Content is King!
If the maxim “location, location, location” expresses the three most important concepts for business real estate, then for coaching ezines, it is “content, content, content.”
Ezines only work when they are read, when people subscribe, and they tell their friends to subscribe because your ezine delivers something of true value.
There are some important steps to consider when deciding on content. The most important questions to answer are:
1. Who are your readers?
2. What do they want to know?
3. What do you have or know that they want?
4. How can you create value for them?
5. How can you create connections and relationships with readers?
6. How can you inspire action on their part?
Good content engages the reader, gets their attention and builds relationships over time. Readers come away from your ezine with a good feeling about you and your professional services. Good content will also implant an underlying message that inspires action. Readers want to know more, or finally take some steps about a particular concern or need they’ve been thinking about and you’ve been talking about.
The action you are looking for is some sort of contact, an email, a question, a phone call. This is an opening for you to deepen the relationship. This is the reason ezines are effective. The reader should be calling you, not the other way around.
Your content should always be:
1. Useful: so what if a study shows some amazing fact? Tell them what that can mean to them. What should they be doing? Always remember, WIIFM: what’s in it for me (your readers)? Spell it out for them.
2. Interesting: not ho-hum, heard this before. Tell your readers something they don’t know!
3. Consistent: published regularly. They expect to get it every month. If they don’t, what kind of impression do you think you create?
4. Personable: reflects your voice and personality. People have a lot to read, so don’t give them academic articles without putting something personal in it. They want to get to know you or they wouldn’t have signed up for your ezine. Tell them what this topic means to you personally and how you apply it in your life and work. But please, keep this reasonably in balance!
Your ezine must stand out in inboxes full of spam, advertising and fluff. You can do this by providing quality content and writing from your heart. People don’t tolerate either being bored or overwhelmed by too much information. Make sure you create quality content that includes both interesting information, practical steps, and authenticity. When you communicate your enthusiasm and energy for your topic, people will believe that this is really worth reading and thinking about.
By the way…
If you have trouble writing good content for your ezine, don’t let that stop you. Ezines are too important
to be skipped. Instead, look for ways to get good content from other resources. You can buy it or borrow
it, providing you use appropriate credits and respect copyright laws.
Look for my next blog soon about easy ways of creating interesting content without having any particular
writing talent at all! (Hint: if you know how to talk, you can write!)
See you soon,
Patsi
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