[tmgenterprises]

I am working on building a list and I will be putting out a newsletter each week. My goal is to provide valuable content that will actually help my readers. I am on so many email lists that send nothing but promo after promo and I hate it. The ones that I read and save are the people who send me regular great content. That's the group of marketers that I want to be in.

I don't think I am on any of the regulars' lists in this forum to know if any of you do a newsletter. If you do, I would love to hear your thoughts or tips on how to make a great newsletter. If you don't, I would love to hear what you would find valuable as content.

Since my core skills lie in research, writing and product creation (text only so far), that will be my focus. I want to hopefully make a difference in how my readers approach content creation and do my bit to slow the tide of internet littering that some who call themselves article marketers promote.

Tina

[JMPruitt]

Go for it. I have a bi weekly newsletter that sends out 2 1000+articles/week on different topics. right now I have about 15 months worth in the autoresponder. Then, i will send out promos only as a broadcast, but only with something that I know will provide a lot of value to my readers. I dont send more than 2 a month either.

I do have a soft sell usually, where at the end of each article I recommend a related product, but when you have a 1500 word article, people dont mind 2 sentences about a product that you recommend to go along with what you just shared. I like using a service or tool that complements what I just told them to do.

For example, I have several on link building, and at the end offer a link building service (Troy's actually) that will do at least part of the link building for them.

I also put together a 10-15 page report every month, usually out of spun articles that I have syndicated, and give that away to my list. They are always coming back for more, and often they are asking me for specific topics. This helps me know what my list needs, so I can focus on giving it to them.

Not only do I get sales, but I provide so much more than 90% of the IM lists out there that I have people recommending others to me without any compensation, or me even asking them to. that helps bring even more people into my funnel.

[Admin]

Tina,

I'm like JP,

I work my 2 newsletters similarly - borh are outside of IM at the moment. What I don't do that JP does is give out the reports as regular as he does.

To me, it's always about sending content that helps subscribers get what they need when they need it, and don't worry, most of the time some of the members will tell you what they need or at least hint about the subjects.

And before you ask, I used to have 3 IM lists and got tired of being tied down with all of them by writing my own content. Last year I decided to thin out, sell or get rid of much of my business because I was going in a different direction with it and cutting down on my workload. The best part about it is that I am making more after making the adjustments than before.

As a reader, I like meat or substance from a newsletter. I too got tired of all the sales and no content, and the worse part about it was that I was starting to get like everyone else with one goal in mind - making that buck. I guess you could say I went through and examination period and didn't like what I saw.

Anyway, good luck with your newsletter.


JP,

Now that's the way to run a newsletter - very cool dude!

[tmgenterprises]

Great thoughts. I hadn't thought about the free reports but that's a wonderful idea that I think I'll be borrowing. Especially if you give them permission to pass it on, I should think.

I'm glad to hear that I'm not off track, then. There are only a handful of IM newsletters that I actually look forward to and all of them provide actionable content in them.

Tina

PS. James, I just signed up through your link in your signature - is that going to get me on the newsletter list you described?

[Jim Gillum]

A suggestion.....In my long term plan.....if you build your own sites....

Use your auto responder to direct your folks to a "new" article page on your site.....
Or newsletter pages...ads content to your site......

Then you can periodically ad promo links while providing info for your subscribers....(almost like an adsense load blog)....

You can build the pages in advance , as time permits, and build authority with Google...

[tmgenterprises]

That's a great suggestion, Jim. I can't believe I hadn't thought of that already with this one. I will do that with the articles part as you are absolutely right.

Tina

[JMPruitt]

Yes, I run this list that way, so you will see what I mean. The thing with the free reports is it is all about training your list to respond to your links. I set up a landing page with a download, and send them out once or twice, randomly a month.

they don't have to be long, just valuable. I do reports, a video, an audio recording. its all about providing value. the best way to virally build your list is to treat them so well that they tell others to join.

[tmgenterprises]

I would love to hear a little more about the reports you put out for your list. Do you have any backend built-in, like links to other products or things like that? Or just pure info and allow them to give them away with just a link back to your site?

Tina

[JMPruitt]

I do some of both. It really depends on what the report is covering. Like, right now, I have one that I am putting out on planning, creating check lists, and setting goals. I go into a little bit and some basic ideas and at the end recommend a goal setting product that I have used myself.

Sometimes, I will do one that is just a short little report made up of a couple of articles that I have put together, and link to a relevant blog post. I do this especially if I have a guest post on a blog that I want to get some traffic to.

[kimkitch]

VALUE that is the keyword here.

If your reader learns just one new thing from each of your newsletters then you have given value.

Show them how something can be achieved and they will thank you for it, do not try to sell in your first newsletter. Then a little further down the line your newsletter can repeat your message and then subtly mention that there is a way that they can achieve the same results but a lot quicker (this is when you can add your product link). A lot of people will have attempted to do what you suggested in your first newsletter and probably found it very time consuming, so will be looking for something that will give them some of their time back.

Anybody who is serious in running a successful business online knows that you must speculate to accumulate and they will spend money but not if you ram a sales letter down their throat in the first instance.

Regards

Kim

[tmgenterprises]

Actually, I plan on including some sort of pitch in just about every issue but this could be a free report or a click to read a blog post that I found useful. I want to get them used to clicking a link in pretty much every email. I will not be sending purely promotional emails to this list, or at least very rarely. I want this to be one of the ones that they actually look forward to reading.

Tina

[kimkitch]

Yes I agree that is a good approach, but I also believe that people are very sceptical of clicking on links due to damage that spammers have done. That is why my first newsletter will always include no links.

Kim

Originally Posted by tmgenterprises

Actually, I plan on including some sort of pitch in just about every issue but this could be a free report or a click to read a blog post that I found useful. I want to get them used to clicking a link in pretty much every email. I will not be sending purely promotional emails to this list, or at least very rarely. I want this to be one of the ones that they actually look forward to reading.

Tina

[Jeffery]

I used to do all of the above in the I.M. industry, but like Mary I was getting caught-up in the "more money" aspect of the business. What I do now is sell custom websites and only paid members are on one of my two lists. The first list is updates to the websites and the only offers in the emails are directed to a members only page. The second list is also only for paid members that receive one-on-one coaching. Myself, I give nothing away for free. I do giveaway free brandable reports in the membership site, but only those that other marketers pay me to add to my membership site. And even then, the reports must pass my quality assurance standards - no cheap material - ever.

At some point I suggest that my clients stop sending out free newsletters and only sell the newsletters. This usually occurs when they reach 2,000 subs that have already paid for a product or service. The bottom line is.. it takes as much effort (expense included) to giveaway a product or service as it does to sell a product or service.

Free newsletters are a great way to get started and build a list. The real business end of a free newsletter is to convert the free subs to paid subs. Never forget that if you want to build an online business with a list providing information. Information can only go so far with a large percentage of your subs be they free or paid subs.

People (subs) do not always understand the online business and those that do not "get it" eventually stop responding to your marketing efforts, suggestions, advise, instructions, etc. for a number of different personal reasons. For those subs the only way to retain them as paid subs is to sell a product of your own or an affiliate product that you are an expert on and will maintain for the sub.

Free newsletters, free reports, free services and everything related to "free" is a conduit to your income and it is all good as long as the end result is a conduit to "Paid" information, products, and services.

Almost all work-at-home businesses start with five plans:
1. A short term business plan.
2. A long term business plan.
3. A backup business plan to change everything in the blink of an internet eye.
4. A support plan for when people start paying you- you have to be prepared to support them.
5. A plan of personal or company reputation.

Do a little research and you will find The 5 Plans are part of a marketing method called Gorilla Marketing. The concept is you can be a 100 pound Gorilla - go forward without a plan - and be stomped by a 1,000 pound Gorilla that has a plan.

That is what you are really asking for.. A plan and how to do it successfully.. with real content from a real person (no newsletters with zillions of offers and fluff).. all the way to the end.. all the way to the bank.

Without sounding condescending (Mary knows I am not that way) you are asking some of the right questions, but not all of the right questions.

I know Mary and JP. They shoot straight and do all the right things. Keep on em

Jeffery 100% :-)

[Dean]

As far as newsletters go, I have one that I am subscribed to that I think gets it right, and I actually look forward to getting his letters. You can sign up if you would like to see it here MLM Home Business Secrets

I do not think you need to have a paid subscription to a newsletter, in fact I would go so far as to say you are leaving a fortune on the table if that is your plan - unless you are Richard Branson or Donald Trump and can charge $10,000 to $20,000 a year membership.

Nor do I expect to get a bunch of "useful" articles from an auto responder. I would unsubscribe from you in a heart beat.

If you follow the person on that link you will discover he monetizes his news letter in several ways. One way is via an affiliate product he often recommends, but that is for pocket money. There are at least two other ways I can think of that he makes money from his newsletter material, and that is where the real secret is.

[SEOArbiter]

Newsletters and auto-responders are excellent tools for staying in frequent contact with your prospects and clients. We recommend using them as part of your marketing mix.

[angellee]

Newsletter is the great thing which update their subscriber that what are the new things and events are happening every day and every week. If people subscribe with the auto responder the they can get the updated regular basis.