Do You Really Need an Ezine? Only if You Want More Business

I haven’t sent out an ezine (email newsletter) in over a year. Why? I was immersed in several large projects and I didn’t really want more business. And I knew from experience that sending out a newsletter meant more business and I already had too much on my plate.

So if you already have more business than you know what to do with, stop reading. There are probably better things to do with your time then writing a newsletter. But if you don’t have a steady stream of business, an ezine is one of the best and most inexpensive ways to make it happen.

Does the idea of writing a long, “traditional” ezine stress you out? If that’s the case don’t do it.

There are non-traditional ways that work just as effectively. Over this last year I have been busy writing newsletters – for my clients – and I’ve been watching what works and what doesn’t. So let’s take a look at the difference between traditional versus non-traditional ezines and see what’s best for you – maybe it’s a mix of the two.

Traditional Ezine

If you want to learn about the traditional ezine the best person to learn from is the Ezine Queen, Ali Brown. She recently wrote an article on “7 Ways to Market Yourself Within an Ezine” with great suggestions. What Ali describes in her article is the ezine you’re probably used to seeing in your inbox – it includes a note from the editor, a main article, promo blurbs, special announcements etc.

The thing is these ezines take a lot of time to write and a lot of time to read. So if you’re short on time and your target market is short on time maybe it’s time to consider a non-traditional approach…

Non-traditional Ezine

Instead of a big, long ezine try sending a short tip with a link to your blog for more information. The beauty of this strategy is that it drives traffic to your blog. When we implemented this technique for one of my clients, she saw a dramatic increase in blog traffic and comments.

Let me give you an example of what I mean. Let’s say I want to send an email to my list about this blog post that you’re reading. I could say something like…

Hi XXX,

If you already have more business than you know what to do with, stop reading. There are probably better things to do with your time then writing a newsletter. But if you don’t have a steady stream of business, a newsletter is one of the best (and most inexpensive) ways to make it happen.

Maybe you feel like you’re too busy to write a newsletter? Check out my latest blog for a strategy that works and takes only five minutes to do!

All my best,

Jennifer

Do you see how quick and easy it can be? Regardless of its simplicity it still maintains the communication open between you and your target market. They continue to view you as someone who has valuable content to share. Once they land on your blog you can usually include something you want to promote at the end of the post, such as an upcoming event, product promotion etc.

Several of my clients send an entire blog post as the main article for their newsletter and include links to other recent blogs if their readers want to learn more. This requires hardly any additional writing but keeps them front and center with their newsletter list.

Now what if you’re saying, “This sounds great but I don’t have a blog or I don’t post regularly…”? That might mean you really hate writing or are just too busy with other aspects of your business. If that’s the case maybe it’s time to hire a copywriter that can help you maximize the content you already have or create new content. Contact me for a free consultation if you want to learn more.

Tags: Ali Brown, blog, ezine
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A Surefire Technique to Get Red Hot Testimonials

Testimonials are important but hard to get – especially if you want a good one.  The last thing you want to do is harass or annoy your best customers into giving you one.  So what’s the solution?

I recently experimented with a new technique with two of my clients who were having the same problem – getting their customers to provide their testimonials in writing. We got great results and we did it without alienating anyone.

Here are the steps I took:

·         I asked my client for a list of email addresses of the customers I should contact – the ones who would have positive feedback.

·         I sent an email to everyone on this list asking them when I could schedule a 10-minute phone interview with them.

·         When they responded to the email I confirmed a time for our interview and sent them a thorough list of questions to look over BEFORE we talked. This gave them time to mull over their responses.

·         During the interview I kept it brief, asked my questions and wrote down their responses.( I also asked them if there was anything I didn’t think of asking that they wanted to include.)

·         Immediately following the interview, I wrote a well-crafted testimonial using the answers they provided. Whenever possible I used their words and their individual style of expression so that the testimonials sounded authentic, not canned.

·         Then I emailed a draft of the testimonial to the person I interviewed and asked them to make any edits, corrections or additions they wanted. (Very few made changes to what I had written.)

·         Once I had their approval I sent the testimonial to my client to post on their website.

Why did this strategy work so well?

For one thing my clients rock so they have customers who are eager to help them with a good testimonial. This is an element I have no control over. However, both clients had tried to get these favorite customers to write up their own testimonials with little or no response.  Frustrating, isn’t it?

My approach worked like a charm. Almost EVERYONE responded to my request for a 10 minute interview. Most people would rather talk than write. I guess that’s why I have a job as a copywriter!

Give it a try and let me know how it works for you. If you’re not comfortable interviewing your clients you might want to ask your assistant to conduct the interviews or consider hiring a copywriter to help. It takes some work to get red hot testimonials but it’s worth the effort!

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Too Overwhelmed to Create “New” Content? Try Repurposing!

Internet marketing requires that you constantly create new content – ezines, blogs, articles, press releases. And, don’t forget social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook!  If you’re not utilizing your content in these various avenues, you’re limiting your marketing exposure.  It sounds overwhelming, doesn’t it? It doesn’t have to be…when you use repurposing as a shortcut.

Look at what you already have stored in your content “reservoir”.  By creatively expanding what you’ve already developed, you can leverage your time and energy with multiple results. For example, if you’ve been interviewed you can use the information found in your outline or transcript to create blog posts, newsletters or downloadable reports. Let’s say you’ve written an article, use that article in a public presentation or teleseminar by tweaking it to meet the needs of your audience. Just make sure to take the time to organize your content and make the appropriate adjustments depending on your format.

If you’re working with a professional ghostwriter or copywriter, make sure you give them access to your “reservoir” too! I’ve helped many clients repurpose their content from blogs to info products to presentations. The additional benefit of having access to this reservoir is that it helps me to mimic the style of writing. So when clients ask me, “Do you really want to me to send you this old article?” I usually reply, “Yes, send me everything!”  Even if I don’t use all the content it gives me valuable background information.

Repurposing is a huge timesaver. In fact, I used it in writing this blog post! It was based on an interview I gave last year - Leveraging Your Knowledge for Profit – How to Confidently & Quickly Create Compelling Content. So before you jump into your latest project, think about what you can repurpose because with a little tweaking you can save a lot of blood, sweat and tears.

Be sure to share any repurposing tips with me!

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Tips to Inspire the Blogger Within

Are you stumped when it comes to picking a topic for your next blog? When I’m trying to figure out what I want my next blog or newsletter to be about, I think back on the conversations I’ve had that week – especially with my clients.

For example, I’ll have a week where it seems like everybody is asking me, “How do I get a good testimonial? What’s the formula for that?” Then I’ll have a week where everybody wants a press release. “How do I format my press release?” When I stop and think about these conversations I’ve had I end up with great ideas for my next blog or newsletter.

If you start thinking about the conversations you’re having on a regular basis, you’ll realize how much information you have to share that you may not even be aware of. Sometimes we’re just not conscious of how much information we’ve stored up over the years. By observing your conversation patterns, you’ll also get great insight on topics that others find interesting. What do you know that others want to know? That’s exactly what you want to be sharing in your blog.

In addition to being aware of what you already know, be a good observer. We make observations every day, but a lot of times we’re not actively observing. When you watch a commercial or read an article in the newspaper you probably have an opinion about it. I like to have a notebook with me at all times so I can jot down different observations that I make throughout the day. When it’s time to write a blog I can often relate those observations back to my own industry.

Another suggestion is to imitate those you admire. This doesn’t mean you should plagiarize. Never copy and paste someone else’s material. Not only is it unethical, it’s not authentic and ultimately defeats the purpose of blogging.

However, you can and should read other people’s blogs and newsletters. Get on your competitor’s websites. Start getting a feel for what you like. Are your favorite articles funny or inspirational? When you get a sales email, what gets you to buy, and what gets you to hit delete? You’ll start to see what appeals to you and what doesn’t. Many times reading other people’s information is what’s going to get you excited about sharing your own information.

Please share any tips that have helped you stay inspired as a blogger. Now if only I could find the time to blog – still working on the solution to that problem!

FYI - I talked more about the benefits of blogging and how to maximize their exposure in a recent interview with Kim DeYoung of Metromom.com, Leveraging Your Knowledge for Profit – How to Confidently & Quickly Create Compelling Content. Click here, scroll to the bottom of the page and choose the “Essentials Program” to learn how you can download individual interviews (like mine) and get a transcript of the entire call.

Tags: blog, blogger, conversations, observer
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Speaking at the Metromom Telesummit on Leveraging Your Knowledge for Profit

I’m really excited to be one of the speakers at the upcoming Metromom Online Success Telesummit. I’m one of 18 experts sharing information on how to maximize your time and energy with knock-out internet marketing strategies. There will be so much great information about blogging, press releases, social networking, SEO techniques and much, much more.

My talk is about Leveraging Your Knowledge for Profit – How to Confidently & Quickly Create Compelling Content. I will share the following tips:

- How to determine you area of expertise so you can share your information with confidence
- How to be (and stay) inspired so you never experience writer’s block
- How to get it out of your head (or your hard drive) by capitalizing on your style of communication
- 3 shortcuts on recycling content into various forms - articles, newsletters, blogs and even info-products

This is a virtual event that takes place on May 1st and 2nd and the best part is that there’s no cost to sign-up! You can go to this page to learn more about it and watch a great video by MetroMom Founder, Kim DeYoung. (If you can’t make it on May 1st and 2nd sign-up anyway so you can learn about various packages that include MP3s or CDs for all 18 calls.)

Tags: blogging, content, Metromom Online Success Telesummit, press releases, Social Networking
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