E-Newsletter Help for Non-Profits and Small Businesses

I don't know about you, but I get very tired and very bored reading blog post after blog post, article after article listing the various elements of what makes up a Web 2.0 marketing program. Lately, I've been thinking "Alright already, we know it means blogs, email marketing, social networking and all the rest. Will someone please be specific about what to do and how to do it."

I came across two very useful blog posts today on the subject of email marketing. Katya Andresen's Non-Profit Marketing Blog recaps a tutorial given by Kivi Leroux Miller of Nonprofit Marketing Guide on 10 things non-profits can do to elevate their newsletter. I have seen a number of colleagues at non-profits talk their director's into launching e-newsletters, then panic about what to do next. The kinds of specific recommendations offered by Kivi provide good, solid starting points for someone new to this kind of endeavor, whether it be non-profit or the small business person.

I also loved Kivi's blog post on 15 Places To Find Articles for Your Non-Profit Newsletter. Her suggestions range from asking the receptionist for the top questions they receive, to using your web stats to provide inspiration. Web stats, you ask? Well, the stats can reveal the key words driving traffic to your site. Those key words suggest themes your audience is interested in. I think a lot of business communication could be spiffed up and freshened by using some of these suggestions.

Thanks to Katya and Kivi.