slogan, "All The Dirt You Need To Keep Your Home Clean!". You would open the envelope, and jumping out at you would be his lead story, something like "IT'S DUST MITE SEASON ONCE AGAIN!!!", accompanied by a quarter-page photo of a dust mite blown up 5,000 times. Ever see a dust mite up close and personal? Trust me, it is one UGLY bug . . . The story would begin, "these hideous creatures are living in the carpet you are walking on - RIGHT NOW - in your bare feet!" Stephen King and Dean Koontz combined had nothing on The Cleaning News!!! The second page was a series of tongue-in-cheek household cleaning tips in "question and answer" format, along the following lines: "Q:Is it all right to use a toothbrush to clean the tile grout in your shower stall? A:Yes, this is perfectly acceptable, but remember not to use it as a toothbrush afterwards." Silly? Ridiculous? Unprofessional? Let me ask you two questions: do you like the author of "The Cleaning News!!!"? would you hire him to clean your carpet? Enough said. "The Cleaning News!!!" was not junk mail. It was LITERATURE. People looked forward to each issue. People saved copies of "The Cleaning News!!!" and showed them to their friends at work. People called this guy and ASKED to be put on the mailing list for what was essentially an advertising flyer! You can't sell anything to anybody anymore unless you first get their attention with "cool, compelling content". More next week . . . Cliff Ennico ( cennico@legalcareer.com ) is a syndicated columnist, author and host of the PBS television series 'Money Hunt'. His latest book is 'Small Business Survival Guide' (Adams Media, $12.95). This column is no substitute for legal, tax or financial advice, which can be furnished only by a qualified professional licensed in your state. To find out more about Cliff Ennico and other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit our Web page at www.creators.com . COPYRIGHT 2006 CLIFFORD R. ENNICO. DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC. Permission granted for use on DrLaura.com.