In Which I Lionize the Newsletter

The simple newsletter gets a very bad rap. Despite the fact that newsletters, and particularly e-newsletters, offer a simple, cost-effective way for business owners to keep in touch with their networks, the newsletter is often derided as being – well – boring. “But!” I argue, “this is not the fault of the humble newsletter!” The real problem is that, all-too-often, people write their newsletters without being quite…sure…why. This leads to lack of focus, to confusion of tone, and to – you guessed it – boring writing.
As with any other piece of written material, the newsletter should, first-and-foremost, strive to educate, enlighten, or entertain. There’s really no excuse for writing that doesn’t do at least one of these three things, because even writing that’s intended to fuel sales works much more effectively if it also incorporates one of the 3 Es. So before you press send, ask yourself:
Did I write this to educate, entertain, or enlighten my readers – or to make a sale?
Does this newsletter further my brand identity – or is it generic? (If you’re a small business owner, you are your brand…so the question becomes: did I bring something of myself to this newsletter – or not?)
Did I really have something to say in this newsletter – or was it just “that time of the month”? Did I express myself clearly and well – or is this convoluted, impenetrable, and full of typos?
Be honest now – because a bad newsletter is better than no newsletter but a good newsletter is better still.