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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Great Nonprofit Websites Worth a Visit

These great nonprofit websites effectively market the organizations they represent and their overall missions.

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

1. Loon Echo Land Trust: loonecholandtrust.org
Their home page features little text, and is a good example of “minimalist” copy — sometimes less can be more. It starts with a simple mission statement (like an elevator pitch) that tells us what LELT is and what they do. They then encourage people to get involved with the land they protect, through looking at trails and maps, ways to donate, and opportunities to volunteer, and elaborate on the details of these options on their respective pages.

2. Maine Better Transportation Association: mbtaonline.org
We learn about the association, and some of the issues they advocate for are featured upfront, which is appropriate, given their mission as “a non-partisan voice for investment in a safe, efficient transportation network for Maine.” MBTA events are also highlighted. They also effectively promote their magazine and a policy paper as lead magnets. The font of the copy could be bumped up a bit in size for easier reading.

3. The Telling Room: tellingroom.org
The design features bold, creative graphics, which suit their mission to inspire children to tell stories to improve their literacy skills and boost their confidence, building on their creative expression and passion. The story prompts, good for writer’s block, can help young and older alike. The stories by talented children are spotlighted, and in some cases, the result, of the Telling Room’s work. Students and parents will find out how to get involved with the Telling Room, through such offerings as a writing contest, workshops, field trips, and residencies.

4. The American Cheese Society: cheesesociety.org
Did you know that October is American Cheese Month? That’s among the wealth of facts and information about the curdled dairy product, the Society, and its annual Judging Competition. You’ll find out how to make cheese, food safety techniques, industry data, and more. It’s everything you can think of about cheese wrapped up in one well-crafted website.

5. Center for Creative Leadership: ccl.org
The home page copy starts with an impressive tagline summing up what they do, and it builds from there. It leads into copy that powerfully promotes their mission of leadership development, and boasts they “do it right” because they have research and client experience as proof. The breadth of content offerings, which include workshop kits and assessments, books, webinars and courses, is well-organized. It’s also presented in a visually appealing way, such as through the infographic on their “About” page. Besides the Success Stories, testimonials from students and clients would bolster their claims. Nevertheless, the site is a great resource for those interested in leadership.

Find out how to improve your website and other digital copy in my FREE ebook, “5 Common Online Content Problems — Solved!”

What do you think of these websites?

Good Blog Examples: Professional Services Firms

In my Web travels, I see some great and a lot of not-so-great blogs. These are some good blog examples by professional services firms (law, insurance, coaching, etc.).

DISCLAIMER: I’m not affiliated with any of these sites. I like their content, and present it for educational purposes only.

1. Johnson Webbert & Young, LLP Attorneys & Counselors at Law: johnsonwebbert.com/news/
I’m biased — because they featured a real Maine legal case about how the lack of an “Oxford” or serial comma in an overtime policy resulted in a “win” for Oakhurst Dairy drivers ups their “greatness” quotient. And they included a link to a comma quiz in that article. No call to action for legal matters as a result of run-ins with the grammar police, though. But, I really like the interesting tidbits about legal cases, the news items, and the opinions from lawyers about cases, which can be entertaining (another favorite post is “Will Robots Take Your Job?“).

2. Richard Brothers Financial: richardbrothersfinancial.com/blog/
These well-written blog posts cover timely topics for investors and people who need financial advice. Articles about the recently passed Tax Cuts and Job Act and the Equifax data breach in 2017 offer sound advice to readers. The posts are well-formatted for easy reading, with calls to action to entice clicks for incentives at the end. This type of “classic” or traditional blog never goes out of style.

3. Noyes, Hall & Allen Insurance: noyeshallallen.com/blog/
This blog covers relevant, appropriate, and timely topics of interest to insurance customers. Topics tied to trends are crucial for online searches. The posts answer questions customers probably have or could have asked, which helps engage them and to speak their language. They’re short, educational, and get to the heart of their subject matter, with the right balance of information, education, and substance for engagement, subtle sales strategies for success.

4. The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein: joebornstein.com/blog/
This accident and disability law firm posts interesting, informative monthly advice on related topics, which include winter weather accidents in Maine, trends in increases in car accidents and pedestrian fatalities, and Halloween safety tips. They’re enjoyable reading, with lead sentences written with personality. Check it out — you just might learn something new.

5. Lean East: leaneast.com/#ht-blog-section
These experts in Lean Six Sigma and other ways to eliminate waste in operating processes coach organizations on how to improve their effectiveness. The posts aren’t letter-perfect, but they offer good advice presented in an interesting way with helpful examples. They truly show the value of their work to potential clients.

Need help with your blog? Read my free ebook for some pointers: “5 Common Online Content Problems — Solved!”

What do you think?

blog, blog writing, blogging, blogging for business, writing advice

5 Common Blogging Mistakes You Could Be Making

1. No “calls-to-action” – This is one of the most common blogging mistakes I see. And it’s easy to avoid. If you sell a product or a service, include a plug to contact you for help or a link for more information. It doesn’t always have to be at the end, either.

2. A boring title – The headline is usually the first thing your readers will see. Ideally, it’s short and spicy while it hints at the topic covered.

Example: “Things to Do in L.A.”
Revised: “8 Ways to Have Fun in L.A. for Less Than $200”

3. Not asking readers to comment – Besides reading (and writing) blog posts, I enjoy readers’ comments about them. Some posts don’t end with questions to encourage replies. Ask readers what they think, how they could do it better, or any number of questions that can’t be answered with a “yes” or a “no.” It helps build a sense of community.

4. A lackluster opening – Write an opening sentence that will entice people to read the entire piece. It doesn’t have to be terribly original — you don’t have to set the bar high — but, at least make it a true statement. Or open with a question. Surprise us a little.

Example: “Maine drivers are familiar with hazardous weather conditions.”
Revised: “Winter is no stranger to the 207. Raise your hand if you passed your driver’s test in a Nor’easter.” (The Law Offices of Joe Bornstein blog)

5. No subheadings – I like subheadings in posts longer than 600 words. They make the rest of the text easier on the eyes and add to the overall flow.

Read 5 More Blogging Mistakes You Could Be Making.

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Quotes

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

“For bloggers, the deadline is always now. Blogging is therefore to writing what extreme sports are to athletics: more free-form, more accident-prone, less formal, more alive. It is, in many ways, writing out loud.” ~ Andrew Sullivan, “Why I Blog,” The Atlantic

business communication, business newsletters, business writing, e-mail newsletters, e-news, e-newsletters, electronic newsletters, email newsletters, enews

How to Create a Great Newsletter for Business

Newsletters don’t merely inform — they’re also effective tools to connect with readers to subtly sell them on a product, a service, or a cause.

To create a great newsletter for business, it helps to know the content to feature in every issue and its length. Consistency is important to build trust and so that readers know where to look for the information they need and want.

Your content should be easy to create to save everyone’s time and be easy to read. Here’s how to create a great newsletter for business.

E-newsletters and e-blasts

An ideal length is 600 words. It’s enough for snippets on one or more topics — the fewer, the better, to keep readers focused, per newsletter studies.

Eblasts are good for short news items and are generally 500 or fewer words. They can feature one or two items with copy that links to more information at a website.

Either way, it’s best to link as much as possible to shorten the copy and make it easier to scan; links help emphasize the text, too.

No matter the content, include the date or the month and year, links to your social media sites and email address, your mailing address, with links to forward the newsletter and to unsubscribe, according to the CAN-SPAM Act (U.S.).

Your most important, eye-catching copy should be at the top to entice people to read more. An engaging subject line can also influence opens.

Essentially, the less said, the better, done in an intriguing style that doesn’t reveal everything all of the time.

Like blog posts, you can include “calls to action” to get leads.

Print Newsletters

These tend to work best at one to four pages long — roughly 2,000 or fewer words, depending on how you format the text. Anything longer than six pages creeps more toward magazine territory, which is fine, if you truly need all of that copy (and design).

For more than a few pages of text, breaking it into columns makes for easier reading. Graphics and photos work well to enhance the text, too. A logo at the top, with a masthead that shows the issue date and how to contact staff, looks professional.

For more advice, read five elements of effective e-newsletters for business.

Need help learning how to create a great newsletter for business? Want some thoughts on yours? Get a free e-news audit today!

What do you think about newsletters?

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

5 Elements of Effective Newsletters for Business

DISCLAIMER: The following emails — as examples of effective newsletters — don’t necessarily reflect my beliefs. I’m not affiliated with their creators, either. I simply admire their work and present it for educational purposes only.

1. Brevity – I subscribe (pardon the pun) to the notion that people don’t like to scroll much for information. The average e-newsletter should be less than 1,000 words. Just tell us what we need to know.

Example: The Conservation Law Foundation E-News

The CLF does well at consistently featuring short content that supports their mission. News items with catchy headlines at the top link to more info at their website to drive more traffic to it. It’s enough to incite action among liberals and conservatives alike.

Because the CLF doesn’t tell the reader everything, the reader becomes curious enough to click on the links for more info. An effective “call-to-action” for donations is at the bottom of each e-newsletter.

2. Error-free – Nobody’s perfect. Mistakes happen in all types of content.

Example: MICS UNICEF Newsletters

The MICS (Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys) UNICEF newsletter regularly features clean, tight copy written in British English to give readers the results of surveys of children and women that the organization has conducted in over 100 countries.

3. Engaging – Your content must be interesting and useful for your audience to keep them reading and subscribing. The copy shouldn’t blatantly be an advertisement. That’s not always easy.

Example: MaineHealth Health Matters e-Newsletter

The MaineHealth e-newsletter truly informs, with healthful recipes, links to health tips and videos, and news everyone can use.

4. Organization – How content is presented — the text alongside the graphics — really affects how we absorb information in effective newsletters. If it’s well-formatted, everyone finds it easy to scan quickly.

Example: MaineGeneral HealtheMatters

MaineGeneral Health is one of my healthcare providers, so I subscribe to their newsletter. They present their information in a visually appealing way while projecting a positive image of their organization to build trust to keep patients and get donations. Donors can give money with one simple, easy-to-find click.

5. Originality – No one wants to read a “McNewsletter” that’s available elsewhere. Effective newsletters make reading a uniquely enjoyable experience.

Example: The Maine Humanities Council compiles their intellectual, thought-provoking content, such as news about upcoming events and poems by poet laureate Gary Lawless, with flair in “Notes from an Open Book.”

Need help with your newsletter? Contact me for a free e-news audit today! No strings attached. Just good, solid advice to help you increase profits and get more leads.