Starting a new newsletter - info focused

[Mike Phillips]

Starting a new newsletter - info focused





I've been given the green light to start a new newsletter here at Autogeek. This newsletter will be primarily focused on,

1. How-to articles
2. Showcase of products, tools or people
3. Tips and Techniques
4. Upcoming events

I cannot count how many times someone has contacted me about a class only to find out they "missed" it. Or they tell me they have not seen or read a recent article, review or video we've put out.


I always explain the forum like the ocean tide. People come in, (like the tide) get their info and then because they're happy, the leave and go back to their regular lives, (go out like the tide).

Because they don't come back they miss out on tons of new tools, pads, products and how-to info. So for those that are busy and simply don't >click< back to AGO I'll be writing a new newsletter to share this info.

Stay tuned....

[PaulMys]

Great idea.

[JustJesus]

I like the idea.

I hope the newsletter is free! Sign me up

[rangerbay]

Will we need to sign up, or will it go to all registered forum members automatically?

Bill

[Steelman]

Great idea Mike, as Bill said "Will we need to sign up, or will it go to all registered forum members automatically?"

[Dr Oldz]

Count me in!

[rlmccarty2000]

Great idea. I hope manufacturers will sponsor also.

[Aaryn NZ]

Will we need to sign up, or will it go to all registered forum members automatically?

Bill

Great idea Mike, as Bill said "Will we need to sign up, or will it go to all registered forum members automatically?"

I'm pretty sure I read on Facebook that Mike wanted interested parties to email him but if I'm wrong - Mike, put me on the list too please mate.


Aaryn NZ.

[Paul A.]

Yes, I'd love to get these also. Great idea!

[Mike Phillips]

I like the idea.

I hope the newsletter is free! Sign me up

I know there are "Subscription-based newsletters, mostly financial but there is no charge for this newsletter. It's educational but part of the education is also part marketing. This comes back to what I wrote in the first post and that's how people come an go and when they go, (because we're all busy), they can, do and will miss out on cool new stuff that if they "new" about it they would want it, but because the've gone on to their busy lives they end up not knowing about whatever the "it" is?

I can't count how many e-mails I've received this last year from people that say they missed out on a class, so one of the things I'l focus on is simply sharing upcoming events.

Other topics will include new technology being introduced all the time , for example the new tool from Lake Country. I spoke with the President of Lake Country yesterday and he said logistically there's no way they can get me the new tool until after Automechanika. But - they've sent me pictures and all the specs so the SECOND the countdown timer hits ZERO I'll be making my write-up on the new tool public. I'll share this kind of new info in the newsletter.


Also on the topic of marketing, there's different ways to market, all have their place, I've just used the method I prefer over the years which follows this philosophy,

Solve a person's problem and they'll sell themselves on the solution


If you look at the hundreds of how-to articles and reviews I've written over the years, they basically show a problem and how to solve it. I leave it up to each person to figure out if it's for them or not.

So sure, there will be marketing in the newsletter but not the (direct kind which is also a great way to introduce new technology) but more on the educational side.

Will we need to sign up, or will it go to all registered forum members automatically?

Bill

The first newsletter will include the e-mail database from the forum as I've met and talked/typed to thousands of people on this forum since coming to Autogeek in 2009 and like the "Tide Analogy" I shared in the first post, many of them, heck most of them have come and gone. So this will be their chance to get it and keep on getting it or "unsubscribe".

Of course we'll be following all the proper rules, laws, guidelines and common sense associated with running a newsletter. My job will be to make the copy compelling.

I love this quote I learned from the guy that no longer appears to be active in the how to write web copy industry,


"There's no such thing as too long of copy... there's only boring copy"


What he meant is if your writing is compelling, has information that is valuable to the reader and of course is mechanically well-written, then your audience will read every word. if your copy is boring they stop reading after the first sentence or two. (Same goes for videos)


So like Mike Pennington use to tell me,

This is your chance to be the hero or the zero

I'm pretty sure I read on Facebook that Mike wanted interested parties to email him but if I'm wrong - Mike, put me on the list too please mate.

If you're a member of this forum you will automatically receive the first edition of the newsletter assuming you have not dropped your original sign-up e-mail address or changed e-mail addresses. (happens all the time). If you want to make sure, then sure, drop me an e-mail.


But also remember we have thousands of Lurkers read this forum every day and they are not members and thus we don't have their e-mail addresses in the forum database. I can tell from the volume of e-mails I received overnight that Lurkers read our forum and want to be signed up for the newsletter.


People that follow my FB page are not automatically members of our forum so this is why I made the post on my FB page to shoot me an e-mail and I've received lots of e-mails via my FB page overnight.

My guess is most of the key people that work for all the brands we carry will also sign-up as I have great relationships with all of these people too.


Thank you everyone for your comments... stay tuned...