Do you ever want to unplug from the 21st Century and send messages by carrier pigeon? Do you ever have one of those days where you just want to give up and live in a nice, comfortable, media-free bunker?
Friday, 5:15 pm. I receive an unsolicited email about a business opportunity. Over 100 other people received the very same message. I know this because the sender neglected to create a proper email list, so I can see the address of every recipient.
Do I need to explain why I don’t enjoy having my email address broadcast that way? Do I need to tell you, dear reader, the hazards of exposing your mailing list to dozens of people in one fell swoop?
(Note: if you don’t know already, there is legislation governing direct marketing. There are also best practices, and national marketing associations where you can learn how to do it, online and offline, legally and properly.)
Things just get better from there.
Finding the right audience online takes some time and thoughtful research. Once you find those perfect people, you still have to get them to your website.
We’re not talking about search engines and keywords here. Your mission is to create a purposeful, person-to-person connection. You want the words that create a brief but compelling message that is delivered directly to your audience.
Headlines.
You might think a headline is a simple add-on to your content, but it’s much more than that. You need headlines to cut through In box clutter, even if your recipients look forward to your email newsletter, because you can’t know how busy they will be when it arrives.
You need compelling headlines when you post something new on your blog, or on Facebook or Twitter, to encourage people to read what you wrote.
Do you have an unfinished project lurking in your consciousness? One way or another, it’s time to set it in motion.
It’s difficult to move forward when you’re surrounded by unfinished business. It might be a special order or commission you should have started already, or one of those “just in case” ideas that usually comes with stuff that requires too much storage space in your studio, or in your head.
Clear it out.
