When articles start with “5 tips” or “3 ideas”, etc. my interest is piqued. Who doesn’t like a short list of ideas? This April blog post from Constant Contact is one of those – the title of “7 Step Guide” caught my eye.
After reading this post I can’t say I disagree with any of the seven, but as a small business owner who was the marketer as well as most of the other functions (HR, A/P, A/R, sales, etc.), I always found I was always running behind on getting the newsletter out on a regular schedule. So while it is eluded to throughout this article, I would stress making your newsletter a PRIORITY. You need to see the value in your email or print marketing strategy and you need to prioritize it. If you’re just going through the motions your message will not be as impactful to your audience.
This brings up my other tip – and they talk about this a bit in the tips section so be sure to read on – make sure you’re content is quality and reflects the subject of your email. Going back to those catchy “5 tips” headlines, I have been sucked in by far too many that, when I read them in hopes of grabbing some new ideas, are really lame.