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Obscure Holiday Calendar: MarchCreating Compelling Content for Your Clients
For paper or printed newslettersCONTENT
Unfortunately, many companies center information around their own firms instead of sharing knowledge that your client really needs. Typical articles from a corporate newsletter include past projects or recent employee promotions. While these topics may be interesting, they offer no value to your clients. Only when you focus content on your client's business - not your own - will your newsletter become an effective marketing tool. Think about it this way -- make the content so compelling that your client wonders why you aren't charging for it.
How to figure out what to focus on
Listen to your clients. Everytime they complain about something, write it down -- keep a list of everyone's biggest issues and an article will emerge.
Submit an article to a trade publication and your top 25 clients at the same time. Include a handwritten note to say, I just submitted this to XXX Magazine, but I thought you might find value in it as well.
Prepare a minimum of six issues a year. Quarterly is nice, but if you can do an 8 page quarterly, a 4 page every other month will result in more business for you, and better recognition of the piece from your clients.
FORMAT
Client-focused marketing materials have a longer shelf life either way, so your firm name stays visible to your clients and prospects for a longer time. But, when trying to decide between whether you should create an electronic newsletter or traditional paper sort, consider this:
| Electronic | Traditional Paper |
| If your client is regularly in an office | If your client is regularly on the road or away from the computer |
| If your corporate voice is more casual | If your corporate voice is more formal |
| If you have frequent briefs to share | If you are providing more in-depth expert analysis |
| Forwardable with a click of a button | Typically stays around longer |
| No incremental cost for more content | Extra content costs more in paper |
Naturally, the best strategy is to do both, but you only have so much time for writing, formatting and publishing. Even if you outsource to an agency (Read: Covalent Logic), you'll still have to participate in the decision-making on article content and design issues. So, pick the one that you can be the most consistent on. Once you have a publishing plan, stick to it!