Email marketing that is so valuable your readers pay you would be a great way to make money – provided your emails are valued by your readers.  In reality your emails are in hand-to-hand fighting in the inbox with spam and other email messages and could be beaten.

One way round this is the new idea that emails are on a pay-per-read basis. On My attention people are saying how much they would charge a reader.  The real question is of course, how much would people pay to read.

However, it is worth bearing in mind that in the original days of the postal system it was the recipient who paid the man on the horse delivering the mail. Before you broke open the seal on the letter, you would decide whether it was worth it!

Improving your chances of getting your emails read is the first step – whether or not paid-for email becomes a reality.

1. Write to people you know (or who have heard of you).  It is spam to send to strangers, anyway, but the principle of a small list of fans rather than a huge list of connections is useful, so you build up genuine communication.  Your marketing generally will help to get your name into the minds of people in your target market, so the list can grow.  If you are writing from your name it is better to carry on, even if at some point this task is performed for you.  Your name is valuable.  Once your name is known, the chances of email being read, letters being opened and phone calls being received are increased.
2. Be consistent.  This sounds easier than it is!  Even if you have decided to write a monthly newsletter only, commit to it, and make it a top priority.  If in doubt be consistent, and then build up to frequenqy.  In some ways writing more often is actually easier, and the ideas flow, but the worst thing is to start in a blaze of enthusiasm and then stop.  It happens a lot, so don’t worry if it has happened in your business.
3. Write a headline which is interesting for the reader so they will want to open it.  At the start you have to provide excellent value.
4. Write a headline which can be read in one eye span.  Headlines that are too long will be cut.  Short and snappy is best.
5. Relate to your readers’ life and issues.  The more closely you know what life is like for them, the more credibility you and your company will gain.  Modern email systems let you target sub-groups without wasting trees or spending long days slaving over a hot computer.
6. Once you have written your newsletter, take a break. When you come back to it you will look at it with new ideas.  Often ideas develop during the writing, and you may be able to focus the content more clearly.
7. Check to see that you are providing value. You can be a guide-post to interesting and relevant stuff, as well as give it yourself.  You will know if you have done something amazing because people will tell you.  However, it is worth asking customers when you see them.  If your market is not very computer confident, they might prefer to tell you in person.
8. Don’t be 100% serious. We all like entertainment, and we all want to relate to real human beings not machines. Once you have gained trust, let people into your world.  The more you enjoy sending email, the more likely it is that your readers will enjoy reading it.  A few surprises can be good, too!
9. If you are giving good value it is fine to ask for a response. It could be to click a link, make a phone call, buy something.  Once you are the authority for your market, you will be doing them a disservice if you do not let them know about other opportunities.  Shake up the ratio of value to response – never just hit people to buy.
10. Deliverability and Reports. If using your own servers make sure you get the information about opened emails, bounces etc. If you do not have your own servers use a good third-party email software company.  Sending a lot of emails could get you banned, but in addition to delivering bulk email, the software will give you reports on opens, bounces etc, and will integrate easily with your website.

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Poetry inspires us by getting to the heart of it all.  Suddenly we see things in a different light, we think and feel in a new way and then become renewed ourselves.  We all need constant inspriation in our work, as a way of connecting with ourselves as well as an alternative to the constant busy “doing.”

As it is National Poetry Day today I am publishing a poem.  Having recently read it in a blogging workshop I feel more encouraged to let it see the light of day!

To my creative self

I thought at first that you liked things Done Properly

You know, new notebook, Time to Do It,

Focus, Discipline, and bingo, Results.

But I knew that wasn’t me so I tried to outwit

you, disarm you, prove I was right.

a poem on the back of a bus ticket

in a scruffy diary, while I was walking

painting my bedroom wall, travelling somewhere,

drawing in the margin of my work life.

And all the time you were just with me,

Wherever I was.

And now I have acknowledged you

Given you proof of your existence

Enjoyed the flash of recognition between us

The matching of equals

Now I feel your stubborn ness.

You’re not going anywhere.

It doesn’t matter how I do it

You won’t be shaken off

You are holding me fiercely

But that’s not enough for you

You need more

You want us to be together side by side

Step by step.

I don’t yet know how to be a partner

With you

my creative self.

© Jean Wolfe

January 2003

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The trouble is that jobs often drag on, and change shape without having a sense of completion.  In fact your customers may not really know whether you have done a good job or not, but they will certainly be able to tell if the project is not completed.

I was reminded of this recently as I discovered a leak in a radiator and needed to call a plumber urgently.

My normal plumber did not reply, so I called another who had been recommended as good value and reliable. He came promptly, and all seemed to be well, and I was thinking that I could use this new plumber in future as he is much more local.  The carpets were getting soaked, and water was pouring down walls so I didn’t get comparison quotes – I needed quick action.

After the new radiator was installed, and the plumber had gone I glanced outside and noticed the old radiator propped up against a wall.  Now I may not be an expert on plumbing but I certainly know customer service when I see it.

I expected the old radiator to have been taken away.  It is extremely heavy, and I have no way of disposing of it at all.  So I had to phone the plumber up and ask him to take it away.  He did so, but without an apology and rather grudgingly.

Dirty old radiator not taken away at the end of the job

I have no reason to believe the plumbing is not first class, but I am not capable of judging it fully.  The leak has stopped.  However I can judge  customer service, and in my opinion it fell short of what I expected.  So he did not wow me.  The next day my original plumber returned my call as he had been away on holiday and apologised.  Next time he will – yet again – be my first phone call.

Even if we are not plumbers we still have radiator-removal in our business, so we finish the job cleanly.

The final parts of a project are in many ways even more important than the beginning.  Where things have gone wrong it is a chance to get back on track, and where they have gone right you can look back together knowing the work has been completed well.

The final assessment, or even a thank you helps to cleanly finish one scope of work, and tidy up.  It brings a sense of completeness and helps you to look good in your customer’s eyes.  Doing it really well brings that wow factor which is the best marketing in the world.

Mmm perhaps I’ll retrain as a plumber!

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Recently the comments thrown up by Akismet are more complimentary.  They have been along the lines of “This is a very interesting post, please write more” or “This is a long and worthwhile post. I look forward to reading your next one.”  or simply “Please write more”.

Am I flattered?

Of course!

Do I want to believe they are genuine?

Yes.

Do I actually think they are genuine?

No.. although some may be, and I don’t delete them all.

Recently I read a blog post by Michel Fortin the well-known copy-writer where he talks about instigating a zero tolerance approach to Fake Friendly Comments.  As a well-known authority he receives a lot of genuine comments, and an enormous amount of spam comments which recently have been dressed up as compliments.

Now, thinking about it some more I realise when you first start out to comment on someone else’s blog it is in fact quite difficult to know what to say.  You don’t know how the blog writer will respond, and as a normal good natured human you do want to spread good around the world. And despite everything that goes on via the internet, most people are good natured!

So writing a complimentary sentence or two is a natural first step.  After all you wouldn’t force your way into some else’s house unless invited in, and caution is an appropriate response.

So the spam writers have been clever. They have in fact caught what happens in real life.. where people do make vague compliments about each other.  Whether you are writing or receiving a comment on a blog or getting comments that value your business the easiest ones to write are generally non-specific and broadly complimentary. eg

” I have worked with ABC company for years and they are very good.”

“I would recommend John Smith highly.”

“XYZ company are my first choice”

This is the sort of thing people say in real life.  Very often they are the types of comment that my clients think will look good on their website.  They may have tried to get something more substantial from their clients, but they have waited a long time.  The trouble is these comments don’t look real .. even if they are .. and – even worse – they are not interesting to read.

There are no details, no rough edges, no interesting snippets that bring in some life.  Nothing about WHO the writer is, HOW the company has helped, WHAT has changed – with real figures, or real results,  WHEN it all took place, or indeed WHY there was a problem at all.

Once some of these details are written down, the vaguely complimentary comment becomes a great deal more lively.  It is more interesting to read, and becomes of use to the prospective buyer.

“ABC’s financial knowledge has helped us increase profitability by 12% each of the 5 years we have been in business.”

“John Smith’s design work has allowed us to bring in bigger target customers and position the company more confidently in our sector.”

XYZ have consistently cleaned our offices to a high standard.  We have moved to larger premises in Anytown a number of times and they are the number one company we call each time.”

In fact it may be quite a relief to just tell the truth and not have to be complimentary at all!

So too with blogs.  While a warm tone is of course preferable as the conversation is more interactive, responding to the meat of the blog post is preferable to a vaguely complimentary sentence.

It also means that your comment looks more authentic and is less likely to be deleted as spam.

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

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My blogging aims for the first month were:

To provide the best care I could
To enjoy our time together
Not get phased by other blogs that were more developed, or behaved better.

Provide the best care
A well-cared for blog grows, looks healthy and appears to be thriving.
Having just looked again at my four week hosting stats I see that 377 visitors have come calling over a thousand time and each has visited us on 2. 7 ocasions. (Actually take 33 visitors off because, strictly speaking they are from today).

I am not entirely sure about the other metrics. 23,000 pages, 27,000 hits and about 88MB. 88 MB does it mean that the blog will smile early or is putting on the correct weight? Like an anxious parent I watch signs of progress simply for reassurance, and in times of uncertainty have taken confidence in the fact that these numbers are growing healthily.

Best care? I have had advice and help for technical things like FTP (Paul Saunders thanks) and uploading my own designs, and have dipped in and out of Darren Rowse’s excellent 31DBB31 days to build a better blog.

Posting regularly
Regular feeding. I made a commitment to post every working day. This did slip a little in the third week to twice but I am back on track now.

Enjoy our time together.
This is the real measure of achievement, and I am delighted to say it has been a real pleasure. I have found it very freeing having easy access to writing on the web. Unlike a more formal web site, or a sales letter page the opportunity to be more personal has been an unexpected joy! As in real life the initial exhilaration did leave me and there were a few days of blues (blog blues?) when I wasn’t so motivated. In its place has come a more thoughtful approach, and a clearer sense of my purpose.

Other blogs which are more developed
I deliberately chose to focus on my blog to start with. There is only so much energy and time, and I wanted to make sure we were happy together. The online world is very seductive and I thought if I were not careful I would always be wanting the next thing, whereas the real satisfaction lies in being happy where I am.

As a new mum I did consciously make the decision to not engage in baby competition, or in having the latest accessory or fashion item. Taking the time to love the baby worked in real life. Having started a blog before and stoppped because nobody visited it made me clearer about the way forward this time.

In fact it has been a real revelation to see the lovely people out there! Any comments that have come my way have been wonderful, and I am looking forward to giving back.

Twitter
At the same time I have been on twitter. Again in a straightforward way.. learning the etiquette. Haven’t touched any of the million apps to make your twitter life more productive, but just see what it was all about. I have 380 followers as of a moment ago. Satisfying, and I don’t feel that I have played a game… or wasted too much time. I am beginning to see where it is all leading.

So now I am off to get some bells, whistles (and rattles) to shake because we are at the next blog stage!

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The Budget will be the focus of many breakfast and lunch meetings, the hot item of radio and TV news and a perfect way to connect with your clients. It will be part of the conversation already taking place in their head. It can create a link between you in conversation, in emails, letters, newsletters and be the ice-breaker in a presentation or even the subject of a joke.

At this stage I have no idea what will be in the budget as it is a few days away. Of course when the news is known or the parliamentary leaks are broadcast there will be even more material to use to create the conversation. The Budget can of course link back to the recession conversation which is being spoken in different intonations throughout the world.

Nobody is drifting casually through 2009 which is a great opportunity for businesses great and small. We have all woken up. We have all had to think and that is a great business opportunity. We all share certain aspects of the same type of conversation.

It was Robert Collier who first advocated getting into the conversation already taking place in the mind of the customer 70 years ago, and it is just as relevant today.

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Apart from the money… which may not have been a big factor I really wanted to learn how to do it.  I am fascinated by technology, and want to find out how it works so that it can do the best job possible.  But it does mean that I have taken longer to get into the blog party than was necessary.

Still I now feel much more comfortable with registering domain names, setting up hosting, changing the DNS and downloading Wordpress.  Oh yes and I am more familiar with the difference between Linux and Windows hosting and that lots of hosting companies in the UK do not offer Fantastico.  This could have been an issue as I hear that it is better to have your site hosted in your resident country – but I didn’t want to manually install Wordpress so have gone for Hostgator which is based in the US.

It seems as though I have gone into the forest and personally grappled hand to hand with a bear and won!

From worrying about doing things wrong to having a lot more confidence that I can make the technical stuff work has been a fantastic learning experience.  Geekdom is far away but I am a lot less geek-free!  Yay!

In the past I had started blogs hosted on blogspot, as well as one on Wordpress.com. Even though they were simplicity itself I was less committed, and knew they they were not essentially my property. Perhaps the learning curve in itself is a valuable experience.

This time this blog and I are in it for the long haul, and completely confident that we will get there! Watch this space for the quality content as that is also part of the plan.

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