is for …

Dear Alun

A regular newsletter is a great way to keep in touch with your clients and a useful tool for helping you find new ones. However, many people struggle to write a regular newsletter, because they don’t take the time to plan what they’re going to write about. With no plan, the task of writing can become harder and harder – especially if you’re not a natural writer and you find it quite difficult to get your thoughts onto paper or the screen. So this issue of JAC Tips will give you some ideas on how to plan for an easier newsletter.

Best wishes,

Chantal

J is for … January, June and July

How do we get from January, June and July to planning? Because as I sat wondering what J was for when it comes to newsletters, these three words/months came to me and I decided to use them to illustrate the importance of planning.

How do you plan your newsletter?

• A seasonal series. You can pick areas of your business and expertise that relate to the seasons. The obvious ones are surviving Christmas and a new start in the New Year; what advice can you give near Valentine’s Day or in the middle of the summer?

• The twelve things you really need to know. Divide your area of experience into twelve different issues. They don’t have to be related to the seasons – you just need twelve areas if you’re planning a monthly newsletter. When you’ve worked your way through all twelve months, start again from the beginning, updating your readers on what’s new. This is what I’ve been doing for the last two years with my other newsletter, Scribbles, which is full of ideas on how to promote your business. November is always about printed marketing and you can click here to subscribe and receive it as soon as it’s published.

• Know your ABC. When I started the A – Z of Newsletters I didn’t think it was a very original idea, but got lots of great feedback about it. Why not try it with your area of expertise? While you don’t have to plan out the exact content, knowing which letter you’re working on next will help get you started.

Some people like to write their newsletters when the inspiration grabs them. The results are usually great to read, but if you’re someone who finds writing more of a chore, put some sort of plan in place and you might even start to enjoy it!

What Else is J For?

Just Giving is a website which can help you raise money for your favourite charity. If you’ve got an event coming up, you can create your own page and then direct people to it, where they can make a donation or sponsor you. The money goes straight to the charity, saving you time and effort. They can also collect Gift Aid from UK tax payers (an extra 28%), which really helps. Next April I’m doing a sponsored ride in Jordan. I’ve already raised £2000 for the Brooke Hospital for Animals. If you can help me raise another £500, click here.

Just Add Content. Well, it had to happen eventually, didn’t it?! I’m usually very careful not to give too much space in this newsletter to the system that I use for sending it out, but J is definitely for Just Add Content (or JAC as we like to call him.) I bought the system nearly two years ago and combined it with my marketing business. What makes us different is the fact that we provide a very personal level of service – you can speak to real people at sensible times of the day. In addition, it’s not just about newsletters – we give our clients masses of marketing support, to help them get the best from their newsletters. If you’d like to know more, click here. Thanks for bearing with me; shameless plug now officially over!