The chances of you meeting someone at the very moment they are looking to hire a Virtual Assistant, and them deciding you are the right VA for them, are very slim. Since being a VA is about developing relationships you need to find a way to not only plant seeds but also to nurture and develop relationships with potential clients. A newsletter is the perfect way to do that.

A newsletter gets your creativity flowing while allowing you to offer value to those in your network. All of us have something of value, what are you willing to offer? In this edition of the Ask the Master newsletter we’ll explore newsletter as a networking and marketing tool.

What do I include in the newsletter?

This can sometimes be the toughest decision to make. What you decide to put in your newsletter may have an effect on how often you send out your newsletter and visa versa. A daily broadcast would likely be much smaller than a monthly one.

Take a look at what you know the most about and what would be of value to your audience. Keep in mind that you will want to sustain the content for quite some time. You can provide a variety of information in your newsletter such as tips, quotes, letters from the editor and guest writers as well. Let your creativity flow.

WHow do I get a newsletter started?

As Nike would say, just do it! J Once you have decided how frequently you want the send it out start by signing up people you know who would benefit or be interested in it. Any current clients, potential clients, your coach, family members etc.

You may start out with only 5 or 6 subscribers but this can grow quickly if you make it easy to sign up. Ask subscribers to pass it along and include subscribe and unsubscribe instructions in the newsletter. You can also look at purchasing mailing lists.
How do I manage the list of subscribers??

Initially you will probably be able to use a distribution list on your email program. Outlook provides you the ability to create such a list however when you get to around 150-200 subscribers you will probably encounter difficulties sending the broadcast due to the number of email addresses. You can get around this by splitting the distribution list and sending it in smaller chunks or you can also look at getting a list service.

Most list services provide additional features such as the ability to schedule broadcasts to go out on certain dates so you can schedule ahead. They also offer subscribers the ability to subscribe or unsubscribe on their own by using specific email addresses. In addition they offer a subscription verification service along with welcome letters and unsubscribe letters of thanks. WebValence offers a good service at a very reasonable price (www.webvalence.com).

How do I set up and format the newsletter?

You can set up the newsletter either in plain text or HTML. Obviously plain text does not allow for formatting so it will be a much plainer newsletter. If you are using HTML you can be much more creative and the end result will be more aesthetically pleasing. You can also support the branding of the colours, fonts and/or logos you use for your business.

To create this newsletter I simply use a table in Word and merge the top and bottom cells together in the table. I then format the background, borders and text colours and copy and paste it into the email I am sending. Very simple.

What do I need to know about sending out a newsletter?

If you are sending out an HTML newsletter make sure you have your email program set to send HTML. If it is set for plain text your subscribers will see something very different from what you intended to send. You may want to have the option of both a plain text or HTML version of your newsletters. Also consider making archives of previous editions available as well.

Be sure you do not spam people and take care of any unsubscribe requests immediately. Always include both subscribe and unsubscribe instructions in your newsletter. Be aware of how often you are sending your newsletter out and the number of unsubscribes that are coming in. You want to make sure you are adding value at all times.

About the Author
Mary-Lou Ashon successfully launched her Virtual Assistant company in 1997 and holds expertise in organizing information, creation and implementation of administrative procedures and marketing. She has proven that dedication, communication, loyalty and a flare for marketing are keys to developing successful client relationships. Mary-Lou has a keen desire to promote awareness of VAs as a career option both internationally and at home in Canada and has developed a cost effective, convenient and high quality training program which you can locate at http://vatp.ca/.