Well, after participating in Deb's Monday night chat here on the Virtual Assistant Forums, I was intrigued and inspired to create my own newsletter. Well, my creative juices were flowing and I created, what I think is a pretty cool newsletter!

Well, now, I have to figure out just what to do with it! I thought in lieu of postcards, maybe I will send the newsletter to local area businesses. I know I am definitely going to post it on my web site, but my intention was to give business owners some good information they could utilize, while showing off my skills.

I just do not want to go overboard and spend a lot of money to only have them thrown away. Any thoughts or ideas on this? What are the success rates of mailing newsletters to non-customers?

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Darlene Victoria Gonzalez
The Voice & Vision Behind Your Business

Have you considered setting up an enewsletter thing instead and letting people sign up via email on your site? Costs a lot less than actually mailing them out!

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WTG Darlene! I like the enewsletter idea. Are you going to share it here with us? I'd love to read it.

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Dawn Riley
A Virtual Assistant in Paradise
Our business is about making yours better

I am sorry I missed last Monday nights inaugural general chat. I hope to be at the next one.

Writing my own newsletter now that would be something. Congratulations on completing yours, Darlene hope you find a good way of distributing them.


Regards,
Vicky
www.c-vas.eu

Darlene,
I've actually set-up an e-newsletter which I have a sign up through my website. I actually don't incur any costs since it's e-mailed out other than my time of course. That way you can also ask for feedback and not worry whether it's being thrown out or not. When ever I meet someone knew and I get their business card I automatically ask if they want to be added to my e-newsletter list. I have not had anyone say no to me yet and I've been lucky to get some business from it. I basically treat each new person that I meet as a "potential client". I've also had a few people who receive my e-newsletter, ask if I'd create one for them.

Just a suggestion

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Bette Creek
http://bettecreek.blogspot.com/
www.ashbusinessservices.com

Hi Darlene,

I missed the Monday night chat, but if you would like another resource for newsletters, I highly recommend Expanding Your Business...One Subscriber at a Time Build Your Business with Newsletters by Heather Jacobson.

The book cost only $7. Anyone that purchases her book can become an affiliate and Heather will pay you 100%.

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Dusty Warren

I just did my first newsletter and sent it out in February. I also posted it to my website. I sent mine out by regular mail and some were emailed to clients and other contacts I have a relationship with. The newsletter is quarterly so I'm going to keep this method of distribution until I have a large enough list to do it by email. It was worthwhile because I obtained a new client from the mail out, someone who wouldn't have known about me before. His work alone will more than pay for the cost of the mailing - I print them myself on a colour laser printer, so the cost is minimal. I highly recommend getting a good colour laser printer - I'm still on my cyan, magenta and yellow toner from the printer bought over a year ago and I just replaced the black toner. If I had an ink jet, I would have burned through a fortune in ink by now (and the output wouldn't look as good).

Good luck with your newsletter.

Hi Darlene,

Congrats on finishing your newsletter! You're one step ahead of me - I'm still working on mine but hope to get it out soon.

I agree with the others about trying the enewsletter route. The only drawback is that until you start getting a good amount of subscribers, not many will see your work. I like Bette's idea of asking anyone who gives her a business card if they'd like to be added to her enewsletter. What a great way to build your subscription list!

Good luck!

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Tammi Metzler ~ The Write Associate
Free call: "How to Write Email Subject Lines That Grab Attention!"

Darlene,

Good morning. Way back, my husband had an independent Mortgage broker that he had used. Since then we have moved on to someone new, but we still receive from him a 4x6 postcard with his business card on 1 side and a few marketing words and a receipe on the 2nd side!!!

Although we don't use him right now, it's great to get those recipes and I post them on my refrigerator so I can make the recipe. The beautiful thing is, if I still lived in NJ where he is located, we would definatly use him again.

If you keep your presence around long enough, people will remember you and you'll be the first to call when then need a VA!

A newsletter is a great idea, but if it doesn't offer material that is specific to the person you are sending it out to, they will through it away. Start with a niche and develope your newsletter towards that industry... find those businesses and mail those newsletters out!

Hope this helped.

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Mary Lou Locke
Lock-in Success with Locke Virtual Assistance
www.LockeSolutions.com: