I got a call just now from a guy who had a copy of one of my newsletters sent to him last week (by his accountant). His accountant had been sitting on the newsletter for two years.
Apparently, the accountant in question (my new best friend) liked the newsletter, saved it, and when this guy mentioned a particular need that I might be able to fill … bam (not sure if that’s the actual sound it made) … it was forwarded along.
So here’s my question to you: Is the stuff you’re sending to people worth saving for two years? How about two months? How about two minutes?
It’s an important question. Because the more vital/useful/interesting are the things you send, the more likely they’ll be remembered, saved and ultimately passed along.
Lots of people write newsletters as if they are just e-mail advertisements. I don’t. I think of them as seeds to be thrown, some of which, when written with the needs of the reader in mind, happily sprout two years down the road!