How often do you sit down to whip out your newsletter and then get frustrated because what's in your mind isn't translating on your screen?

Maybe you don't know what to write about, can't locate your brand assets or photos, have trouble finding the right words, the formatting is giving you fits, or you can't believe it takes so much time to write a few measly paragraphs. As a result, you may feel stuck, stupid, flustered, or a combo of all three—and if you do, please know you're not alone.

Here's the truth: creating good content is hard—even for professionals who do it for a living. But you can make creating content easier by taking the right steps: defining your goals, narrowing your audience, setting yourself up for...

Do you have a super-hairy dog in your life who has received his or her obligatory summertime puppy-cut?

A freshly shorn pupper looks like they’ve dropped major pounds, instantly. And that always makes me giggle because then I want a puppy cut, too. 

If it was only that easy, right?

Weight loss is the result of something called the compound effect. Unlike our suddenly slim pooch pals, dramatic results don’t happen because of a single event. Results happen because the little things we do on a regular basis add up and reach a tipping point. 

Marketing is no different. Showing up adds up and, eventually, blows up into your desired result.

A newsletter offers a unique opportunity to connect directly with your audience,...

I'm sure you'll agree with me when I say marketing is a goal-oriented activity. When your marketing aligns with your business goals, you do three things that deliver better results—focus, budget, and measure.

The problem is that most Realtors are short on time, money, marketing know-how, or a combination of the three. And if you're like my clients and students, you skip planning and start executing because you feel pressured to do something right now.

Planning doesn't add more to your plate. It seems counter-intuitive, but it helps you avoid distraction, save money, and figure out what works. It's all about quality over quantity and doing less, better.

In this post, we're continuing our series on email newsletter planning. Last...

There are a kajillion ways to improve your email newsletter. You can build a healthy contact list, create fantastic content, and attend to all of the technical and design details that will transform you from e-blaster to email marketing master.

However, when you want your newsletter to provide better results, there's only one place to start: your business goals.

What do you want to accomplish this year? For example, most of my Realtor clients and students want to increase their sales by a specific dollar amount or percentage.

So now, let's chat about how your newsletter can help you get from where you are now to where you want to be.

Using the example above, most of my Realtor peeps use newsletters to stay top of mind with their sphere...

Bonus points if you listen to LL Cool J while you read this post.

You may have noticed that email newsletters are getting a lot of attention. The New York Times recently published The New Social Network That Isn't New At All. And then there was Business News Daily's People Trust Newsletters More Than the Actual News, Craig Mod's Oh God, It's Raining Newsletters, and Impact's Why Email Marketing Newsletters Are Making a Comeback.

But as LL says, "don't call it a comeback."

Newsletters have been around since shoulder pads, asymmetrical spiral perms, and Vans. And unsurprisingly, during the decade of excess and years to follow, we blasted our neon gradient and comic sans-laden newsletters to anyone and everyone.

I still wear Vans...