Warm Welcome:
Welcome back to Wood Newsletters! Last month, I talked about the evolution of the email newsletter and its place in business marketing. I left off with a mention about the personalization of the email newsletter, and that’s where I’d like to start today. Why is personalization so important in a newsletter, and why are newsletters the perfect venue to create a connection between you and your potential clients?
As always, please send me your thoughts. I’d love to hear from you!
Sincerely,
Leanne Wood
Writer and Owner, Wood Newsletters
Several years ago, I became alarmed at the amount of ultra-processed food in the American diet. If you follow health trends, you have probably noticed that ultra-processed foods are the new smoking. But trying to eat healthy isn’t easy! Even foods you might traditionally think of as healthy sometimes aren’t as healthy as we’d like.
Take a loaf of bread, for example. Even the wheat bread bought at a store is considered ultra-processed food. When I tried finding bread made of whole grains, loaves loaded with seeds even, I was dismayed to find they were still ultra-processed.
To find bread that was a good fit for me, I decided I needed to go back in time. I bought a bread machine so I could make homemade bread (because who has time to knead bread for three hours?). I was incredibly pleased with my homemade loaf. Slightly sweet, soft, and delicious, I could eat it knowing it didn’t contain harmful preservatives.
The bread was not the flashiest thing I could buy at the supermarket or particularly trendy, but it fit my dietary needs perfectly. It was personal to me, and it was a win!
Just like a loaf of homemade bread just for you, personalization in your business marketing strategy is key to attracting customers. When we hear personalization, we often think it means addressing the recipient by their first name or tailoring the content to what they need. And, of course, it does. But it’s more than that. Personalization goes the other way, too. It means opening up and showing off what makes you or your business unique.
In order to bring those customers in your door, they need to believe that you are the best person or business to help them solve a problem or relieve some kind of pain that they’re having. And when I say “best,” I don’t mean the most well known or ones with the biggest profit margin–but more on that in just a bit.
Back to our pain point or problem: As an example, a small, locally owned grocery store has a contract with a farm co-op to deliver a certain number of tomatoes every month. Delivery happens every month like clockwork until the co-op suddenly stops delivering with no prior notice and no explanation. The grocery store reaches out, to no avail. Your business law firm has the expertise to deal with the breach of contract and any potential litigation that may be involved. You are perfectly poised to help solve this potential client’s problem.
There’s just one catch: There are a good number of business law firms in your area. How can you show this client that your law firm is the one they should do business with? That’s where personalization in your marketing, particularly with an email newsletter, can set you apart from the crowd.
As I mentioned earlier, the best law firm for this potential client is not the largest or wealthiest, but rather the one that is the best fit. It’s easy to think that people want to do business with the top performing or most prestigious or best advertised law firm. The fact is, however, that most people want to do business with people they like. If you can show potential clients who you are and what makes you pleasant to work with, they’re much more likely to follow through with an actual visit to your door. A newsletter showing off your personality can move them from knowing your name to considering working with you to actually having a conversation with you. From there, you have plenty of opportunity to get to know them and help them see how your firm can help solve their problem.
An email newsletter is a crucial part of showing people how likeable or how relatable you are. A newsletter gives potential clients a glimpse into your identity in a way social media campaigns or bus signs or billboards just can’t. You can show off your personality, in addition to your expertise, every month, little by little revealing who you are and making connections each month.
If you would like help showing off your unique business personality to potential clients, please reach out. I’d love to hear from you!
