| Or ... effective writing that builds | | | | to know more rockets! Of course, you can't |
| relationships every time. | | | | run a newsletter that is entirely about you! |
| | | | That stuff should only be the icing on a |
| Building a relationship with a largely | | | | rich, content-filled cake. |
| anonymous list of people who have randomly | | | | |
| subscribed to your ezine or newsletter sounds | | | | The best ezines and newsletters balance both, |
| like a hard challenge. In fact, it is much | | | | providing a cocktail of solid factual |
| easier than you may think. Of course, you'll | | | | information punctuated by the real-life soap |
| need to demonstrate a few character traits in | | | | opera content that keeps the reader coming |
| the things you write. For example, you won't | | | | back for more. |
| get far unless your honesty and ethics are | | | | |
| unquestionable. Reliability and trust are the | | | | Talking about the everyday personal things |
| foundation of any good relationship and | | | | that happen in your life is how to build a |
| you'll need to build on them with charm and | | | | relationship with your list - one person at a |
| empathy for your reader's feelings. Add in a | | | | time, because the same things are happening |
| generous sprinkle of outspokenness and the | | | | in your reader's lives. Each time your life |
| ability to keep your writing newsworthy and | | | | compares with one of your reader's |
| current and you have a winning combination. | | | | experiences, resonance happens and you've |
| Not all of these factors come naturally to | | | | found another soul mate. |
| everyone, but learning them is vital. | | | | |
| | | | The other advice - that you should attempt to |
| Let's concentrate here on the key factors | | | | sell something with every communication - |
| that I believe you can learn that will set | | | | needs a very special kind of writer to manage |
| your writing apart from 99% of the rest, and | | | | successfully. |
| give you a head start in building | | | | |
| relationships with your readers. These are | | | | I know of a few newsletters that manage it to |
| the things you can put into action from | | | | perfection - and the readers hardly realize |
| today. | | | | they've been sold to - but most just come |
| | | | across as pushy and spammy. |
| The absolute number one secret - and if you | | | | |
| stop reading this article before the end the | | | | My own policy is to only recommend things |
| vital information you must take a way with | | | | that I've used and love, and to only |
| you - is that you can't build a relationship | | | | recommend anything when I'm moved to. That |
| with a list. Relationships are for people. | | | | means I often go weeks without recommending a |
| You and me. | | | | single product, but when I do tell my readers |
| | | | about something, they appreciate the |
| When I sit down to write Kickstart Today, I | | | | recommendation. |
| never write to a list. I write to Richard, | | | | |
| who I met for the first time at a seminar and | | | | Frequency of publication is another factor to |
| who sent me a Christmas card. I write to | | | | consider that can affect your relationship |
| Pearson, who started out as a subscriber and | | | | building with your readers. |
| soon became a close mate. I write to | | | | |
| Margaret, who sends me lovely emails. I write | | | | It is hard to build a close relationship with |
| to my daughter, who reads Kickstart at work. | | | | your readers if you don't get to talk to them |
| | | | very often. It is tough to allow your readers |
| There are hundreds of other people who have | | | | to get to know you if you only 'speak' to |
| written to me over the years and told me what | | | | them once a month, for example. As everything |
| they like and dislike, what their problems | | | | moves so fast online, even weekly publication |
| are and what they need to know. So when I'm | | | | can be too little unless you are a powerful |
| writing about a particular subject it is easy | | | | writer. |
| for me to imagine that I'm writing it for | | | | |
| that one specific person. | | | | If you can write without too much effort, go |
| | | | for at least twice a week. My own Kickstart |
| The strange thing is that the better you | | | | newsletter was five times a week for a |
| succeed at addressing one person in your | | | | hundreds of issues and the biggest complaints |
| writing the more you'll get emails from other | | | | were when I reduced to three times a week. |
| people asking how you knew exactly what they | | | | |
| wanted to hear. Your writing will resonate | | | | So long as you hold your readers' attention, |
| because there are only so many concerns to go | | | | the only complaints you'll get will be when |
| round and by addressing one person's | | | | you miss an issue. |
| thoughts, you'll appear to be reading the | | | | |
| minds of many. | | | | It goes without saying that over-use of other |
| | | | people's writing in your newsletter can |
| When you imagine yourself writing for one | | | | damage your relationship building if you |
| person, the rest of the crowd will eagerly | | | | aren't careful. |
| listen in. But if you write to the crowd, | | | | |
| you'll soon alienate the individual. | | | | Many ezine publishers still fill each issue |
| | | | with other people's articles. While that |
| There are two often-repeated bits of advice | | | | isn't a bad thing in moderation, too much can |
| that you'll hear time and again: | | | | be. The whole point of building a |
| | | | relationship with your readers is so that |
| 1. Use the words I and Me as infrequently as | | | | they will want to hear about you, your life |
| possible and concentrate on 'you' and 'your'. | | | | and what you think. Don't be afraid to give |
| Readers don't want to hear about you. | | | | it to them. That does mean you have to learn |
| | | | the craft of writing, but the rewards are |
| 2. Train your list into a buying mood by | | | | well worth the effort. |
| selling them something every time you | | | | |
| communicate with them. | | | | And while we are talking about writing, try |
| | | | to unlearn most of what you've been taught |
| Forget it! Neither will help you build | | | | about grammar. You are not writing for your |
| relationships with your readers. | | | | English teacher, you should be writing like |
| | | | you are talking to a close friend. |
| Ask yourself this question: when did you last | | | | |
| establish a relationship with a text book? | | | | The kind of writing that really builds |
| The much quoted ratio of one 'I' to every | | | | relationships sounds natural when you read it |
| five 'you's' will lead you to a style of | | | | out loud. Sentences start with and, words are |
| writing that may be informative, but is not | | | | contracted and the tone is informal. |
| personal. As well as the good information you | | | | |
| have to provide, your readers want to know | | | | Which brings us right back to the beginning - |
| about you and your life - witness the rise in | | | | when you sit down to write, every paragraph |
| popularity of blogs. | | | | that leaves your fingers is a conversation |
| | | | with one person who is sitting in front of |
| In my opinion - and experience - you simply | | | | you. An old friend, not a list. Relationship |
| can't talk about yourself too much! Whenever | | | | building has nothing to do with lists, it is |
| I talk about my family and friends, the | | | | about reaching one person at a time. |
| number of emails I get from subscribers eager | | | | |