Keep in touch with Blogging and Newsletters

If you are a business owner and want to expand your reach or keep in touch with your customer base, email marketing or blogging may be the answer.

Some email newsletters are graphics rich and others are text based. If you are looking for a snazzy looking communique, check out web based services such as Constant Contact and Campaign Monitor. They make it easy to learn about this massive topic. Constant Contact is easier to use and offers online “webinars” daily. Campaign Monitor is geared to graphics control freaks who know a thing or two about HTML.


A Squamish company that does a very nice job of marketing itself and keeping in touch with its 400 subscribers using Constant Contact is Emeria Health and Wellness . This newsletter has several things going for it. It’s visually appealing and contains very useful information including workshops, health tips and even guilt free cookie recipes! They publish often. Owner Marissa Scheisser says it’s a winning marketing strategy.

“My open rates have gone from about 20% up to 50% which is quite high. Clients I haven’t seen for awhile, rebook. Most of the business that has been generated from my newsletter has been for workshops.”

Perhaps simple is best? Vancouver’s “networking queen” Alice Zhou from Gracious Host, publishes a text based newsletter about social and business events in Vancouver. This simple format newsletter could be run from common email programs such as Outlook. For a one person show, she has a massive subscriber list containing 4000 members! Occasionally she gets hired by one of her subscribers to write paid business profiles for her audience.

Alice does two things very well. She manages to keep her finger on the pulse of the business and events community and second, she actually generates a living for herself in the process. Visit gracioushost.ca to sign up or ask her questions.

Blogging is the next big thing in business communications. Aside from its yucky name, it’s a great way to position yourself as an expert in your field by blogging about what you know best. Nerds have taken this online diary concept one step further allowing the publisher to add pictures, links, color and style to their dispatches. Getting set up with Blogspot.com takes a few minutes and you can post your first entry in moments without a lot of technical knowledge and then use an “RSS Feed” to alert subscribers about new content. (consult Google for more info on RSS feeds)

The fundamental difference between blogging and newsletters and using a web site to market your self is that one is “push” and the other is a “pull”. The newsletter and blog are sent to a subscriber list. The web site requires a bit of marketing or techno-wizardry on the part of the webmaster to make sure your product or service gets located on search engines.

These tools are legitimate and perhaps better ways to make money on the internet than with a web site. Most web sites rely on random visitors to find you and hopefully initiate contact. Email marketing and blogging are fantastic ways to send offers and information to people who actually want to hear from you.

The Idea guy would really like to hear from you! Check out his blog and or email Craig at ideaguy@ultipromo.com http://www.ultipromo.com/blog/2007


Around the Water Cooler

Mostly French in Squamish began offering adult French lessons and youth programs. Call Valerie at 604-898-2323

Golder and Associates was declared one of Canada’s “50 Best Managed Companies”

Whistler Blackcomb Plumbing and Heating opens in Squamish. Owner George Lewis can be reached at 604-932-9611