If you operate a local business, then you are interested in reaching out to local prospects and customers. Your email newsletter can help you do this in ways your readers will find engaging and interesting.

Just focusing on your business all the time can get boring for both you and your recipients. Boring isn't good for anyone! Instead, take the time to focus on others—such as your customers and their businesses! This will not only give you a chance to “mix it up” and keep things fresh, it will also allow you to provide your readers with valuable information about other products and services available in the Kansas City area.

In his new book The Constant Contact Guide to Email Marketing, Eric Groves, Constant Contact Senior Vice President of Global Market Development, suggests three types of customer stories you might include in your email newsletter:

• “'Felt and Feels' Articles” – An example of this type of article would be a clothing store in Prairie Village which offers a special on leather jackets in their email newsletter. The general manager decides to include the story of John Smith, a customer who originally felt that leather “just wasn't him,” but now feels pleased that his wife Jane bought him a new jacket anyway, because of all the compliments he received when he wore the new jacket to a charity fundraiser at the Overland Park Arboretum.
• “In Their Own Words” - If you have extremely satisfied customers, Groves recommends asking them to share their experience with your readers. For instance, if you run a restaurant in Lenexa, you might ask your best customer, Harvey Dean, to write a short paragraph about why he brings guests to dinner at your restaurant every Friday evening.
• “Customer Case Studies” - Finally, Groves suggests preparing case studies that follow the “challenge-solution-result” model. If one of your customers is a tax accountant in Olathe, and you help remodel her office, you could write a case study explaining her challenge (the office was very old, and therefore was not wheelchair accessible,) to which you provided a solution (a new wheelchair ramp leading up to the front door,) and describe the end result (her best customer was able to visit the office in person for the first time ever!)

As a local business, you have a significant advantage over the faceless chain stores—but that advantage won't do you any good if you don't use it! Reach out to your readers with information that will re-enforce your standing as a member of the local business community. Stories about local people and local businesses your readers know will make them want to know you better too!

About the Author: Brian S. Pauls graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts from Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas. His 17 years of experience in the computer field have shown him an unmet need--the application of technology on a truly individual level. In an industry filled with "hardware" people rather than "people people," Brian's background in communication has been a tremendous asset. He founded PERASPERA CONSULTING, LLC to bring individualized technology solutions to clients who are tired of the "one size fits all" approach.

 As a a Kansas City-area Constant Contact Business Partner, PerAspera Consulting, LLC works with business owners who are uncertain how to execute a successful email marketing campaign that will grow revenues for their company.

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