Answer: a newspaper!

This age-old riddle is still a very popular one. Nowadays small business owners opt to communicate with their customers electronically – sharing news and announcements related to their business, informative content, along with sales and specials.

My most requested service is help with electronic newsletters. To me, this falls under the category of client communications. June is Effective Communications Month. BusinessDictionary.com defines effective communications as: A two way information sharing process which involves one party sending a message that is easily understood by the receiving party.

How effective are your communications?

Do you disseminate a newsletter on a regular basis?

Have you developed a newsletter content calendar?

Is there more than one way for customers to opt-in to your newsletter distribution list?

Are you receiving feedback from customers about your newsletter?

Does your newsletter convey the intended message for/about your brand?

The article, Guide to Using Fonts and Colors in Newsletters written by: Meryl K Evans•edited by: Daniel P. McGoldrick•updated: 1/25/2010 offers great tips on the visual aspect and considerations when choosing color(s) for your newsletter. I took a straw poll among my mastermind group members about the use of a colored background versus a white background and the straw poll winner was… white background with the suggestions of using color as an accent, borders or side bar background and using photos and images to add color.

Not sure where to start with your newsletter?

If you’ve already signed up with a newsletter builder online check their website for Community Forums or their FAQ dedicated page to find answers about Frequently Asked Questions or contact Help/Support for technical questions and instructions on using the specific features offered by your newsletter builder program.