Okay, so you’re busy. There’s a financial crisis going on, there’s a presidential election going on, there’s Halloween just two weeks away and you still have no idea what to wear.
So I understand, you’ve got to prioritize.
And besides, in these hectic times in particular, it would be wasteful – even frivolous – to burden your clients, prospects and others with one more E-Newsletter that they need to read. So you gather your staff (or dog, if like me, you work alone) one Monday morning and announce: “How about we wait until things settle down a bit? Then we’ll start publishing our newsletter again.”
You look like a nice person, so let me just say, in all candor… You are a dope.
Ha, ha! I am just kidding of course… a little tough love humor, if you will. No, what I mean to say is that you are making a big mistake.
Because the fact is, now is exactly the time your E-Newsletter needs to be out there.
Three reasons…
- There’s less competition. It’s often said that a down economy is a bad time to start a business. I don’t agree, but true or not, this bit of conventional wisdom scares all kinds of people into keeping their day jobs or ditching their not yet established businesses for the perceived security of a steady paycheck.
As a result, there are fewer people out here. Fewer companies advertising, fewer companies marketing, and yes, fewer companies sending E-Newsletters. With all this fewer-ness happening, it’s easier for your newsletter to stand out.
- Experts don’t sit on the sidelines. Certainly if you’re in the financial services world, but frankly anyone who’s in a trust-based, thought-leading, “hire-me-because-I’m-wise-and-experienced-and-can-help-you” sort of occupation, needs to be visible right now.
Your clients and prospective clients are worried, and your opportunity as an expert is to shed some light, provide some perspective and offer a bit of reassurance. Figure out how the shaking world we’re presently in relates to the work you do and voice an opinion. (And while you’re at it, keep it positive. More on that next…)
- Anything is better than watching the news. More than a few people have told me that with so much “important news” out there, sending a newsletter right now feels like a distraction. I agree… that’s why I do it.
Look, people can only take so much gloom and doom. So when your E-Newsletter arrives – light, interesting, helpful, authentic, maybe a bit counterintuitive – it will be welcomed more than usual.
You’ll be the short break, the breath of fresh air, the shot in the arm that helps your readers see beyond today’s troubles and inspires them to get back to work. We all know the pendulum will swing back the other way (it always does), so why not be the one who’s leading the charge? Your newsletter is your megaphone.
Here’s the bottom line: The time to be visible, the time to be expert, the time to be upbeat, is when everybody else is not. In terms of publishing your E-Newsletter and marketing yourself as a leader in your industry, you couldn’t ask for a bigger opportunity than right now.