Four Ways to Ensure a Regularly Distributed Newsletter
 

You know a newsletter is a valuable marketing tool in today?s busy society. And you know it?s important to send it out on a regular basis. But, how do you get that done? How do you find the time and come up with the subjects so that your newsletter is a regular and expected part of your recipients? lives?

Try applying the following four tips:

1. Take stock.

Determine what you can handle so that you don?t bite off more than you can chew. Consider: How much time do you have? Can you think of enough subjects? If it?s printed, what is the printer?s turn around time? If it?s emailed, who will be caring for its creation and the subscribers list? What frequency is reasonable for you? every month? every quarter? every other month? Give serious thought to what you have going for you and what will be your challenges, then plan your newsletter accordingly. If you?ve already started your newsletter, take time to review. Are you on target? Do you need to make any adjustments in order to get on track?

2. Schedule time.

Your business is important. Certainly, there are many facets of your business that are more important than your newsletter. But, acknowledge the value of marketing and the value of developing a relationship with your clients or customers. Then, schedule the time that a good newsletter needs and your readers deserve. Allow time to create, edit, and rewrite, as well as the time involved in typing, layout, and printing or distributing. Allow time for anyone else involved to do their part with quality. Think of the newsletter as the valuable tool it is, and include it in your schedule of business to do?s.

3. Keep a clip file.

As you begin your newsletter, you should become tuned in to subjects, news, and ideas that might be used in your newsletter. Create a folder?maybe a literal folder for paper clippings and articles or jotted notes, and an electronic folder for e-news and such. As you speak with clients or customers, note any common questions or complaints. Does anyone have any stories or experiences to tell? As you read newspapers, trade journals or any other information regarding your field, save any information that may be the beginnings of an article. Also, jot down any ideas as soon as they come to you, and put them in your file. You can flesh them into good newsletter content in the future. As you become attuned and start to collect material, coming up with subjects for your newsletter will become easier. (By the way, be sure you are not violating any copyrights when using your clips.)

4. Ask for help.

Once you?ve established a regularly distributed newsletter, make every effort to be on time with each issue. If you?ve found it?s more than you bargained for, consider asking for help. Can a business colleague contribute an article for this issue? Can an employee take some of the load from you? Would it be to your advantage to hire a freelancer to do some or all of the work? You want to avoid giving recipients the impression that you are indifferent toward them or your business...or worse yet, that you are unreliable. Once you?ve got a schedule, find creative ways to stick to it.

As you continue to work on your newsletter and apply these four tips, you will find it becomes easier to create and distribute a quality newsletter on time and at regular intervals. Your clients and customers will come to look forward to each issue. You will witness this marketing tool coming alive, creating a relationship between you and your readers as they give you feedback, pass it on to friends, and contact you when they need your services.

 

 Grammar Corner
 Apostrophes with Plural Acronyms & Initialisms?

Should you use an apostrophe (') with plural Acronyms or Initialisms?

If you refer to more than one DVD, is it DVDs or DVD's? If you want to discuss the three nurses, is it the three R.N.s or the three R.N.'s? And what if a student earned more than one A one his or her grade report? Is it, he made all As? or all A's?

Basically, the rule is: Do not use an apostrophe to make it plural unless the meaning would be unclear without it. In the examples I gave, the grades need an apostrophe to make the meaning clear. The DVDs and R.N.s are correct without.

He made all A?s on his report card.
I own 362 DVDs.
The R.N.s in this hospital are wonderful.

Possessives use an apostrophe. For example: The R.N.'s room was next to mine. The DVD's case was ruined.

[By the way, if you're wondering what an initialism is, it looks just like an acronym. The pronunciation determines which it is. If it's pronounced as a word it's an acronym (NASA); if each letter is spoken, it's an initialism (HMO).]

 

 Software Savvy
 Saving in Rich Text Format

When sending a document to someone via email, it's always good to check with them to see what form they prefer. If their software is different from yours, it is common to save the document in Rich Text Format (RTF), which is compatible with many software programs.

Saving a document as an RTF is simple. In Word, Choose SaveAs. In the dialog box that appears, type in the name of your document in the File Name: field. And in the Save as type: field below it, use the drop down arrow to find "Rich Text Format" in the choices provided. Click the OK Button, and Word will save your document as an RTF.

If you have a different software program, like WordPerfect, this process is usually quite similar. Check it out. The next time you need to send a document to someone who has different software, you will be able to save it in Rich Text Format.

 

 Share Your Thoughts
 

Consider this scenario:

You've subscribed to a newsletter, and it's delivered to you once a month.

What would make you delete it without even opening it?

Send me an email to share your thoughts.