Week 10A: Passing Notes in Class

I remember before the Internet and cell phones came along, if we wanted to send a message to someone in class, we had to write it on a piece of paper, fold it, add the person's name and pass it when the teacher wasn't looking.

Receiving a passed note was exciting because you weren't always sure if the message would be nice or mean. If there was drama on the playground, all eyes might be on you when you opened your note, but one thing was sure, it was a personal communication meant just for you.

Fast forward a few decades, we won't say how many...

Now I sit in a college classroom, watching classmates check text messages and emails from their phone or notebook computer. No need for the secret pieces of paper and the sweet anticipation that went with receiving a note. Well, maybe the anticipation is still there, just a bit, because receiving an email is still a personal communication just for you.

That is why it is important as a business owner to start and keep an email list. That way, you can send a newsletter to people who are interested in what you have to say. I think I would start out by sending an email newsletter once a week. I would look at the analytics and maybe try once a month or perhaps go to more than once a week. It would depend on the feedback I received from the software.

The problem might be that you don't really have a lot of ideas about what you want to say. Below are some idea categories and how I might apply them to my business, DIY 4 Biz.

1. Useful information about your area of expertise. In my case, I would write short articles about basic marketing for small business. This would be a core interest for the entrepreneurs of my target market.

2. Latest news from your industry. This is where DIY 4 Biz could really shine. Things are constantly changing in the world of Internet marketing. For example, recently Google decided to rank mobile websites higher in their search engine. Literally overnight, people were looking for a mobile platform from which to launch their new site. News like this is really important so my subscribers don't miss something or fall behind.

3. Tips and "how to" features. There are literally hundreds tips and "how-to" features I have learned while earning my marketing degree. I probably have years of tips that I could write now. If I run out of ideas, I could always hit my books again for inspiration. This may be the kind of inspiration my subscribers need for their own marketing.

4. Upcoming events, conferences or trade fairs. DIY 4 Biz could become a great source of small business event news. I could even have a calendar on the website that people would visit to see what is going on. An upcoming event would be a great article on a newsletter. Subscribers would appreciate the chance to attend events they find out about on my newsletter.

5. Special offers. Discount codes could be sent, just for email subscribers. These codes could be a trial offer to access the back door to the YouTube channel or the website. Other codes could offer a short "brainstorming" consultation with the purchase of an hour of actual business consultation. People always love a discount.

6. Details of a new product being launched or highlighted. For my business, I plan to create a new YouTube video on a regular basis. Every new video could be a feature on a newsletter. Subscribers could click-through to YouTube and enjoy a quick video, giving them a little "marketing break" in their day.

Do you have a business or an idea for a business? If so, how could you apply the six idea categories above to your specific business? Let me know in the content section below.

Maxine