Let Insiders (and Outsiders) Choose Themselves

We all subscribe to newsletters we mean to read and then don’t. And then we transfer that feeling to our readers and worry they’ve done the same thing. I combat that by regularly asking folks to unsubscribe. (And if I discover I’m not reading a newsletter, I unsub myself. There’s only so much time. We can’t do it all. What we cull is as important as what we keep.)

Telling them it’s okay to leave helps cull the folks who are staying because they’re too nice to unsubscribe.

Everyone is busy. I see the choices as (a) be easy to ignore, and become One of Those Newsletters, or (b) be so good they don’t want to ignore you.

Yeah, (b) is harder. It’s also the professional choice.

Dear Former Newsletter Subscriber

Social media is not about making the most connections, it’s about making the right connections.

Dear Former Newsletter Subscriber:

Thank you for unsubscribing from my newsletter. I hope the process was clear and simple.

Don’t take this wrong, but I’m glad you left. Here’s why:

… more … “Dear Former Newsletter Subscriber”

Newsletter, Ezines and US Federal Requirements

Marketing your Virtual Assistant services with a newsletter, or ezine, is an excellent way to provide valuable information to prospects and clients. However, there are some US Federal requirements to keep in mind. These requirements are a:

  • Real, clearly identified Sender address
  • Real, working Reply To address
  • Real, working Unsubscribe link
  • Clearly identified physical address

In addition, there are two vital factors in getting your ezine opened:

  1. The From line – Use a consistent, recognizable name and a real email address (this is the law). You can also use a permission reminder (such as: You are receiving this email newsletter because you subscribed on our website or signed up in some other manner).
  2. The Subject line – This needs to be something that will catch their interest and be relevant. Don’t: Your VA Newsletter; Do: 5 Simple Steps to Creating a Twitter Account.