Content Marketing Today

Here’s a Content Rich eNewsletter that Connects with Readers

Solopreneur Mitch York reaches out with relevant business content.

Although Mitch spent many years in the corporate world, he’s now happily ensconced as an entrepreneur.  He has two separate but somewhat interrelated businesses.  We have already written about the great blog he does for one of them, Maui Wowi. He has recently launched a newsletter for his other executive coaching business, Better Way Coaching.

Because it’s new, Mitch has relatively few tangible results to point to in terms of its success.  So we will follow it with interest in the months and years to come. Even as a new product, however, I believe it’s an excellent example of what an eNewsletter should be.

Mitch explains how his philosophy of business and of coaching are reflected in the eNewsletter :

The basis of coaching is to bring value to people, without being too concerned with other outcomes like getting ex-new clients as a result.  I hope people read it, find it useful, forward to a friend, and find something in it that will help them improve their performance at work or in life.

From my perspective as a reader, I find it both valuable and enjoyable to read.  In the current issue, Mitch also makes it timely.  Each of his topics deals with how to protect ourselves in case the economy goes south.  Here’s what he talks about:

• even if you’re comfortable in your corporate job you should always be looking for your next gig
• what are the key elements that enable success as a franchisee
• how much he has learned from his coaching clients
• a quick business book review
• an example of championship thinking drawn from the recent Giants-Packers game

Everything is self contained within the newsletter.  Mitch is careful to write succinctly so that he doesn’t lose his readers attention.  He includes graphics that relate to the content and further entice readership. 

The entire newsletter can be read in five to 10 minutes.  And there is plenty to take away.  Although Mitch wants to connect to potential new customers, there is very little self-promotion inside the newsletter itself. He does have two links that  lead prospects to explore coaching and his services –one of them connects to an explanation of coaching and another to his coaching website. Otherwise, it’s all about the reader.

If I was looking for a coach, and I probably should be, this newsletter would make me feel pretty good about contacting Mitch.

Even though it’s early in the eNewsletter history, his results so far are encouraging.  He built his list from people he knows personally and has had only two unsubscribes so far.  The open rate for his most recent issue is 45% which is exceptionally good. Anecdotally, he also knows it’s working well because he’s gotten positive e-mails and phone calls in response to his first two eNewsletters.

Mitch notes that it’s difficult to write well and to write succinctly.  As Mark Twain famously said, “If I had had more time I would have written you a shorter letter.” Even though this newsletter may be time consuming for him to produce, it is probably the most cost-effective way for Mitch to connect with current and future customers.  Because he uses Constant Contact to manage and deliver his eNewsletter, his monthly cost is very low.  It’s safe to predict that his ROI in a year will look pretty darn good.

This newsletter exemplifies why content marketing can be so effective.  When you provide content that is relevant and valuable to a targeted audience, you will build a level of trust that ultimately results in new and expanded business.  In effect, the best way to promote yourself is by removing self-promotion from the content you create.