An easy way to generate material for your email newsletter is to simply look at your present life. It’s brimming with raw story material.
What are you currently doing / thinking about / reading / or observing TODAY (or this past week)? You can write about it.
This is a fresh, fun way to engage your readers.
Good story material can include:
- something you witnessed
- your reaction to it
- your thoughts about it
- something that surprised you / pissed you off / scared you / (anything that generated a strong emotional reaction in you)
Even though these kind of life stories may seem banal, trite, or even boring to you personally…they are fascinating to readers. They offer a glimpse into your life.
Sharing these little tidbits helps people really connect with you.
(Also, no one other business owner in the world can write the same exact “life material” you can…so automatically, that makes your content unique.)
Remember to connect your story to your industry, so it’s not just some random story with zero relevance.
I’ve found it helpful to ask yourself, “What does this [my story] have to do with ___?”
What does this story have to do with [the organic industry]?
What does this story have to do with [my products]?
What does this story have to do with [topic that’s important to my business]?
Another clarifying question to ask is:
What is the ONE BIG IDEA I’m trying to get across?
Michelle Lopez Boggs is a copywriter, copywriting mentor, and author of "The Anti-Marketing Manifesto: How to Sell Without Being a Sellout." She's helped her clients sell millions of dollars' worth of products and services online by using the MEI(S) principle — motivate, educate, and inspire, and sell. 