Introducing Your Very First Issue


Update - Find a newer version of this topic here: How to Write the Introduction to Your First Newsletter.

When writing the introduction for your first newsletter issue, here are some things you might want to include:
  • Acknowledge that this is your first issue and that you appreciate your readers' attention.
  • Tell readers what they'll be getting and how often - think about value/benefits to your readers.
  • Tell readers that it's easy to unsubscribe via the footer in every email.
  • Ask for feedback and suggestions.
  • Ask readers to share with colleagues and friends.

Here are some examples of first issues - perhaps you'll find some inspiration:
  1. http://www.icontact-archive.com/ax046v6l6BLsGlxk-7GW8wG0EdaP-YyH?w=4
  2. http://www.icontact-archive.com/C2H8dddLntULMUHekZbVzk8qRVP-1vlS?w=3
  3. http://www.icontact-archive.com/2ekDGgCLjYbRhOtBivO1LmR222Ffd3UH?w=4
  4. http://www.icontact-archive.com/2ekDGgCLjYZ4WdN6E4LBwShggACepfxr?w=4
  5. http://www.icontact-archive.com/PtfzIxd9pZV6wietKwaW2yWbJwOwEJ2u?w=3
  6. http://www.icontact-archive.com/ax046v6l6BIEWmOSLLFPKU9aPi3SYKe2?w=4

Click to Tweet this Article

PS: If writing content is a challenge for you, click here to get my Quick & Easy Content Creation Workbook. It includes 15 writing templates to get you writing and done in no time.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJune 12, 2014 at 10:20 PM

    This is a great site- it's like the one minute manager at my finger tips. Thanks for this

    ReplyDelete
  2. HTML training in chennaiMarch 20, 2015 at 9:54 AM

    Cool stuff. Interesting to read.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Home Office Holiday Party

Image
In preparation for our office party this year, I wrote a poem. Then I gathered together the things I would need to have a party with Romeo and Danielle. (The Temptations were for Romeo, the phone for Danielle, and the coffee for me.) Romeo, my cat, is used to hearing me talk out loud as I proofread and he was unusually excited about hearing the poem. Danielle, who lives several time zones away in Saskatchewan, also works alone (and helps me out lots) so I invited her to my office party by phone. It was a good move because she's a master at rhyming words. After much anticipation, I started to read the finished poem aloud to them. As you can see in the photos above, I had their full attention. Ode to a Midnight Blog Silent night, late at night, I've still got my blog to write. My laptop propped up on my bed, I'm hoping ideas will fill my head. Yawns escaping, eyelids drooping, Neck is stiff, my thoughts are looping. My brain is sore, I th...
Keep reading »

Quick Tip - Avoid Hidden Format Problems

Image
When you're inserting content into your newsletter, website or blog, you're often copying it from other documents.  I suggest you always compose in Word (or similar) to take advantage of its spelling and grammar-checking functionality. Your formatting in Word may not be the same as your default formatting in these various applications.  While there are a raft of applications that make it easy now to do your own newsletter, website and blog, most of them are converting your content to html code in the background.  When you copy in text that is already formatted, you're possibly creating problems behind the scenes .  As well, you'll end up with differing fonts and sizes that all have to be corrected before you publish. You can avoid the potential for problems by stripping off all formatting before you paste into the application.  An easy way to do this is to use Notepad (or similar).  You simply open a blank notepad document, paste your con...
Keep reading »

3 Reasons Why Businesses Should Be Podcasting

Image
(guest post by Mike Tanner) To suggest that I’m a big fan of podcasts would be… a bit of an understatement. In addition to being the host of 3.5 podcasts (it’s a long story), I provide podcasting consulting, speak on podcasting panels and once had a dream that I was the host of a potato chip podcast called “Chip Off The Old Block” (That podcast should be coming out in the fall.) I started podcasting because I enjoyed it. But what I’ve discovered about podcasting as it relates to business has left me realizing that I made the absolute right decision when I decided to start broadcasting my thoughts on an audio medium. So here are three reasons why businesses should be podcasting. Passive Advertising I am a big fan of social media advertising. The targeting options available on major platforms are outstanding and things like analytics and retargeting make it a no-brainer to use social to promote your business, whether that’s through the use of paid ads or just a solid soc...
Keep reading »

A Marketing Strategy Gone Wrong

Image
The first thing I said when he answered the phone was, "Josh, I really feel sorry for you today!" Josh is a pleasant fellow who answered the phone last Thursday when I called the Centre for Arts and Technology in Halifax. I was just a little upset. I was pretty sure that mine wasn't the first call of this sort that he had received, and it wouldn't be the last. It started when I received 17 identical promotional emails to 17 imaginary Daley Progress employees from the Centre for Arts and Technology back on April 17th. ( Click here to get the back story on our imaginary staff.) That's the footer of an email addressed to mikehopkins@daleyprogress.com. (There is no Mike Hopkins.) At the time I replied and asked for all email addresses ending in my domain name to be deleted from their mailing list. Of course, I also took the time to preach a little about the dangers of buying mailing lists. I was disappointed that a reputable organization had been duped . ...
Keep reading »

Three Words for 2017

Image
'Focus' has been my 'word of the year' since January 2010. When I did a little checking to figure out that date, I was surprised at how long I've been focussed on focus. Perhaps I'm as focussed as I'm going to get. This year I'm going to buck the 'one word' movement and go with three words: surprised by joy . It's a wish for how I want to be in 2017. The first line of William Wordsworth's poem of the same name is: "Surprised by joy - impatient as the Wind" I stumbled upon it recently while reading books by Canadian author Louise Penny . "Surprised by joy" is a recurring theme throughout her Inspector Gamache series. Maybe it stuck with me because patience sure isn't my best quality. Share your word (or words) of the year in the comments. Whatever they are, my wish is that you will be surprised by the joy of success this year. Click to Tweet this Article
Keep reading »

2 Reasons to Share your Newsletter Archive

Image
Phew, your newsletter is done and sent. But that shouldn't be the last anyone sees of it. With the online version of your newsletter you can have readers anytime - not just when it gets published and not just those it gets emailed to. #1. Use it as a Resource If your newsletter is informational and useful beyond today, it can become a valuable resource, sort of like a blog. Occasionally share a link to your archive as a post on your social media platforms. Add it to the Resource page on your website if you have one. Put a link to it in each newsletter issue - "Read past issues." Place a call to action and link to your archive in your email signature. Some newsletters just aren't as useful as a resource; perhaps you already publish the info on your blog or website, or it is time-sensitive. There's still a good reason to share your newsletter archive. #2. Use it as an Example The more clearly someone understands what they are signing up for, the...
Keep reading »

Your 'Thank You for Signing Up' Page

Image
A redirect page is a webpage where someone ends up after filling in your subscription form. This is something you have control over and it's worth putting a little effort into. After all, someone has just said they trust you enough to sign up for your newsletter - it's a good time to dazzle them with more of your brilliance and give them some value right away . Here is a screenshot of Anita Kirkbride's redirect page. When someone subscribes to Twirp's newsletter, this is where they end up. Here's why this page is great: It clearly describes what the subscriber signed up for. There's a free giveaway, which was promised in the call to action. There's a link to get immediate value by going to Twirp's blog. Also those cute little Twirplings at the bottom of the screen jump up and down... which made me feel kind of happy to have subscribed. Is it time to take a fresh look at your own redirect page? What is the most important message you want t...
Keep reading »

Why is List Building so Important for Small Businesses?

Image
Your contact list should be the most valuable asset your small business has, like a privately owned gold mine . Once you have added someone to your contact list, you can create more chances to get them as a client or fan, sell them a product or service, and get a referral or testimonial. The possibilities open up. How many times have you stifled a good idea because you didn't have an interested audience waiting to hear from you? photo by Merlijn Hoek / Flickr Click to Tweet this Article
Keep reading »

Is Your Canadian Small Business Compliant with CASL Yet?

Image
It's that year - the Canadian Anti Spam Legislation comes fully info effect on July 1, 2017. Wait, before you roll your eyes and click away, read the next paragraph. The average small business in Canada has nowhere near the list size to trigger an investigation under CASL. And the reality is most small businesses aren't yet CASL-compliant... and that probably includes yours (and even mine). There's no need to get alarmed. Here are the 4 most obvious ways businesses aren't yet fully compliant. #1. Subscription process is missing a description of what content the subscriber can expect to receive and how often You don't want to be misleading and you also can't be too vague. Simply "Sign up for my newsletter!" is not good enough. Besides, you want a killer call-to-action ; it makes good sense regardless of CASL. Offering a free download? If you plan to add the contact to your regular mailing list, you still need to say that. #2. Maili...
Keep reading »

Research to Develop your Content Strategy

Image
Your content strategy wouldn't be complete without having a look at what others are doing. This is an important step because: it will trigger new ideas for you it will help keep you current with others in your industry you should know what your competitors are doing Here are some activities you can engage in regularly, perhaps quarterly, to develop your content strategy and keep it current. 1. Get online and check out: What are others in your industry doing? What are your competitors doing? Is what they're doing working for them? How can you tell? 2. Search keywords google.ca/trends adwords.google.com 3. Search for articles that have content ideas specific to your industry. For example, if you own a restaurant, search "content ideas for restaurants" or "newsletter ideas for restaurants". Make sure any new ideas you adopt are ultimately valuable to your subscribers  and meet your goals . 4. Sign up for newsletters - pay attenti...
Keep reading »