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The Importance of Newsletters
In Week 15, we discuss newsletters and their critical importance in supporting your direct marketing and networking efforts.  Newsletters have a unique importance in business development for consultants.  They tend to "mask" your true sales intentions with articles and information of a personal interest to the reader.  The most effective newsletters are those that deal with complexities and explain how to overcome obstacles.  You can easily then see why newsletters are the perfect tool for your business.  In fact, if done properly, newsletters can become your most valuable tool for business development. 

Types of Newsletters
Newsletter come in many types and styles and you may need to create more than just one.  For example, you may need a newsletter for...

•  Prospective Clients...which provides general business information.  You may target your newsletter to service providers or manufacturers and distributors.

•  Members of Your Networks...where the newsletter will contain information about local events along with informative articles on commercial finance.

Enhance Your Image and Build Credibility
One of the most powerful attributes of newsletters is to build credibility for their publisher as an "expert".  It is well known that newsletters work well for complex products or service areas which make the perfect for your industry and for you to "show your stuff".  Don't make your newsletter just another sales piece.  You will naturally use your newsletter to address problems of business owners and provide solutions.  But, you must also make it compelling to read your newsletter by focusing on truly valuable information.

Newsletters:  An Absolute Necessity for All Brokers
Whatever method you use to accomplish it, newsletter publication is a must. There is no quicker method of positioning yourself as an expert in small business finance in your community or to build relationships with others.  You must always set aside a day at the end of the month to publish a business-generating newsletter. 

Drive those who receive your newsletter to your website where they can complete a short form to receive your latest offer for a "report" or "article".  Email the offer to them but always follow up that email with a telephone call to make certain they have received the item.  Such direct contact is the beginning of the relationship building process.

Direct Mail vs. Online Delivery
Newsletters are excellent tools to drive business owners and others to your website where they can opt-in and subscribe to your offer.  When publishing your newsletter, you will need to make the decision as to whether you print and send your newsletter using direct mail and postage or send your newsletter via email and enjoy a very modest cost. 

If using direct mail, get the most bank for the buck if possible and "wow" the reader with your newsletters appearance.  Newsletters delivered using direct mail will usually get more readership.  To insure this, use photos and color in your newsletter if possible.  One place to get pre-printed high quality stock for your newsletter is Paper Direct www.paperdirect.com.

Due to the shear number of online newsletters these days, sending your newsletter via the internet will cause readership to suffer a bit.  This can be overcome to some extent, however, by using a quality delivery service such as Constant Contact www.constantcontact.com

Constant Contact offers hundreds of quality newsletter templates to assist you in publishing a very high quality newsletter.  For those not familiar with desktop publishing, Constant Contact tutorials walk their clients through the process of newsletter publishing so that virtually anyone can publish a very high quality newsletter with their products.

What to Include in Your Newsletter
The goal of your newsletter is to cause the reader to take some "action".  This might simply be to call you but most often it is to drive the reader to your website for additional information.  Make sure your newsletter gives the reader a reason to go online and visit your site for a FREE report or white paper. 

Often you will see a short newsletter contain just the first paragraph of a story and you then must select (more) to get the remainder of that article.  Such "teasers" are an excellent way to get readers to your website for the balance of the article.

Always try to include "Case Studies" in your newsletters.  These short articles provide examples of how your services can help their business.  Use a paragraph in your newsletter to entice the reader with a common problem to small business such as "payroll finance".  Then, direct them to your website where a "Case Study" provides a solution such as factoring.

Write Articles for Others
One way you can build your newsletter opt-in list is by writing articles for others publishing a newsletter in your area.  Your knowledge is of great interest to small business owners. Look for other professionals that are already publishing a newsletter where an article on factoring or payroll finance might fit right in.  This would include such publishers as insurance agents, bookkeepers, and almost anyone that sends a newsletter to small business.  Such publishers are always looking for interesting "filler".  Offer to pay $50 or $100 towards the postage or printing of the newsletter.  Articles offer a great way to use someone else's list of subscribers and to get bang for a much reduced buck.