1. A blog will have its own URL and that will be its home on the web.  For it to be effective, you have to have people check it out regularly.  This means that you have to exert some time and effort to make sure that it’s always exposed to a lot of people.  You would have to do SEO and marketing to make it visible and that can be a little complicated.  Although you can hire a company like Two Cups Connect to take care of that for you.  On the other hand, email newsletters are sent out to your list.  It doesn’t matter where they are.  They’re going to receive your newsletters.  You just have to build a list and take care of it by sending great and useful content regularly.
2. You get to be proactive with email newsletters.  You don’t have to wait for people to check out your message.  You bring your message to them.  With blogs, you have to wait for people to check them out.  This is especially true if you’re just starting with a blog and you don’t have a lot of followers yet.  Think of it this way.  Your blog can be a party that you organized.  On the other hand, email newsletters are the invitations.  You get to be proactive and you send out newsletters to remind people about the awesome party that you’re throwing!  You just have to include a link to your blog or website.
3. It’s easier to “sell” in your email newsletters.  Since people signed up for them, there’s a greater chance that they’re really interested in what you have to offer.  On the other hand, blogs are usually set up to share information.  A little “selling” may turn off a lot of your readers and may stop going to your blog.
4. Let’s say that you have 10,000 people on your list.  If half of them forward your email newsletters to at least one friend, then you have an additional 5,000 views.  These views can easily turn into subscription and your list grows in the process.  On the other hand, it’s very uncommon for people to refer blogs to their friends.

Obviously, using newsletters is the better choice.  But once you have that set up, you can then explore the possibility of putting up your own blog.  Blogs also have their own advantages and you just have to have the key to unlock them.  Either way, Two Cups Connect can help you.  We have a great system for newsletters and we have a great team that can help you put up your blog and market them.  So contact us in order to explore your options.

Wow – what a meeting we had yesterday!  Almost 50 people attended our lunch meeting at the new Chef Mo’s at 900 Hendersonville Rd. in Asheville, NC and we had a great time.  I had at least 5 people come up to me afterwards to tell me that this is the best business networking meeting in Asheville.  It makes Wayne and I so happy to hear that, because we work hard to make these meetings as productive as possible.

We are all there to help each other be more successful and every time we meet I see more and more business being done between our members.

Check the Events Calendar for our meeting dates and locations in Asheville NC, and Waynesville, NC.

best,

Mandy Wildman and Wayne Porter

You can start with people that you know.  If you’re asking how to build your email list, this is the easiest and fastest way to start.  It’s a great place to start because they’re more receptive.  It’s because they know you personally.  So there’s a very good chance that they’ll check out your email newsletters.  They can be a relative, friend or even and acquaintance.  With people that you know, you basically have one foot inside the door.  It’s now easier to have your message heard.  You can start by collecting their email addresses.  There’s a great chance that you have most of them anyway.  This is another reason why it’s a great way to build a list.  If you’re like most people, then you’ll probably have hundreds of people on your list just by starting with people that you know.

You can then slowly but surely build a list just by going through the normal day to day activities that you do.  You probably meet a lot of people and usually, you exchange business cards.  Nowadays, most business cards have their email addresses on it.  So that’s another answer on how to build your email list.  If you join social networking events (and you should), then you’ll get a chance to meet a lot of people.  These are prospective contacts and you can easily build a list just by going to these events.  In any business, networking is good.  David Doerges, author of the Master Networker’s Manual and founder of Free Networking International, defines networking as “the process of creating a large sphere of helpful contacts through personal meetings and structured, casual and social networking events.”  So keep on networking so you’ll have more recipients for your email newsletters and your message will be heard by more people.

Joining the Two Cups Family will let you take advantage of your list easily.  You can just go to our website and enter all the information that you got and we’ll take care of everything.  You shouldn’t build a list if you don’t plan on using it.  Now that the question, how to build your email list, is answered; it’s now time for you to reap the benefits of your huge list by sending them customized email newsletters.

You’re probably a little concerned about the thought of making email newsletters. After all, it can be pretty intimidating because of the time, effort and money involved. But let’s talk about efficiency for a second. Let’s say that you are very popular and you know 300 people. Imagine yourself calling or emailing each and every single one of them to ask them to check out your website. Sure, it’s free. But can you imagine the time and money involved in doing that? If you’re not up to the challenge like most people, you can sit down and cross your fingers hoping that they’ll stumble upon your site for some reason. Either way, it’s a waste of time.

It’s a given that most people are on a tight budget with the present economy and all. But consider online newsletters for a second. With email newsletters, you can create a positive impact. This positive impact will lead to those 300 people checking out the great product or service that you’re trying to sell. This is the advantage of email newsletters. You don’t wait for people to hear your powerful message. You bring the message to them.

I guess the number one concern for everyone is the price. Not everyone can afford online newsletters, right? That’s where you’re wrong. Sending out email newsletters to people is even cheaper than sending snail mail. If you’re going to use snail mail to have your message heard, you have to spend for the design of the postcard, stamps and mailing labels. There’s also the added hassle of trying to find the best deal available. But with online newsletters, you don’t have to spend a lot of money. They’re also much more effective than snail mails if you want to get your message heard.

Call Two Cups Connect RIGHT NOW in order to have your own email newsletters. Call 1 (800) 608-3714 or contact us right away to get started.

Here at Two Cups Connect, that’s one of the more popular questions that we get.  So here are the top three reasons why your email newsletters need a great design:

1. Build trust with your recipients.

You need to separate your online newsletters from the spam that your recipients probably get.  A stylish and tastefully done design can package you and your company as someone that can be trusted.  They’ll also have this impression that a company that went through all that trouble to design their email newsletters must have very powerful content.

1. Create consistency among all your marketing efforts.

If you’re really serious about achieving success, then you probably have a few well-thought of strategies to establish your brand’s presence.  If you’re going to think about it, a shabby looking newsletter can mess up the consistency of your marketing efforts.  It’s been said a lot of times that you’re only as strong as your weakest link.  You don’t want your brand to be associated with shabby online newsletters.  It’s also important that you keep a unified brand presence.  If your brand’s presence is all about colors, why would you send out email newsletters in black and white?

1. Showcase the best part of your brand.

Marketing is all about putting your best foot forward.  But of course, you shouldn’t try to fool people that your company is something that it is not.  If you’re really offering a great product or service, they should check you out.  In order to capture their attention, you should present them with the best things about your company.  It will be very hard to do that in boring online newsletters.  If you’re going to customize its design, you’ll have the chance to incorporate the best things about your brand in the design.

You can contact Two Cups Connect to check out our available designs and our past works.  You’ll be able to visualize the three reasons better that way.

1. Do you need to resell to your existing customers?
There are services that people get regularly. It could be something like lawn care, pool cleaning, pest control and the likes. There are even products that they buy regularly. This is the reason why customer loyalty is important so that they’ll always come to you for their needs. But sometimes, they would stop getting your services for several reasons. It could be because they have a lot on their plate at that moment or they decided to take a 2 month long trip around Europe. Well we all know the saying, “out of sight…out of mind”. So when they do come back or when they need the services or products again that you happen to be offering, it’s possible that they might go to your competitor who just happened to send a catalog in the mail. With email newsletters, you’re establishing a continuous connection between you and your customers. This way, you’re always fresh in the mind of your clients.

2. Do you sometimes need to contact your future clients more than once before they finally sign up for your service?
In a perfect world, you’ll be closing sale after sale during first contact. But as we’ve known since we were young, the world is not too perfect. But that’s okay. It’s just a matter of trying to cope up. Usually, you need to contact prospects at least four times before you get them to say yes. Calling them up every week can be tiring for you and let’s face it. It can be pretty annoying for them. Using email newsletters is a great way to stay in contact.

If your answer to both questions is yes and you’re convinced how email newsletters can help you, contact us at Two Cups Connect in order to set up your own email newsletters.

1. Make sure people can contact you. This seems obvious but it is often overlooked. Does your business card offer more than one way to contact you? Some people prefer the phone and others prefer email. I have seen this violated so drastically that I went to a website once that was designed to sell a product but there was literally no contact information on the site. I mean not a phone number, not a mailing address, not even an email address. And this was an internet marketing company!
2. Leave your phone number when you call someone and want them to call you back. Don’t say, “Oh, they have my number.” Chances are they may have to look it up, or they may be checking messages from a remote location. Make it easy for them to call you back.
3. Put a great voice mail on your phone. The other day a new business owner called about a website. She had been in business for almost a year but when we called back she didn’t answer and there was no way to leave a message. So go ahead and set up your voice mail and don’t let it fill up.
4. Put your business contact info on you email signature. How many emails do you send out every day? Here is a great opportunity to let people know about the services and/or products you offer. Under your name put a snappy slogan, a link to your website and your phone number.
5. Social Media Marketing. Social media sites are a great way to start and build relationships if done right. Even if all you do is put your name, what you do and your contact info it is one more way for people to find you.

Moral of the story: Make it easy for people to contact you!

By the way, If you’ll go to our contact page and email me I can help you get started with our Social Media Marketing starter package, a website re-design or a full blown marketing campaign.

Wayne Porter, Marketing Director
www.TwoCupsConnect.com
(828) 367-0488

I think one overlooked marketing tool is to just set a good example. I’ll tell you a little story. A few years back, I was in charge of hiring at a company I worked for. One day I went out for a quick bite before my afternoon appointments. As I sat in the sandwich shop I noticed two well dressed young women eating their sandwiches. As they got up to go they left their table very messy even though the trash can was only a few feet away.

I headed back to work thinking “Some people…”

As you may have guessed the two young women turned out to be my afternoon appointments. Unfortunately their laziness cost them a good job, because I already had an indication of their work ethic.

Another example was a middle aged man I observed one day who zoomed up (and parked illegally) to run in the bank ahead of me to get some money from the ATM. His car had a cross hanging from the mirror and a bumper sticker saying “God is my co-pilot” and another one that said “I worship at (___) Church.” He didn’t seem very appreciative when I pointed out that it reflected badly on his church when he broke the law and was so inconsiderate of the traffic behind him.

The point is, you never know when your actions will come back to – er – visit you. Which is a good argument for simply making the decision to always set a good example. Not just because of how it might look to others, but because, hey – we’re sharing a planet here – let’s be nice.

1) Be Specific.

Would you open an email with a subject line “Email” or “Newsletter”? Probably not. But how about a newsletter promising to give you some specific information about a subject you’re interested in?

2) Tell the Truth.

Don’t send out a newsletter with the subject “About last night…” with the hope that people will be interested and trick them into opening the email. Unless of course your email really is about last night.

3) Be Enticing.

What you want to do is give a little “come on.” Use a subject line that gives a hint but doesn’t give away the farm, so to speak. Encourage the reader to open and find out more.

4) Don’t Use ‘Spam’ Words.

There are certain words that will increase your ’spam’ score, increasing the likelihood of your email winding up in the junk folder. (Who can tell us why we didn’t include a list of such words in this article?) Contact us if you need advice on this.

5) Experiment: Find Out What Works For You.

One way to test your subject line skill is to create two really snazzy subject lines for your newsletter and send it out to half your list with one subject line and half with the other one and see which gets the most response.

For more help with your e-newsletters, please contact us.