“Rachel – you don’t have to address Michelle and Conor by their last names…”

Have you ever confidently done something new, only to realize it was way off base?

I was a sophomore in college. I had just been told by 2 of my friends that it was super weird I called my friends’ parents by their first names.

It was always Stacey and Monte. Sue and John. Big Todd (he coined the nickname himself).

Maybe it was a small town thing, but I never knew any better.

Frankly, I was a little appalled by the past, disrespectful behavior and determined to set it right.

So when I was introduced to my boss’ PR firm as an intern, I thought…*this is my time to shine.*

I proudly whipped up an email asking them for something or other and began with the salutation: Ms. Mekky And Mr. Shea. (Yes, I dug up the email to confirm)

Immediately, my kind boss replied (just to me) and gently shared that it would make for a better partnership if I called the account managers by their first names.

?‍♀️?‍♀️?‍♀️?‍♀️?‍♀️

My first thought after the facepalm:

 *Ugh, I wish I had just stuck to normal instead of being overly professional and a weirdo.*

^^^later, I would have this exact. same. thought. about emailing my newsletter list!

Chances are, you’ve had this pesky little realization too.

No one reads (or enjoys) the boring newsletters that sound like a neutral business suit personified. They want your color, your style, your fashion sense.

And I’ll argue there’s almost nowhere better to do that than in your long-form content (like your newsletter).

I know the death grip on “bland and vague” is tiiiight. After all, it feels pretty recent that businesspeople started really seeing the stock in personal branding, creativity, and authenticity.

So, I made this cheat sheet below to ignite your creativity when you sit down in your home office and churn out content to WOW your audience.

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?5 Ideas to Instantly Up Your Newsletter Spice?

Share personal milestones and reflections.

Use your business anniversary, birthday, or even a new month to reflect on a story that will let your audience get an even deeper glance into who you are and why you do what you do. Examples – 

• Use your 50th birthday to share 1 thing you’ve learned from each decade.
• Make your business anniversary an excuse to share all that you’ve accomplished & ask your community to celebrate with you.
• Create a theme for the 2nd half of the year and share your fresh vision board with your audience.

Create your unique teaching style.

Make even your educational content full of personality. Anyone can regurgitate the teacher’s words…but can you apply it to your world/your audience? Examples…

• Acupuncture points you use to calm your fear of heights on your summer hiking trip.
• Heartburn tips and formulas to support yourself after a Pitta-inducing wedding weekend.
• Use your favorite Friends actors to help describe each of the planets and their impact on the natal chart.

Use storytelling to add color to your testimonials.

**with permission of course** Remember the HERO arc?

Here’s an example using a client who says, “I’ve never felt better in my life.” Instead of just sharing the screenshot, write the full story…

• Your client was reluctant to see you, but his wife insisted.
• It was an initial struggle to learn each other’s styles.
• Little by little, he started opening up in sessions.
• Now, he’s brought you into his company to lead a workshop and has never felt better in his life.

Wow, can’t you feel how much more exciting that is??

Don’t be afraid to lead with your core truths and values.

I’m not talking about opinions (although you can certainly share them). I’m talking about the essence of how you do business here. Examples…

• Do you think a certain fitness trend is bonkers? Talk about it and why you do things differently.
• Do you have radically different offerings that go against people’s consumeristic habits of wanting more? Explain how doing this has benefited both you and your clients.
• Do you set aside a portion of your profit to support an organization you’ve been supporting for decades? Bring it up and invite your community to share in it.

Don’t forget to have a little fun!!

My friend Jessie sent me this great video about the importance of the “Jester” – aka the funny person in the room who opens the audience’s hearts with a laugh before their spiritual pursuits. Examples…

• Tell human-centric stories. You don’t have to be funny. I’m not, and I tell stories all the time. Examples…
  • Reminisce on an older version of you that used to survive on Marie Calendar Chicken Pot Pies, white bread Uncrustable pb&js, and cosmic brownies (if this is oddly specific…it’s because these were staples of my childhood). Use that to remind people there’s no shame in what they’re currently doing. You help people who are at the starting line.
  • Reshare that ‘aha’ moment your friend had when you finally realized she thought Ayurveda meant “vegan” and use it to clarify common misconceptions.
• Gamify your newsletters. Not a gamer? Here are some ideas –
  • Have your audience look for a secret word in your emails.
  • Play 2 truths and a lie.
  • Ask your audience a question they have to guess the answer to.

XO,

Rachel Jeffries Murphy