Newsletters Prevail Over Junk Email!

Day 15! The half way mark for the 30 Day Blog Challenge!

Today's topic is a little bit of an adaptation on the actual topic that Natalie Sisson has set out.  I'm not quite ready to tackle my own mailing list but I'm ready to dream...  So...

If you had a mailing list for your blog/business, what content would it include? How frequently would you send it out? What purpose and value would the email have?

So I just wrote a whole bunch of stuff and realised it was filled with BITCHING ABOUT EMAIL NEWSLETTERS!  Apparently I have issues! LOL

I deleted what I wrote.

Instead of torturing you with my ranting, I am opting to summarise in point form my irritations.  I wonder if you can relate?

• Too many! (Particularly if you're reminding me of something for the umpteenth time!)
• Too messy! (If I have to read a ton of filler or search for the good bits in a sea of crazy fonts, advertising or junky graphics, you've lost me!)
• It's just FILLER - no good stuff!
• Too SALES PITCHY! (I'll buy if I like what you have to sell, not if you cram it down my throat!)

What is it that I LOVE about email newsletters?  Good wholesome meaty VALUE in each edition that I love to open and read.  That I will skip over a dozen others to read!  I love to expect good stuff inside and find it easily. I want to SMILE when I see that subscription in my inbox. I want to smile even bigger when I read it.  And I want to LOOK FORWARD TO next time!

My time is valuable (even if I am a procrastinator... LOL) and I don't want to waste it deleting 1000 emails and potentially great value content, simply because of one of the above occurring one too many times!

If I had an email list of my own... I would want the following:

• To SMILE as I wrote the newsletter
• To have GREAT FEEDBACK about my newsletter
• To FEEL GOOD about the whole process

Image from www.letterboxproject.com

I would provide a clean, brief, interesting and informative newsletter.  I imagine it to include an update of what's going on or recently occurred, maybe something funny or inspiring, a suggestion or tip or two and all formatted in a simple, easy to follow manner that is repeatable and dependable.  If there's QUALITY content I don't think there's any need to send out more frequently than every 2 weeks UNLESS something BIG is about to happen! If what you offer is LOVED then you won't be forgotten.  In fact, I believe you'll be craved!