by Go2Girls Technical Expert – Melissa Sullivan

I’m not going to tell you about what functions Infusionsoft has to offer. You can take the online demo to find that out. Instead, I am going to tell you about what you can DO with Infusionsoft (IS) that will save you time, money, and frustration – and how it will help you fine-tune your marketing plan to generate the most revenue possible.

“We’ve built everything you need—CRM, e-commerce, social media and email marketing—into a single, powerful system that automatically converts leads into new customers and grows sales from existing ones. So you can focus on your business or your life. Or both. Imagine that.” ~ Infusionsoft website

Because I don’t want to keep you too long (and believe me, I could go on forever about IS), I am breaking this into a series. So, with each article in the series, we will focus on a specific part of the average back-office setup of the coaching scene; how you can automate, streamline, and effectivize (yep, made that word up, which is why it’s bolded) the way you run your business.

First, let’s discuss the keystone of every business – marketing. To make the differences clear, I’m going to compare how non-IS users currently do business, and then I am going to tell you what it’s like using IS.

Email Open Rates:

The OLD WAY – You kinda’ sorta’ think that an email blast is pretty much done and everyone has opened the email after about a day or two, right? That’s what you heard anyway. So, you wait a day or two before actually expecting finalized results. You login and there you are staring, at two metrics, one that is the open rate and one that is the percentage. End of story. No idea WHO opened it – or WHO clicked WHICH links. But hey, I guess that’s enough. WRONG!

The IS Way – You log in and right there on your dashboard you see a running, real-time tally of exactly which contact is opening the email. Literally, as we speak! It’s like watching the stock market ticker! Then, you click on an arrow next to their name and see exactly which links in your Ezine they clicked on. Then, you happen to notice that while most of the people are opening from yesterday’s email, you also see that a lot of people are opening emails from last week. Hmmmm … So it seems that people need more than a couple of days, more like a week, to respond to offers in emails … Interesting!

So, why is this important? – Ok, so this is enough to make me all giddy because I am a TRACKER. I have to track and analyze EVERYTHING, looking for RESULTS. But you might not be so enamored with this. So imagine you are getting ready to launch a campaign. Before, you would be cool with sending a final reminder of that last special offer before the actual launch two days before it begins. That’s PLENTY of time, right?

Hmmmm … After you realize that, on average, it’s taking almost a week for email opens to start dying down, you realize that a day or two is clearly not enough time. So those last minute habits (and don’t worry, you aren’t the only one) have to hit the curb. Because, what good does it do anyone to have a coupon code to entice last minute buyers when, NOT ONLY is the coupon code expired by the time they click the link, but the program has already begun? How many potential buyers did you lose?

Hey, if that is not enough to get you excited, let’s talk about the next super-cool thing about IS. A very important, special, and magical word called a “tag.” This is a super-awesome thing in Infusionsoft that allows you to SUPER segment your list. Segmenting may not sound cool, but I’m going to show you how sexy it can be. So let’s go into the comparison and I’ll explain more.

Using tags in Infusionsoft

The OLD Way – You send out an email blast but you need to know who wants to attend a call, or maybe you want them to download something, but you want to know WHO downloads it so you can send a follow-up later, right? Unless you create a form for everything you want to track (or in some software create an ad tracker which is pretty useless by comparison), you won’t be able to track WHO is interested in WHAT. Instead, you peg your list constantly with forms they have to keep filling out, over and over again. For you, it’s simply a way to get them the info they want, right? Because if you are sending an email to them they are ALREADY on your list, so it’s not beneficial to you. But for them, it’s an annoyance – It’s a deterrent – It’s a reason NOT to respond. Plus, you wind up with 500 bucket lists that all have pretty much the same people in them, cluttering up your nicely organized space (or you wish it was).

The IS Way – With IS, you create your email. Then you create … (You know what’s coming!)… Tags to apply to every person that clicks a link. So instead of, “Hey, you want to join my call? Then “fill out this form.” YUCK! You have a nice little phrase like, “Hey, click this link and you will automatically receive the call-in information. No forms to fill out, I promise!”

Suddenly, worrying about losing them at the opt-in, or that they may never get to the “Thank you” page, is a thing of the past. You can use that tag as a catalyst to immediately begin a campaign sequence. Now just sit there for a second and consider that. Consider the possibilities of that. A follow-up campaign, as big or small as you want, starts immediately; simply from them clicking a link, since it already knows their email address.

Or, I’ve used it to simply get feedback. For instance, here is a real life example of the power of tags:

We sent out a broadcast launching a new program. We tracked who clicked the link to go to the Sales Page. We gave it a week, and then did a search by selecting who went to the Sales Page (using tags) but did NOT purchase. We took that list and sent them another email and said, “Yo’, how come you didn’t buy?” We also created the following links:

“Not enough money?”

“I need to make payments.”

“I have a question, please call me!”

Those who clicked on the “Not enough money?” link were automatically sent to a lower priced product. People who clicked on “I need to make payments” were sent to a payment plan. Those that clicked on the “I have a question, please call me!” link were sent to our scheduler … etc., etc. No forms, no muss, no fuss. Talk about COOL!

I’m sure you can see the vast possibilities and FUN you could have with that capability. Talk about targeting your markets!

So … That must be pretty complicated to set up, right? You probably need to know code.

NOT! It’s as simple as clicking a button, deciding what you want to name the tag, and make sure it’s associated with a campaign (I’ll get into how awesome campaigns are in another article), “Thank you” page, or webpage. It’s as simple as that. Uber-effective marketing like you would never have imagined!

Be on the lookout for the next email with more neat tricks in Infusionsoft to revolutionize your back office. Want us to whip your Infusionsoft into shape for you? Contact us and we can hook you up! It’s time to divide (i.e., segment) and conquer!

What to do when your WordPress website gets hacked

Hey, it happens to the best of us. These days, everyone is vulnerable to hacking of some type. Since WordPress is, by far, the most popular CMS on the internet, it makes for an easy target. And, since we’re all smart enough to use the best website platform out there, we become vulnerable too. So, what to now…

1. Don’t panic. (Have a glass of wine if you begin to panic… or, you know… for the woo-woo types – meditate.)
2. Remember – you have a backup in place. (Please tell me that by Article 4 you DO HAVE a backup in place. I mean, really, some of you are sooooo hard-headed.)
3. Examine your options for restoring your website.
   • For a complete website take-down, use your Backup Plugin, such as Backup Buddy (or whatever backup option you’ve chosen) and do a site restore. Boom, Done – you’ll be up and running again in less than 30 minutes.
   • After you do your site restore, please go change your FTP password, just in case.
   • If you suspect that a hacker has installed malware on your machine, you should first confirm your suspicion by going here and doing a free site scan: http://sitecheck.sucuri.net/scanner/. If you find that malware has been installed by a hacker, you have two choices:
   • You can simply delete everything and restore from your backup.
   • OR, it the thought of wiping things clean and doing the restore yourself (or at all) makes you reach for the bottle of wine AGAIN, sucuri.net will clean your site for you (for about $80). They will have you up and running in no time, AND will continue to monitor your site for a full year afterward (and fix any other malware problems you have for the rest of the year). <— This is a seriously AWESOME service.
4. Now, check your computer. If your website has been infected, it makes a great deal of sense to check your machine for infection as well. Run a scan and make sure you’ve installed all available updates like we talked about in Article 3.

Getting your website hacked is no picnic, believe me; BUT, it is survivable. All you really have to do is follow the suggestions we’ve offered in this series of articles on WordPress website hacking, and you should be golden – even if you do happen to get attacked.

Just make sure you keep that bottle of wine nearby.

As always, DO NOT let yourself to think, “It won’t happen to me.” Probably 95% of the WP sites that have been hacked were run by people who thought the same thing. Don’t fall into this false sense of security.

Tips to keep your WordPress website secure

If you take care of your website, it will take care of you. To begin caring for your WordPress website, follow these simple steps:

#1. Secure things online:

1. Update WordPress as soon as an update is published
2. Update all plugins as soon as an update is published
   • Not only will the updates to WordPress and your plugins include new features, they are also pushed out with security patches to cover known vulnerabilities.
3. Change your default username – do NOT use admin
   • The username “admin” is the most common username that hackers attack.
4. Choose a new – more secure – password
   • The most common passwords – your child’s name or birth date, the word “password,” or the numerals “1234” are the least secure, most commonly hacked passwords used. To check the strength of your new password, use the Microsoft Password Checker. It’s FREE.
5. Delete inactive, unused plugins
6. Delete inactive, unused themes
   • Since you’re not using these plugins and themes it is un likely you will update them regularly. This can make you vulnerable to a hacking attack, leaving one more door open to potential hackers.
7. Delete all default posts and comments, for example the “Hello world!” post that comes standard with all new WordPress sites.
8. Remove the “Powered by WordPress” footer
   • Nothing says “I’m a newbie to WordPress, please hack me,” like leaving these telltale posts up on your site.
9. Install a security plugin, such as the “Limit login attempts” plugin: http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/limit-login-attempts/.

#2. Secure things on your computer:

1. Virus protection for your computer is vital to your online security. Make sure it is up-to-date and that it is actually running as you work.
2. Update your browser for increased security.
3. Update your computer’s operating system to ensure it is running the latest version – with the latest security patches.

Updates are critical to the security of your digital environment. You simply cannot afford to ignore them, since virtually every update you receive will include a security fix, or patch. This includes your personal computer, servers, and your website. If you stay up-to-date on all updates, you can make it nearly impossible for a hacker to take down your WordPress website.

Whenever I have formatted an ebook in Word, I’ve always had a problem with the borders when I save to PDF. For instance, I’ll have a nice beautiful ebook cover that will appear to be edge-to-edge in Word, but when I save to PDF, I get a super ugly white border around the edge. (That’s the non-printable area, BTW. It’s where your typical home printer just can’t put ink.)

HOWEVER, when I’m developing an ebook, most people will view it online, so I want the pretty appearance of a bleed. Here’s how you fix it (in Word 2010… I’m sure it’s similar for the Windows version).

• Select File > Page Setup
• In the Paper Size dropdown menu, chose Manage Custom Sizes
• Click on the “+” sign and type a descriptive name, like “Edge to edge”
• Under Non-Printable Area, choose User Defined
• Enter zero for all margin values

Wa-la! Fixed!

P.S. – Thanks to Daniel G. Grau (whoever you actually are…) on the Microsoft forum for your post!

WordPress security begins with website backup

It goes without saying that most of us buy insurance for the things we hold precious; our cars, our boats, our homes, our lives (and wouldn’t you just feel like dying if your precious website disappeared?). Backing up your website is just like insurance, offering security and the peace of mind that goes with knowing your site is protected (or, in this case – recoverable). Begin backing up your website immediately!!!

If you don’t back up your site, and you lose it (due to malware / mistakes / broken plugins or updates / hacking / etc), what would you do? For most of us, we wouldn’t be able to easily recreate our website (or really – who wants to, even if you CAN).

What is a website backup?

Website backup is, essentially, a complete copy of your entire website, including data files, theme settings, media gallery, and content, to be used to reconstruct your website in case of disaster; either natural or manmade. This can be accomplished through the use of an automated plugin or through the services of your host.

It might also be helpful to discuss what a backup is NOT. It is NOT a backup if …

1. It’s out of date (Great! I can recover all my blog posts from … 1992. Oops)
2. It’s not easy to RESTORE (i.e., word docs scattered throughout your hard drive is NOT a backup).
3. It’s not automatic (You don’t want to have to DO anything to backup your website – it should be automatic so you don’t have to think about it. You have enough things to do).

Please, please, PLEASE do NOT think it won’t happen to you because it probably will, especially if you’re not ACTIVELY working to prevent it (remember that insurance analogy above? The moment you don’t have it is always the moment you need it!)

How to backup your WordPress site

There are two critical steps required to effectively back up a WordPress website and, when I say CRITICAL I mean that you must do BOTH of these things.

1. Database Backup – This involves protecting the pages and posts, or content, you create for your website. If you regularly update your website (i.e., if you blog, change things around or add content on a regular or semi-regular basis), we suggest doing this daily.
2. Site Backup – This involves protecting all the hard work you’ve done to make your site look stunning, including the theme and all the hard customization work you’ve done. We suggest doing this weekly.

What is the best WordPress backup tool?

The best way to backup your site is to use a “set it and forget it” backup solution that is installed on your website, usually a high quality WordPress plugin that does all of the work for you. Here are a few of our faves.

• Backup Buddy – is easily the favorite solution around here. It can store backups in a multitude of places, including your server, Amazon S3, Dropbox, or even email (and more). Backup buddy requires a yearly license fee to use. Your web designer may also have a developers license, in which case they can install it without you having to buy a copy of the license.
• Vaultpress.com – is another quality backup solution. This is another monthly fee service that will backup, help with restores, and also do security scans for you.
• IMPORTANT POINTS about backing things up – If you set your backups to go to your server, make sure you limit the number of backups (after 30 backups or so, it starts getting crowded!). You don’t want to take up tons of server space and get shut down. ALSO – make sure you don’t back up the backups (your files will get HUGE) and, once again, your host will likely shut you down.

Stay tuned for Part 3 of this series on WordPress website security, where we will offer some simple steps to prevent website hacking.

Malicious people take advantage of the vulnerabilities in systems like these for many reasons. Most often, it’s not personal (even though it feels that way!), but rather to generate revenue. They do this by serving up malware (see below for a definition of that) to the visitors of the site; placing spam comments on your site and blog (annoying!); or putting ads on the site or in the text that will generate links back to their site. Sometimes, your website will get hacked in order to take it down or deface it, but that seems rare these days unless you are super famous.

This 4-part series of articles will focus on WordPress hacking; What happens when you are hacked, how to backup your WordPress website, how to prevent website hacking, and what to do if your WordPress site is hacked.

If your WP website gets hacked, these are the 2 most likely things that can happen:

1. Malware can be installed on pages and links – This is malicious software (hence the catchy phrase “malware”) that can make your computer stop working, or steal sensitive information from you such as passwords, email addresses, or other personal information.

The Malware may install a virus on your computer or website.  This is software designed to cause damage to files on your computer, and replicate itself, also causing damage to the files on the computers of any visitors to your site. The virus can also infect any click-through links you have on your site as well.

Malware can also install Password stealing programs on your computer – This is software designed to steal your log-in info, also known as “Key loggers,” and send them to the hacker, giving them access to some of your most valuable information. The program may also take over your address book, sending spam to family, friends, and business contacts. These programs are very subtle and you may never know they exist – until people begin complaining to you or you realize someone has been in one of your otherwise secure accounts.

Malware can also cause Sudden content changes or odd redirects on your website. Don’t remember linking to Viagra.com on your resources page? Chances are, your website is infected.

2. In some cases, you can experience a Complete shutdown of your website – with all of your files deleted, all images erased, all of your stuff gone…all the hard work you’ve put into your website eliminated – foooorrrrreeeevvvverrrrr (unless you have a backup, which we’ll talk about later).

How to find out if you’re a victim of website hacking

Your website is one of the most important investments you’ve ever made; taking time, effort, stress, and money to create and maintain. It is far too valuable to let something happen to it. There are a few very easy – and free – tools for checking the health of your website.

Our number one favorite is by a reputable malware monitoring and cleanup service called Sucuri. While there is a fee to use their service, there is no fee to check out your website. You can do that here.

Google also offers a free way to check your site. The Google Safe Browsing Tool is simple to use. Simply type the following URL into the address bar in your browser, followed by the URL of your website – after the “equal” sign (=), http://www.google.com/safebrowsing/diagnostic?site=www.myawesomewebsite.com (replace www.myawesomewebsite.com with your own URL)

3 Quick anti-hacking steps to take NOW

Once you’ve determined that your website is not currently infected, it’s important to work to prevent it from happening in the future, and also to protect yourself in case it does. We will go into more detail about prevention in a subsequent post but, for now, here are a couple of things you can do right now to protect your website.

• Back-up your website – For WordPress websites, there are any number of high quality, cost-effective plugins you can use that will automatically back up your data and content on a regular basis (we will describe this in more detail in another post).
• Use a strong password on your website. To check the strength of the password you would like to use, go to the Microsoft Password Checker and – well – check the results. It’s FREE!
• Update your website and plugins regularly – as part of your back-up process (we will give you more information on that later, too).

Obviously, there is a lot that can go wrong if your website gets hacked. There are also a lot of things you can do to prevent or greatly lessen your chances of something going wrong. For that, stay tuned for our next articles on WordPress website hacking.

When your potential customers first arrive at your website, what do they see? You only have a few seconds to grab your visitors’ attention, so it’s really important to make sure your landing page is as engaging as possible.

Here are 5 elements that should be included on every landing page for ultimate conversion rates:

1.      Headline. The headline is the first thing most people will read on your landing page, and it is what they will use to decide whether to stay or move on to another site. Use the headline to address the pain your potential client is in, and let them know you have the solution. Make sure your headline is engaging, grammatically correct and exciting enough to encourage folks to stick around.

 2.      Offer. Your offer is the description of the product or service you’re selling through your site. Here you expand on the headline and provide details about the features and benefits you offer to your customers.

 3.      Images. Cliché though it may be, a picture really is worth a thousand words. When you’re trying to grab people’s attention in 3 seconds or less, a vibrant graphic, illustrated chart or clear photograph can go a long way in engaging your future clients.

 4.      Trust. The Internet is bursting at the seams with people and companies making claims about what they or their products can do for clients. You want to make sure that people visiting your site know they can trust you to deliver. Include testimonials, awards you’ve received, a money-back guarantee or other elements to support your claims.

 5.      Call to Action (CTA). Other than the headline, the call to action is the most important element of your Landing Page. Without a specific directive on next steps, people will not know how to move forward with you. A lead capture (opt-in) form is a great method for your CTA. Have people enter their first name and email address in exchange for a free report or access to further information. 

When designing your landing page, keep things simple and limit the links. Basically, the idea is to quickly connect with your ideal clients, efficiently explain how you can help them, and clearly show them how to get the product or service you’re offering.
Be sure to keep the most important elements above the fold and optimize your page for “scan-ability.” Remember, you’ve only got 3 seconds to make an impression; make sure it’s a good one.

If you need help creating your design, coming up with a catchy headline or identifying the best call to action for your ideal clients, let’s talk about it. Visit our website to schedule an appointment. Want to see some of the amazing landing pages we have created? Check them out here.

Years ago, the only way to effectively reach a broad national audience was through television ads – something many small businesses can’t afford to do even once. Now, thanks to the power and accessibility of social media, you can level the playing field between your small company and the big guys.

Here are some tips about using social media to grow your community and maximize your marketing efforts, without blowing your budget.

#1: Revive your advertising strategy. Newspaper advertising is on the decline as are other traditional means of marketing. If you are spending big money on conventional methods, but not getting a return, it’s time to rethink your approach. Social media is the next frontier. Plus, it’s widely accessible and in most cases, free! What do you have to lose?

#2: Communicate with YOUR customers. With social media, it’s easier to pinpoint where your ideal clients are hanging out online. If the majority of your clients or potential customers are mainly using Facebook, you don’t need to waste too much time or effort on a widespread social networking plan. Find out what social media sites your target audience is actively participating on and start there.

#3: Learn everything you can. You don’t need to be a social media expert to make your small business a success. Find all the information you need to set up your social media accounts online. Start with Facebook and Twitter and grow from there. Find the best ways to increase your fan base and engage with potential clients by checking out what other business owners who have been in your shoes have done.

#4: Set realistic goals. Determine what you want to accomplish with your marketing efforts. How will being active on social networks help you get there? Understand that building a social media presence takes time. Don’t expect to bring in a few thousand fans in your first week. It takes a while to reach great heights, but it’s totally doable. Be patient and enjoy the climb.

#5: Reach out for guidance. If you have space in your budget, hire a social media expert to show you the ropes. Just don’t go with the first person you see who claims to be a “guru.” Get recommendations and read reviews to find someone with proven results. The right expert can help mentor you and give you the knowledge and confidence you need to make social networking work for you. 

Thanks to social media, you can easily reach people across the country, and the globe, and in many cases the only cost is a bit of time. You can interact with far more people, engage potential customers and encourage brand advocacy among your fans.

Just remember to think long-term results versus short-term benefits. It takes some time to build customer loyalty and broaden your reach, but the return is well worth it. Once you get your feet wet and become more comfortable in the social media world, learn more about how to maintain your accounts easily and effectively at http://besocialworldwide.com/5-social-media-marketing-habits-to-perform-daily.

…Your very own Ezine/Newsletter

The most common misconception among clients of Your Go to Girls is the idea that they have to create mega-loads of content: (1) for their blog, (2) for article marketing, (3) for social media, and (4) for their Ezine/Newsletter. For most, that’s just too much damn writing! Believe me; I know…this is the 4^th time I’ve begun publishing a newsletter, remember?

Here’s the good news – you don’t have to create new content every time you publish an Ezine/Newsletter. In fact, your regular mailing to your clients is a great place to repurpose content and show them what they’ve been missing if they haven’t been visiting your site regularly.

Frankly, the truth is that few people other than your mom (or, my mom, anyway) hangs on every word you write. So, the people that visit your blog don’t necessarily have time to read every Ezine you publish. The people who read your Ezine aren’t necessarily reading your blog (at least, not every week). If you post your blog to social media, some people will catch it, and some people won’t. The point is – hardly anyone will notice if you repurpose content AND, if you do repurpose content, and find a better way to say it, then you have the best chance of your important message reaching the most people.

In other words, if the content you create has value, it makes sense to distribute it to the largest audience possible, right? So, use the central idea of your repurposed content as the theme of your Ezine/Newsletter and try to keep all of the new information you offer in that issue relevant to that theme. It will simplify things greatly for you, as well as for your audience.

How to repurpose content

Here’s the magic formula for the most impact and greatest chance of being read. It also happens to be the easiest on you, and it just happens to be what WE do here at Go2Girls…Have you noticed? Do you care?

The easy stuff you can do:

1. Publish interesting articles, tips, or other information to your blog.
2. Use these same articles (or pick one) as the feature article in your Ezine with a link back to your site. If you post on the blog more than you publish an Ezine, consider posting links to multiple articles, like we do at Go2Girls. You never know what people are in the mood to read.
3. Take those articles and separate them into interesting snippets of information, and post on Twitter or Facebook as status updates, with a LINK back to your blog.
4. Use the theme of an article to begin a discussion on LinkedIn, with a link back to your site. This is a great icebreaker for any groups you belong to.

The fancy stuff you can do:

1. Compile your blog posts/articles into a mini-eBook and give it away or sell it on your website.
2. SEO your articles to the max, and use them to generate even MORE traffic to your site.
3. SEO your articles and put them on ezinearticles.com or similar article marketing sites (just keep in mind that other people might also then use them).

When you take the time to write up interesting, useful information, it’s important that it gets out there to the masses! Don’t “hide” your information. Unfortunately, just because you put it on the web doesn’t mean all the people you know will see it. (Wow… wouldn’t that just make life better if it were that easy?) So, it takes some work to get your info out there but, by repurposing content, you can make it easier on yourself. That way, you get the maximum exposure for your time and effort (or your money’s worth, if you use a ghostwriter…lol).

Making the decision to begin a regularly scheduled email newsletter project is daunting, challenging, intimidating, and scary – I get that. After all, this newsletter is my own 4^th Edition, literally my 4^th attempt at creating a compelling, ongoing information package that has value to friends, associates, and clients; with long periods of silence in between. Wow, that’s just like the old saying, “Do as I say, not as I do,” isn’t it? Well, enough of that…

I know many of you out there are finding the thought of communication with your audience just as challenging, so I figure it’s time to lay it all out for you in a “How To” article; exactly what you need to do to send out an email Newsletter (or Ezine, or list-builder, or email ad – or whatever else it might be called) to your peeps. And, I promise to take my own advice here and continue sending you valuable information in this format.

How do I create an email newsletter?

Ok, so here’s what you need to get started communicating with your fans:

#1. A way to send mass amounts of emails to your list.

No, you can’t just start using Outlook or Gmail to send out mass mailings. Why? For a number of reasons, including no feedback on who is actually opening and reading your emails; no tracking of responses; no anti-spam compliance. Plus, if you simply bcc a few hundred clients, you’re likely to tossed into the spam folder and, if too many people complain about your spamming them you might even have your email shut down permanently. (How much would something like that set you back in a day, huh?)

So, you need an “email marketing” system…

• iContact is a great email only system. This is easily my fave if you are looking for a way to easily send great looking emails and you don’t have a lot of technical skills. They have pretty templates, the program is easy to use, and the price is great.
• 1ShoppingCart (or 1SC) is an all-in-one shopping cart with an affiliate marketing program, and email marketing too. This is my fave if you are looking for all the bells and whistles of a shopping cart with a built-in email marketing program (i.e., you want to sell stuff on your website. (Disclaimer – 1SC is not the ONLY way to sell things on your website. We will cover that in another blog post, someday, I’m sure.)

#2. You must have something to say to your peeps.

Seems like this should go without saying, right? I mean, it’s pretty obvious that if you’re sending out regular emails to your list you’d better have some good information to offer your fans – but, this is where most of us get hung up. What the heck does anyone have to say week after week or month after month, right? Actually, finding subjects is easier than it sounds, so bear with me for a minute, OK?

• FAQs about what you do, or the most common client you get (hence the Frequently Asked Questions title) make for great sharing in your Ezine. What kinds of questions might these be? How about, “What should I put in my monthly Ezine…?” well you can answer them in your Ezine!
• A mission statement is always good to offer. Think about the basis for your business. Why are you in business? What expertise do you have that people want? Give them bite-size pieces in your Ezine. (Think: short tips, tricks, recipes, how-tos.)
• Interviews are a great way to share info. Did being up with a crying infant, sick child, dog, or hamster all night suck the creative juices right out of ya? No worries! Just call or email someone you love and admire, and interview them.
• Product reviews get great responses and, it might just help you sell one of your affiliate products or services. Be honest and up-front about your affiliation, sure, but there is nothing wrong with promoting a product or service you use – and that you might make a little bit of money from promoting.
• Have you ever done a teleconference? Get the audio transcribed, and send it to your favorite copywriter. Tell her to turn it into some Ezine articles or blog posts for you. (Phew – that one was totally easy!)

#3. Uh, you need someone to send it to…D’oh!

Obviously, you need a list of folks to send your Ezine to; but you don’t need a lot of people to get started. Even if you just started your business yesterday, I’m sure you know some people who could benefit from the info you have to share. You have to start someplace, right? So – put your mom and dad on your list, add a sister or brother, maybe a few cousins, and some friends to get your list started and – watch it grow from there!

Aaaaand – that’s it. That is seriously all you need to send out an Ezine; just 3 things. Can you do three things? I thought so!

What else can I write about?

Now, I’m no mind-reader but I’ve been doing this for a while now and I already know what you’re thinking…“Noooooo that’s too easssssyyyyyyy.” OK, I get it. So, to satisfy the rest of you, here are other ideas for things that you CAN put in your Ezine, but don’t have to:

• A personal note to your fans. It’s nice to start your Ezine off with a personal note from you. It brings a personal touch to your company; you know… it takes the edge off of the seriousness of it all. Yes, it’s one more thing to write, but it’s nice.
• Offer up a “We Recommend” or Featured Product. This is not the same as a product review but you can certainly promote your own projects (or other people’s products) in your Ezine. Just be careful about not making the thing too “salesy.” That can turn people off. (I mean…do you love getting advertisements in your Inbox? Just sayin’.)
• Publish a list of important upcoming events. Everybody loves an event! It’s nice to promote your own or other people’s events in your Ezine, so this is an idea for a section you could create. (You can also add in National Observances that tie in with your subject or niche; things like National Virtual Assistant Recognition Month, for example – if only!)
• Give them a quote, joke, or thought of the day – inspire people with your deep (or not so deep) thoughts, or put a smile on their faces.
• About us – juuuust in case somebody doesn’t know who you are (or needs a reminder or forwards your Ezine to a friend) it’s nice to have this in there. Not too long, though. Keep it quick and concise. Use your “elevator speech.” Hopefully you aren’t spamming your list, so they know who you are.
• Connect with us and your social media buttons. Social is in, so you should do this.
• Client testimonials
• Case studies
• Company employee or team profiles
• Client profiles

Really, when you’re looking for subjects and content for your Ezine, the list goes on…and on…and on… But, you don’t need all of these things and you really should not try to include them all in every newsletter. Use them sparingly from time-to-time, and add a few later when your list grows beyond your mom, sister, and best friend.

Stay tuned for our next article – Common Misconceptions about Ezine Content, coming soon to an email Inbox near you…