It’s time to do our new business newsletter. We’ve had quite a few problems with this issue but it’s finally done… I can breathe a little when the new newsletter is done. Summer is coming and this is the best time to promote our business as our target parents are now looking for schools for the summer and afterwards. So the newsletter is a very good promotional tool.

At the moment, we’re pretty limited in the presentation for the actual newsletter: we don’t do color yet. But I’m becoming certain that this is the direction we need to go in: of course, we’ll then need to send out the flyer to be done commercially. OK. This is what it looks like! It was made using MS Publisher 98 … in Windows 98SE, but later versions of Office include this, too.

Even in this era of online commerce, creating a short off-line flyer, newsletter or card can be a good way to gain additional attention for your service, store or website. You can use the wizards in Word or Publisher 2008 to get you started with the basic design, write a few short columns, make it informational and of value to the readers.

Layout

I created two documents, each A4 in size. Then I named number 1 – pages 1 and 4. Number 2 is pages 2 and 3. I used a simple printer connection to the photocopier in our office and printed 2 pages on each A4 page. It was tricky to get the double-sided effect, and I wasted quite a few sheets in the photocopier. But soon, I was able to double print each A4 page. Folded in the middle, I had a four-page newsletter.

Tracking Results

I create a special link to the online sites (use a redirect if you want to) to track the traffic. If you get really smart, you can create several runs with different URLs to track the effects of different distribution points (in a larger city, this would be a great idea!).

When clients or potential clients are just looking for simple introductory information without too much hype or a sales presentation, this kind of flyer or newsletter can really answer their questions without pressure sales. I usually attach a name card to the newsletter with a personal name on it.

And it works. New clients often pick one up on the way in. Of course, as a community tool, I also distribute it to our existing clients. So there’s an added bonus there, too.

It REALLY works.