If you're a coach or therapist, you're ideally placed to send out inspirational newsletters because you have so much you can write about! 

This article should give you some ideas and inspiration for your newsletters. (This is different to content for emails or email sequences.)

What is a newsletter?

Here are two definitions:

A newsletter is a printed or electronic report containing news concerning the activities of a business or an organisation that is sent to its members, customers, employees or other subscribers. Newsletters generally contain one main topic of interest to its recipients. (Wiki)

Newsletters let you communicate directly with your prospects and customers in a personalised way by serving valuable content and relevant promotions straight to their inboxes. (Campaign Monitor) 

What are the rules?

There are no rules, despite what 'the gurus' say. But here are a few tips:

• Pick a schedule (weekly, fortnightly, monthly etc) and stick to it.

• Use personalisation (make sure your sign up form collects people's first name)

• Keep text short and to the point and use sections, headers and bullet points.

• Keep the overall newsletter as short as you can - people are busy

• Try to keep the format consistent.

• Try to link back to your website content as often as you can (use 'read more' links or buttons).

• Promote engagement by always inviting your audience to reply if they have any questions.

• Include original copy. Newsletters shouldn't just be a list of links.

• Make sure you have a calls-to-action in each newsletter, or for specific sections (book here, order now etc)

• Use a newsletter template to maintain consistency

• Use high-quality images and graphics

• Make sure your content is accessible

• Ensure an opt-out button or link is easy to find and make sure it works!

• Always send yourself a test email to check it all works and reads well.

What is success?

The great thing about newsletters (and email marketing in general) is it's dead easy to track the open rates, bounce rates, unsubscribe rates, click rates, and other relevant stats. 

You can also track sales, and website analytics can be set to show you how much inbound traffic has come via your newsletters. 

Also keep an eye on the overall audience number - is it going up, or going down?

What to include?

If you are anything like my clients, you are following your vocation through your business and it's all about the transformational journey you support your clients on. Tell your audience all about it!

Testimonials

So the first thing that springs to mind is to share client testimonials and case studies. If you don't currently ask for these PLEASE make this a priority. Look at any reviews you've had, nice emails from people, supportive feedback on social media, as well as formally asking all clients for a testimonial.

A simple tip is to create ONE document and put them all in one place to refer to. Share one consistently in every newsletter.

In-depth case studies

Take this further and really show how you help people. Ask some clients if you can create a case study about them and really wax lyrical on how you worked together and how they really benefited from your services. Quotes (and even better, video testimony) can be used to make them personal and authentic.

Working with you

• Use the descriptions of your services from your website to really paint a picture of what you offer and what it's like to work with you.

• How do people get started?

• What's your flagship or signature service?

• What do people need the most?

• Share the pain points of your typical clients.

• Share photos of your workspace or therapy room.

• Write about a typical 'day in the life'.

• What's your mission?

• Why are you different?

• Share how you got started and why you love what you do.

Most of this stuff should come naturally; we've all done our 'client avatar' work, we know why we do what we do, what we offer, and how it benefits our clients. Hopefully, you can just cut and paste a lot of this from your website and marketing materials!

Products and services

Many therapists will have physical products they can sell in the newsletter (such as massage blends) but ensure you talk about the benefits of the products not just the features and price.

Many of you will have virtual products, especially coaches who will often have a membership, webinar or coaching programme. Make this a regular feature so people get to know what you are offering, and how to book.

You can share a regular 'service/product in the spotlight' feature each time where you focus on a different area of your business.

But don't just sell your services….let your passion and vocation shine through and people will love it.

Other things to share

• Promote an upcoming product or service launch.

• What you love (and hate) about your industry.

• Excerpts from your latest blog post (and link back to your website to read in full).

• You can also share blog posts as LinkedIn articles and link to those if you want to increase your LinkedIn following.

• YouTube videos, Facebook Lives.

• Any presentations you've given.

• Have you appeared as a guest on any podcasts, guest blogs or on video? Get the link and share it.

• Personal stories (a bit more about you, the person, your family, where you live, hobbies, holidays etc).

• Your most successful social media posts.

• Your philosophy on life.

• Your top tips.

• Link to people's content that you love (but that will help your audience).

• Quotes and affirmations.

Conclusion

If you think about it, you have TONS of content you can share and hopefully, you can grab existing content without having to write it all from scratch.

Start today (read why email marketing is so important!) by picking a schedule and brainstorming some content ideas.

If you need a hand, you can book my Get Started or Email Marketing Support package where I'll guide and support you to get it all set up properly, and done!