The reason is that I'm dedicated to communicating my message and being identified with a well-defined set of capabilities in my markets. This brings customers to me at the exact time they need my services, and they already understand the value I can provide. Unless you are new to my newsletters, you probably know what I'm talking about.
Two Markets, Two Messages
I produce two newsletters a month, this one you are reading is sent to vendors and other subscribers who are interested in attracting and growing business through the creation and distribution of informational content. The other newsletter, "Practical Stuff" is for folks who work at creating documents or getting them distributed. My newsletters go out every single month. Other than a brief period when I was redefining my message I don't think I've missed an issue since 2006.
Consistency is important to my business. That includes a regular publication schedule of course. But I also strive for a consistency in my message. I don't try to be all things to all people - a mistake that I see a lot of companies and individuals making. It is tempting to promote every part of your business, every time. It seems you might miss out on a sale if you neglect mentioning a certain capability. But what really happens is that you fade into the background. You're not known for anything in particular. You are not THE solution for a particular problem. You are not memorable.
Shortly after I decided to market my services to vendors I started up this newsletter and moved all the vendors away from Practical Stuff. With the vendor crowd I'm known for creating custom content that helps them stay in the consciousness of their customers and prospects. On the other hand, the Practical Stuff subscribers recognize me as an expert in document operations - the guy who wrote a useful book for document operations managers. The messages to these two groups are quite different, but the methods of delivery are the same.
NOTE: Anyone can read either of the newsletters.
Archives can be found HERE.
Some Clients Get It, Some Don't
You might be aware that I do the same kind of thing to help clients of mine improve their own reputations in the marketplace. I write articles, do customer case studies, and create other content for them. And then I help them distribute the content, generally through e-newsletters.
Sometimes it's difficult to get clients to understand that the benefits of publishing informational content are cumulative and long term. They are used to marketing campaigns designed to start attracting business immediately. If nothing happens early on, the efforts are abandoned. Instead of committing to publishing consistently some clients have me create one newsletter and are subsequently disappointed that sales didn't increase as a result. That same expectation is one of the reasons why so many of my clients have started newsletter programs on their own that they discontinued after only a few issues.
Discarding the notion of an immediate and direct relationship between informational content and sales activity is hard. Not everyone can do it. The fact that we live in a world of immediate gratification in so many parts of our lives today doesn't help. We've all heard the clich� about business being a marathon instead of a sprint, but somehow that doesn't always seem to line up with the expectations of our superiors or even ourselves.
I'm going to continue to publish for myself on a regular basis. And some of my clients are dedicated to doing the same. The others I'm afraid will continue to be frustrated by the ups and downs of the marketplace and will hang onto the hope that spending large sums on marketing campaigns will generate satisfactory results.
