Strike a chord with your readers & make your articles sing

The very first rule of any marketing piece - whether its an ad or a newsletter - is to know your audience. Speak their language and address the issues that are important to them. Don't focus on what's important to you. Following are more tips on orchestrating your articles so that they're music to your readers' ears.

What's Your Style?
When writing your articles, you need to use a style that's comfortable to you. More importantly, it needs to fit your topic and your readers' viewpoint. It might be informal, formal, straightforward business, or sales driven.

Newsletters are, by nature, more informal. They're much more personal than an annual report, for instance. If your style is more sales driven, save that for the ads. People are not going to read a newsletter that's just a longer version of your ad. Pure sales driven newsletters usually just end up in the trash. So just don't go there.

The purpose of a newsletter is to develop a relationship and earn the trust of your customers. Think of your newsletter as a personal letter to your friends. People like doing business with people they like and think of as friends. The major advantage of your newsletter is its ability to gain the respect and confidence of your readers. Don't betray that trust.

Who Are You Talking To?
If your newsletter is for the local gardening society, than talk to gardeners. Share your passion for it. Talk in terms that they can relate to and share your expertise. Don't try to sale them your latest batch of fertilizer.

If you're doing a banking newsletter to your inventors, share your concerns about the stock exchange. Give them the benefit of your vast knowledge and experience. A few tips cost you nothing, but build incredible trust in others. Just don't try to sale them something.

Keep it Simple
Ask a 12-year-old friend to read a couple of your stories out loud. Do they stumble over some sentences? Then rewrite those sentences to be smaller and smoother. Those are the ones that your reader will also stumble over.

Don't talk down to your readers. They're busy people and don't want to wade through long sentences and complicated ideas. Respect their time by making your newsletter a quick, easy read. Use short sentences and short paragraphs. Where ever possible, include bulleted or numbered lists so they can grab the main facts in a hurry.

Don't try to impress your readers by using big words or a lot of jargon. You'll just come off as being pompous. Using language that's over your head is the kiss of death. Instead of building credibility, you will make yourself appear foolish. Remember, you're trying to build a trusting relationship so your clients will bring you repeat business. They deserve to be talked to like friends.

Now Sleep On It
Finally, before you commit anything to print, or the web, sleep on it. At least, put it aside for a few hours. Sometimes, the best parts of articles will come to you at midnight. In addition, small errors become apparent after you've had some time away from the work for awhile.