In this blog posting I want to talk about one of the things that makes a great newsletter - the all-important topic of content.  Great newsletters are newsletters that customers love to read. Here are the important points about the kind of writing that customers love.  

Customers love stories. Don’t just describe what you do. Demonstrate your benefits for the customer by telling them about someone like them who succeeded because they purchased your product or service.  

Customers love to learn new things. You’re the expert on your business and what you do. Tell them about new developments. Introduce them to new products or services. Offer them articles that help them learn. 

Customers love a little humor. Just because newsletters are serious business doesn’t mean you should be long-faced and serious all the time. Lighten your message with gentle humor. 

Customers don’t want to work hard to get value from your newsletter. The best newsletter writing is like the best writing anywhere. It’s simple and easy to read.  I’ve been producing newsletters for nearly thirty years for clients in just about every industry.

Whether it’s working with my private corporate clients in Dynamic Communication (http://www.dynamiccommunication.net ), or producing my nationally famous No Hassle Newsletters (http://www.nohasslenewsletters.com), I can tell you that following these rules is not always easy.  Sometimes it is just too easy for companies to take some copy from other marketing sources and drop in the newsletter – just to get it done. The problem with this approach is that your newsletter reads like just another marketing piece. This is a sure fire way for your newsletter to therefore receive the same treatment – which is usually a fast trip to the circular file!    

Aside from the overall appearance (emphasizing the importance of a first impression), nothing screams “amateur” like a poorly written headline. The vast majority of your newsletter’s readers will scan the newsletter and read the headlines first. I can’t overstate the importance of writing good headlines.  

A well-written headline will tell the reader what the point of the article is. Your headlines need to contain positive, strong action words – the shorter and simpler, the better. 

Unfortunately, I see too many writers try to be cute or clever when writing headlines. Many of our major metropolitan newspapers do so every day – perhaps giving the impression that this is acceptable! Let me remind you that you have but a few seconds to grab the attention of your readers and make them want to read your newsletter. I strongly believe that 99 percent of the time, “cute” will not close the sale. 

Here are three things that a headline should do:

Grab Attention – Simply put, the headline must stop the readers in their tracks and cause them to read further.Tell the Story – A well-written headline tells readers right away what a story is about.   Enhance the Page – The headlines on a page should all work together to help you close the sale. In this case, the “sale” is merely getting your readers to agree that giving up five or ten minutes of their time to read your newsletter is a worthwhile decision. 
 
Here are five tips to help you write great headlines:

1. Use active voice.
2. Use present tense.
3. Use short, descriptive words.
4. Make positive statements.
5. Avoid abbreviations and jargon. 

Finally, you may want to avoid using consistent headlines for recurring articles, instead varying the headlines according to the theme. For example, if you must have a “President’s Column” or something equivalent, change the headline with each issue to reflect the important message of the individual article. Learn more about this topic in my book, Newsletter Secrets Revealed - How to Use a Newsletter to Make Your Profits Soar.

Based on my nearly 30 years of experience producing kick-butt newsletters that get results, I want to share five secrets with you on how to create a great company newsletter. 

Secret # 1 - Tell them what else you do. Many customers initially engage with a business by purchasing a single product or service. Over time they may do repeat business, usually reordering the same product or service, unaware of the other products or services that the company has to offer. How many times have you heard a client I didn’t know you did that,” or, “I didn’t know you also sold that”? Or, “I didn’t know you also sold that!” These are all missed opportunities to increase your revenue. 

Secret #2 - Tell them what’s new. As business owners, we are always coming up with new products and services. A newsletter is a great way to get the word out to people who already trust you and find value in what you sell. This can often be done quite effectively by way of customer success stories or testimonials. 

Secret #3 - It’s not about you. This is very important. Your newsletter is not about you or how many industry awards you have won. Your newsletter should be about what’s important and interesting to your customers and clients. Inform, educate, and entertain them, and they will look forward to your newsletter. 

Secret #4 - Recognize the expensive real estate! The back page of your newsletter is not simply the mailing panel; it is the first thing your readers will see when the newsletter comes out of the mailbox. This is a great place to put important items that you want readers to see. In my book, Newsletter Secrets Revealed - How to Use a Newsletter to Make Your Profits Soar, I go into depth on this topic and show you an awesome example from one of my corporate clients.

Secret #5: - Frequency trumps everything. Frequency is more important than the size of a newsletter, whether it’s color or black and white, or even the quality of the content! Yes, you heard me right – I would actually prefer a homemade cheesy newsletter published monthly to a professionally designed newsletter done twice a year. You simply must have frequency to build trust and relationships.