Greetings,
We have high hopes for a white Christmas this year. As I'm putting the finishing touches on this issue of Web Words, we're expecting the first major snow storm of the season. Maybe we'll get out on snowshoes before the weekend. Next week we're scheduled for the first downhill run. Yeah winter!
The first article in this issue talks about a different kind of Christmas giving, one that is becoming increasingly popular in this land of plenty. Instead of wasting money on needless trinkets, many are thinking about people far away whose lives can be transformed by our generosity.
This time of year, many businesses review the year and consider their results. Our second article takes a look at where we are and what Web Words has accomplished with 12 monthly issues.
Enjoy the holidays. We'll see you next year.
|
The Gift of Giving
|
I already know what my favorite gift is for this holiday season. It's a water buffalo! What am I going to do with a water buffalo, you might well ask. Answer: I'm going to give it away.
It's not exactly a house pet. A water buffalo is over five feet tall at the shoulder and weighs up to 2,500 pounds. Known as "the living tractor of the East," my water buffalo will help plant rice and potatoes, provide milk for a hungry family and manure for fertilizer and fuel. It will haul heavy loads to market and can be rented to neighbors for additional cash. My water buffalo is going to change a family's life perhaps in Nepal or maybe in the Philippines.
Now I didn't think this all up by myself. I'm making a donation to Heifer International, a 64-year-old organization whose mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and care for the earth. Heifer has helped seven million families in more than 125 countries improve their quality of life and move toward greater self-reliance.
Last holiday season, instead of giving the usual gift of chocolate or granola to my clients and suppliers, Shawenon Communications contributed $125 to Heifer International in their honor. And some needy family got a little goat. Then, using Constant Contact, I sent out a holiday card with a photo of the goat and a link to Heifer International. I hoped it would catch on. Maybe this year someone will send their own year-end customer appreciations via Heifer International or some equivalent organization.
The goat was nice, but for some reason I hankered after a water buffalo. You can give a share of a water buffalo for $25, but I wanted more than the hindquarters. I wanted the whole animal, but it was out of my budget.
It Shall be Given
In the fall, I did a talk about Heifer International at ProSpeakers, an advanced Toastmasters chapter I belong to. I made a joke about a partial water buffalo--it even got a laugh. Then I made it clear that I wanted the full animal.
In November I spoke at the Berkshire Management Association in Pittsfield on the topic of "Easy E-zines: How E-Mail Marketing Can Boost Your Business." I thought I was speaking for a free dinner for myself and my husband, but at the end of the event, I learned they were going to make a contribution to the charity of my choice. Presto--the water buffalo was a done deal.
Unrelated to my actions, my sister-in-law, Gail Ryan, was thinking along the same lines. She suggested instead of giving each other a Christmas gift of something none of us really needed, we make a donation to the charity of our choice in each other's name. So instead of a candle or a serving tray, we're getting a donation to Hospice of the Berkshires. It's most appropriate since they were there for us and our mothers in years past.
Holiday Cards
I don't do them any more. Business associates get the e-mail card about the contribution and friends and family get the year-end letter electronically. My New Year's Day treat is to review all the digital photos from the entire year and select the very best to accompany text about our lives during the past year. Constant Contact makes all this simple with a nice selection of holiday communications and their usual list management. There are losers--Hallmark and the US Post Office, but I'm OK with that.
|
Year-end Review
|
This 21st issue of Web Words marks the end of the first full year of publication. Last year at this time, we were inching up to 600 subscribers. Today we're pushing toward 900, which should happen early in the New Year. We're told by some that our e-zine is a little piece of dessert in the middle of a busy day. Others save it for a quiet read at night or over the weekend.
"Congrats again on a terrific newsletter," says Bonnie Edelstein of PeopleWork about the November issue. "I almost always read the whole thing and learn something new, which I can't say for any other newsletter I receive!"
"I especially liked your newsletter this month," says Jeremy Dunn. "Very persuasive reasons to start a newsletter! And nice, crisp, fun writing style as usual. Good work."
And this about the October issue from Rosalind Harris, who produces a newsletter of her own.
- Loved this issue! Actually love every issue.
- Can especially relate to Computer Hell.
- As soon as I finish writing my newsletter, I immediately begin thinking about content for the next one.
- Doing the newsletter is a wonderful creative outlet and also provides readers with info they can use.
Especially gratifying this time of year is running into readers at holiday events. People take a second to tell me their favorite treasure, usually something from Web Tips like Jacquie Lawson's card site or Google's calendar.
Bottom Line
All these nice words feel good, but what about the bottom line? After all, Web Words is no water buffalo, but it's supposed to be a workhorse. It's job is to bring in clients. And we have gotten quite a few new ones this year. Some have begun newsletters of their own, signing up for Constant Contact from the Shawenon Communications co-hosted link. Others have asked for help getting started--some have launched their projects; others are waiting for the New Year. And two new clients are consultants who will have brand-new Web site content next year.
There are some harsh realities to report, too. Though the "unsubscribes" rate continues to be low, the "opens" rate has declined from a high of 40.5% in May. I'm not sure if this is because people are just overwhelmed with e-mail or whether Web Words is not delivering the goods. Send us your thoughts.
Our business partner Constant Contact has had a great year. Their IPO was a huge success, and they've been loading on the new features: archive for past issues, a new forward button (see that in the right column at the top of this issue), lots of new templates and enhancements to the new survey tool ListenUp! If you're ready to do the newsletter thing, remember to sign up using the Shawenon Communications link.
|
| Web Tips |
I keep finding more things you can do with Google. If you're looking for long-lost souls this holiday season, try typing one of the following into your Google search bar.
- first name (or first initial), last name, city (state is optional)
- first name (or first initial), last name, state
- first name (or first initial), last name, area code
- first name (or first initial), last name, zip code
- phone number, including area code
- last name, city, state
- last name, zip code
Not only will you get the exact address and phone number for US residential listings, but you'll see a Google map that points right to the location. If this makes you nervous, you can remove yourself with this link.
Thanks to Dan Fried of Creative Constructs for a clarification of last month's Web Tip.
"Just wanted to point out that Google docs are shareable.You can share and collaborate on documents live, with all revisions tracked.
We've been using the Google spreadsheet for bug tracking. On a conference call with five people in three locations, we can all open the same spreadsheet and can all edit and update it at the same time as we talk. You can also set documents to share as read-only if you just want people to view, but not to modify."
|
|
And Finally . . .
Shawenon Communications collaborates with small businesses, solopreneurs, professionals and not-for-profits to get their messages across in the written word.
We specialize in electronic communications, including e-zines and other forms of e-mail marketing, and Web site content. We also ghostwrite articles and other business communications. As a business partner, we resell Constant Contact's e-mail marketing service.
Thanks for reading. If you liked this issue, please click on the Forward email button below to share this newsletter with others.
You're also welcome to reprint material in this newsletter as long as it is unaltered and credited to the author. If being reproduced electronically, the following link must also be included:
www.shawenon.com
Sincerely,
Susanna Opper
Shawenon Communications
413-528-6494
Copyright © 2007 Shawenon Communications.
All rights reserved. |
|
|
Holiday Greetings
|
 |
Wishing you a wonderful holiday season from Channel Gardens in New York City. Just visiting, of course.
May your business thrive, your family grow and happiness and health fill the New Year.
Thanks for being a Web Words reader. In the spirit of the season, please pass this issue on to a friend or colleague by clicking the button below.
|
|
|
