Copyright 2005 by Beth Mende Conny, ArtofSchmooze.com
All rights reserved in all media.

The content of this article may be forwarded in full without special permission provided it is used for not-for-profit purposes and full attribution and copyright notice are given. For other purposes, contact Beth Mende Conny at Beth@ArtofSchmooze.com

Newsletters are a great way to schmooze with clients, colleagues and the masses. The size of your subscriber base doesn't matter, for whether it's 10 or 10 million, you still need to focus on your readers' needs. Here are some tips.

Narrow your scope
Newsletters differ from mass market magazines and newspapers in that they appeal to a specific and relatively narrow audience. The narrower your focus, the greater your depth. That's because you provide the specialized information your targeted readers want, need and simply can't get elsewhere.

Create a reader profile
No major magazine gets launched without first creating a profile of its readers, and neither should yours. The reason is obvious: You can't determine content, attract advertisers or even determine your format (online or hard copy) without knowing whom your publication appeals to. Accordingly, identify your readers' gender, age, income/educational level, beliefs, etc.

Align your content with your readers
Once you've created a reader profile, you can create or fine-tune your editorial content. Make a list of all of the topics/issues your readers would be interested in. Choose articles that would appeal to the greatest number of subscribers. Although your newsletter can be a good marketing and public relations tool, it should not be one long advertisement. Readers will resent you for it because it means you've placed your interests over theirs. Further, they may deem you nonobjective and thereby untrustworthy.

Choose your words wisely
Write tight, light and bright, using the everyday language of your readers. Become a minimalist. For example, instead of writing "appointed to the position of," use "appointed" or "innovation" instead of "new innovation" (who ever heard of an old innovation?). Avoid jargon and heavy duty technical terms unless they're essential to an article. Should such terms be unavoidable, consider defining them or adding a glossary. Keep a dictionary and grammar book close at hand to ensure you've spelled and used words correctly, and that your articles are free of grammatical and punctuation errors.

Be consistent
Newsletter consistency not only means distributing your publication when you say you will (e.g., the first Friday of the month or every Tuesday) but using words, formatting and content that's consistent with the "founding mission" of your publication. It's this mission that made your readers want to subscribe in the first place. Consistency gives a publication staying power, credibility and professionalism.

Choose the right length
Choose a newsletter length that truly meets the needs of your readers and is workable for you. Newsletters, after all, take a lot of time and energy to produce. A general rule: The longer a newsletter, the less frequently it should be published; the shorter, the more frequently.

Be scannable
Thanks (or no thanks) to the Web, people don't read much as scan these days. To maximize your newsletter's scannability, keep your articles and paragraphs short (i.e., no more than two to three sentences). Make generous use of subheads, bullets, sidebars and pullout quotes. Edit mercilessly, even if it means cutting an article in two or deleting it entirely. Photos and graphics also increase "scannability," provided they enhance rather than detract from your editorial content.

(For an example of a newsletter that can be scanned in 30 seconds, review a copy of the "30-Second Schmoozer.")

Build relationships
Building a subscriber base, like building long-term relationships with customers, takes time. Commit to publishing your newsletter for at least a year before assessing its effectiveness. Quality of subscribers often matters more than their quantity. Find ways to encourage reader interaction, be it through letters-to-the-editor, contests, guest columns, etc. Solicit subscribers' opinions regarding articles, format and frequency. Keep their needs front and center, and your newsletter will become a must-read.

Beth Mende Conny is the founder of ArtofSchmooze.com and the author of more than four dozen books and collections, including her latest books, The Confident Schmoozer and What to Say When Talking to Yourself. She is based in the Washington, D.C., area, where she conducts workshops and training sessions for corporations, associations and community organizations. She can be contacted at Beth@ArtofSchmooze.com.

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