Create a Personal Relationship with Your Readers
to Keep Them Coming Back for More

Part of the public relations magic about your newsletter is establishing, developing, and maintaining a relationship with your readers. If they think you're just trying to get more money from them, you've lost the battle. Here's how to build a connection and keep it strong.

State Your Mission and Then Stick To It

Many newsletter editors forget to establish a mission for their newsletter at the very onset. We know that you're trying to get more business to come in the door - that's the point in being in business. However, that's not a good enough mission for a newsletter. The point of a newsletter - what makes it the perfect public relations forum - is that it establishes your expertise and conveys your interest in your readers. If you start out with a hard sell, your readers will see it as nothing but an ad.

In our society, we're really overwhelmed with advertising and we tend to tune it out. Don't let that happen to your newsletter! You've got to establish a rapport with your readers. Let them know that you're not just a salesperson. Let them know that you understand the struggles that they face - especially when it's related to the subject that you're an expert on. Impart some of your wisdom - for free. Remember that you really do want to help your reader with this.

Develop Your Own Voice

Use your newsletter to talk to your readers as if they were your friends. Remember that people do business with people that they know and like. I recently met a business person who has been using newsletters for a couple of months and was very disappointed with the outcome. I looked over a few samples and the problem was very obvious.

He had no original content in his newsletter. There was not one personal message from him. He didn't talk to his readers at all. There was absolutely no individuality .He had put a few free articles that he'd gotten off the web and then crammed every available inch with hard sell ads.

He hadn't even attempted to reach the reader on a personal level. Also, he hadn't revealed anything about himself. The was no sense of what he thought about anything. He failed to respect his readers time and intelligence - and they responded in like manner.

The Secrets to Bonding with Your Readers

The secret to developing a great newsletter that will perform public relations magic for you, and keep business coming in your door for years, is really quite simple. You have to put first things first. When you lead with a hard sale, you turn your reader off. They've had more than enough of that. Remember, people do business with people they know and like. So what do you put first? Getting them to know and like you. There's a no-brainer!

Here are a few tips on how to do exactly that:

Now that you've taken the time to establish a relationship with your readers, when they need your services there won't be a question about who they'll turn to. And since you've earned their trust, they'll probably spend much more money than they would have had you not taken the time. Plus, when one of their friends or family members needs your service you're the logical choice! It doesn't get any better than that. This is the true public relations magic of a good newsletter.