Whether your newsletter is a weekly, monthly or quarterly commitment it’s important that you have a plan for keeping the production flowing. Your subscribers need to know that you will deliver exactly when you say you will, otherwise you will be in danger of appearing unreliable and not doing what you said you would. Remember: as a solo service professional it's important to build the like, know, and trust factor, and getting your newsletter out on time, every time, is one of the ways in which you achieve this.
However, getting your newsletter out on time is just another task on top of the ton you already do to keep your business running, as well as the work you do for your clients.
So, how can you ensure that you keep your newsletter on track? Here are my top 4 tips for doing just that:
1. Create a template
If you’re a regular subscriber to my newsletter you will see that it follows the same format each time: an introduction, the main article, a great resources section (or Market Place), a Tracey Recommends (good section for promoting your own products and services in way that will stand out) and an About Tracey. This is my template that I use each month to produce my newsletter. I have a blank word document that I just drop that month’s content into and voila!, the newsletter is ready to go out.
Hint: The Tracey Recommends and Market Place sections I only change about every month or so. You don’t need to change them each time. This means that the only areas you need to provide content for are your personal note at the beginning, your feature article, and any updates to your events. See how quick it is!
2. Set up an Editorial Calendar
An Excel document is easy for doing this - dates long the top; newsletter sections along the side. Plan your calendar well in advance so that you know the topics you are going to discuss. I also find having the editorial calendar very useful because if I come across a topic that I know I’m going to use in a newsletter I can save the info into my folder.
3. Grab a Binder
I have a big lever arch file just for my newsletter with the calendar, future topics, ideas etc. all in one place. Use tabbed dividers to keep all these sections separate.
4. Schedule in the Time
Whether you produce your newsletter weekly, quarterly or monthly, schedule the time in your calendar to write the content and produce your newsletter.
Follow through on all of these tips above and you will find it EASY to keep your newsletter on track!
