I often get emails from professional services companies looking for someone to write their firm’s newsletter. They don’t have the time or resources to do it themselves but they know in the back of their minds that they need to do something to keep in contact with prospects and clients.
Generally, firms are looking for one of two options:
1) to buy already published articles – perhaps written by a trade organization
2) to pay someone to research and write articles for the firm on an ongoing basis
The advantage of the first is that it’s cheap and fast. The advantage of the second is that you are paying for unique content.
The problem is that by outsourcing your newsletter, you are missing a great opportunity to show your prospects and clients who you really are.
Professional services firms have a hard enough time differentiating themselves from everyone else. By publishing a newsletter, you have the chance to humanize your firm. A good newsletter is relevant to your readers’ interests while demonstrating your expertise. And it lets prospects and clients see who you are through your writing style and opinions.
The truth is that people do business with people they like and trust, not because your firm has over 100 years of experience or that you provide the highest level of customer service at affordable prices. That’s just marketing hype to them.
And they don’t have time to read something unless it is relevant to them. Sure, staying on top of the latest news in the industry helps you showcase your expertise, but readers don’t care unless that news impacts their business.
A great newsletter can show prospects and clients that you understand their concerns and can help them solve their problems. And your firm is in the best position to know what content is relevant to their needs. What questions keep popping up? What issues are they concerned about when you talk to them? Those issues are where your articles should focus.
Yes, if you were to pay an outside marketing firm or freelance copywriter to look into these issues, they’d probably uncover them – but it would take time. You already know what they are and can easily address them.
Yes, writing a great newsletter takes some effort. But it can be much more effective and rewarding than the alternatives.
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