Author: Michelle Troutman

Michelle Troutman has spent more than a decade crafting attention-getting newsletters and other content for service providers. She specializes in creating standout e-newsletters for law firms and economic development organizations. Her marketing and business administration background and education enhance clear and persuasive copy that speaks to the right clients. Through features in publications like "Attorney at Work" and "Law Fuel," and her e-newsletter and YouTube channel, she inspires service professionals to create engaging content. She enjoys helping businesses that sell their expertise reach their ideal customers.

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5 Tips for Writing a Great Blog

1. Keep it short. – I’m a little “old school” when it comes to writing a great blog. At least, you shouldn’t ramble on forever without a purpose. 🙂 That said, the philosophy that longer posts (with more keywords) appeal to search engines is sound, but that depends a lot on the latest indexing trends. And sometimes, it’s hard to keep up with them.

2. Use images, bullet points, or headings. – Long blocks of text aren’t attractive, so use these to break them up; graphics provide some eye candy to maintain interest.

3. A blog is like a public journal. If you show your personality, even a little, people will see you as approachable, which can help you build a connection with people to keep them returning to your blog.

4. Write a snappy headline. It won’t mean a thing unless it’s got some swing. 🙂

5. Have a plan. A rough idea of what you’ll be writing about helps, but you can always be a little spontaneous — another essential element of blogging.

Could your blog use a dash of “greatness”? Contact me for advice.

The Classy Writing Blog

Best Blog Examples: Nonprofits

“Blogs inform, enlighten, entertain, and persuade us, and these best blog examples do all of that….” Read more.

Quotes

“Don’t focus on having a great blog. Focus on producing a blog that’s great for your readers.” ~ Brian Clark, Copyblogger

“A blog is a personal diary. A daily pulpit. A collaborative space. A political soapbox. A breaking-news outlet. A collection of links. Your own private thoughts. Memos to the world.” ~ Blogger

Need help with your content? Contact me.

Michelle Troutman
classywriting.com

business communication, business newsletters, business writing, newsletter advice, newsletter marketing, newsletter tips, newsletter writing, writing a newsletter

5 Ways a Newsletter Can Boost Your Business Revenue

1. Track your results – Email marketing services (MailChimp, Constant Contact, etc.) let you assess how your messages reach your customers, so you can find out what works and what doesn’t work — whether it’s your subject lines, design, or content — to help you increase your earnings.

2. Build connections – You can control the image you present, which is important for connecting with people and building trust with them to boost your earnings. People can see you as an expert in your field, and if you present them with useful information, your customers will likely share your newsletter with others, which can lead to greater visibility and profits.

3. Content choices – Announcements help you notify people about incentives you offer (such as discounts and coupons); you can also include “how-to” articles that tie into products and services, and upcoming events and news, among other information, to connect with people. Nielsen Norman Group newsletter studies have shown that these types of emails work well to connect with subscribers.

4. Tell stories for $$$ – “Storytelling” is a popular form of content marketing, especially among nonprofits. Nonprofits can include stories about how donors’ donations have made the world a better place — an essential tenet of the “Domain Formula” for print newsletters, which has been proven to be effective for increasing donations. Businesses can highlight how their products or services have benefited customers, and businesses and nonprofits can build emotional connections with people through stories about why their organizations were founded.

5. High ROI – According to a 2015 report by the Direct Marketing Association, marketers could expect a return of $44.25 for every $1.00 they invested in email marketing. An e-newsletter eliminates postage and printing costs; many email marketing platforms charge a low monthly fee (others, such as MailChimp, are free) to send copies to multiple subscribers.

Want to create your own newsletter or don’t know what to do with the one you have? Explore my lead-generating newsletter writing packages.

The Classy Writing Blog

E-Newsletter Examples: Professional Services Firms

“Some e-newsletter examples in the accounting and real estate realms that effectively sell readers on their services….” Read more.

Quotes

“Your newsletter subscribers are usually your most loyal customers and fans, so it’s important to treat them better than the more fickle audience on social networks. Obviously, having enhanced content in the newsletter is one way of doing so. But you should also make sure to send out the newsletter announcing, say, sales or new products before tweeting such news.” ~ Jakob Nielsen, E-Mail Newsletters: Increasing Usability

“Giving your donor just one thing to consider in your newsletter rather than, say, 10 things (you see that a lot) might be a welcome relief.” ~ Tom Ahern

business communication, business newsletters, business writing, e-mail newsletters, e-news, e-newsletters, electronic newsletters, email announcements, email blasts, email newsletters, enews, enewsletters, newsletter advice, newsletter tips, online newsletters, professional services firms

E-Newsletter Examples: Professional Services Firms

Below are some professional services firms’ e-newsletter examples (accounting and real estate) realms that effectively sell readers on their services.

DISCLAIMER: I’m not affiliated with these businesses. I admire their newsletters, and present them for educational purposes only.

1. Heal Accounting: Heal gives a great, brief summary of news that can affect readers in each email, with a link to the longer newsletter at their website. This works well to drive traffic. Links to feature articles appear at the top of the page. They also offer Tax Tips. They use headings and links well to break up the text for easy scanning. A helpful list of tax due dates for each month appears at the bottom.

2. Horne CPAs and Business Advisors: I love the headlines, the content, and the brevity in this e-newsletter which promotes executive partner Joey Havens’ blog posts. Joey wants us to be better, so it’s not about accounting. One recent email subject line that promoted a humorous, well-written blog post: “Storytelling Works Better Than Viagra.” The email teased people to read the post with a short preview and links at the top and bottom to read more. Each eblast features a thought-provoking story based on real life events with a message.

3. Art of Living by Sotheby’s International Realty: Each issue looks like a mini electronic magazine, with enticing photos of properties priced with a few more zeros at the end than many of us can afford. A short sentence below invites us to tour or read more about European-inspired mansions in the southern Midwest, ocean-front hideaways in the West, and luxurious lofts, estates, and town homes country-wide. Trending listings and Instagram posts round out the highlights. The subject lines could be a little shorter — I suggest they stick to one, rather than two, topics per headline for a pithier message with greater impact.

Need some advice to improve your newsletter? Contact me. Best of all, it’s free. 🙂

Which newsletters do you think are the best?

Published Sept. 4, 2018

writing advice

5 Words You Might Be Misusing

1. farther / further – “Farther” refers to physical distance, however, “further” refers to distance in the figurative or metaphorical sense or something that is additional. Grammar Girl suggests you remember the “far” in “farther” and use that to equate the word with physical distance.

Examples:

“We couldn’t drive farther than a mile before our car overheated.”
“I decided I didn’t want the relationship to go any further.”

2. fewer / less – The Oxford English Dictionary reminds us that “fewer” should be used to refer to people or things in the plural form and that “less” should be used when something can’t be counted or doesn’t have a plural. “Less” is also used with numbers when they are on their own or with expressions of measurement or time.

Examples:

“My beloved lilac tree produced fewer flowers last year.”
“I noticed that I’ve used less fuel to heat my house this winter.”

3. healthy / healthful – Both can mean “conducive to good health.” “Healthful” is considered an old, archaic form of “healthy,” but it has been making a comeback. “Healthy” can generally refer to good health. “Healthful” can describe something that will create good health.

Examples:

“I look forward to eating a healthful salad for lunch.”
“After a long bout with mono, I’m glad to be healthy again.”

4. toward / towards – forward / forwards – downward / downwards – upward / upwards – backward / backwards – In American English, the singular form of these words is considered correct or preferred, but both can be right. According to such style guides as The Chicago Manual of Style and The Associated Press Style Guide, the singular form is correct. Whichever form you decide to use, it’s best to stay consistent in your usage.

Examples:

“Our tent was located toward the left of the willow tree.”
“He expects to be ready for breakfast towards eight o’ clock.”

5. in regard to / in regards to – “In regard to” is the correct form; “in regards to” can be confused with “as regards.” Both phrases are a form of businessese that are best to avoid entirely.

Quotes

“How often misused words generate misleading thoughts.” ~ Herbert Spencer

Comments? Suggestions? Need help? Feel free to contact me.

Michelle Troutman
classywriting.com