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What's in store for this edition:
Want More Trust? Hit Send.
People actually read their emails—unlike many other channels. Reports show that a whopping 90% of people check email daily, with the vast majority doing so on their smartphones for quick, on-the-go access. This reach is just the start, email marketing consistently converts at several times the rate of social media. That's why newsletters remain one of the most effective tools in delivering direct, personal engagement.
Newsletters are a powerful Public Relations tool. When used to build relationships—rather than for marketing or sales pitches—they reinforce trust as readers learn about your business, mission, and decision-making directly told by you. By consistently sharing helpful content and even the challenges you face, you demonstrate transparency and build lasting credibility. They also position you as an authority in your field.
Tips for Relationship Building with Newsletters
Use your newsletter to explain what’s going on in the company and why certain decisions that were made.
Share behind-the-scenes context that can’t be found on social feeds.
Show how your company is living up to it’s stated values with specific examples and stories.
Don’t forget to share impact stories, testimonials and case studies! These show how cool and effective your business is.
Write in a conversational tone so it’s like a friend writing to them, and not like a sales blast.
Your newsletter can speak to customers, employees, partners, donors, and even media. (Especially when you share milestones, policy changes, community initiatives.)
Use newsletters as a way to show the perspective and thought leadership pieces from your CEO. Always be building that credibility and authority!
Newsletters are a great way to shout out your partners, community organizations, employee achievements. Who doesn’t love and remember being recognized!
Always share recent media mentions, podcast episodes, or other media wins with your audience. Journalists and podcast hosts love it, because it helps promote them too!
Use the newsletter as a way to clarifying misinformation, address issues or share sensitive updates with full context and accuracy.
Be proactive in explaining changes like pricing, policies or product shifts. Why? You want to stay ahead of rumors and doing so is good way of showing empathy and transparency.
Archive all of your issues so they make great reference tool that journalists and other can use. Just look at the archive Attnseek.com has amassed!
Keep the content value-first; a good rule of thumb is 90/10. 90% educational or relationship building and 10% promotional.
Make it easy to read with consistent sections, engaging features, and clear CTAs so readers know what to expect and look forward to each issue.
Tie each issue into your broader PR strategy by keeping your goals for reputation, key messaging, and story arc top of mind.
💫 Pro Tip: Use visuals, surveys, and links to make your newsletter interesting, interactive, and fun to read.
I said 10% promotional, so here’s mine: if you need help crafting strong newsletters or building a solid PR plan, let me know. Newsletter writing is my thing—for my own business and for my clients.
“Great communication begins with connection.”
Do this now: Create a master template that you can use for your newsletter. Design it once, and use it over and over. It will save you tons of time and headaches.
Term to Learn
Owned Media is any online property owned and controlled by a brand, such as a blog, website, social media channels, and let’s not forget—newsletters.
FAQ
Q: What should the word count of my newsletter be?
A: A good rule of thumb is to keep it between 300-800 words for a shorter, punchy issue. 300-500 words for busy audience, or go slightly longer (600-1000) for in-depth editions featuring thought leadership or education. Don’t worry too much about hitting an exact number, rather focus on value and consistency.
Get PR techniques from recent news.
Newsworthy
It’s Almost Winter Olympic Time
The PR Pro’s behind Procter & Gamble have already started with their announcement of their partnership with Team USA. The partnership positions the brand around performance, recovery and skin health.
Remember Newsjacking is the way a brand can capitalize on the popularity of a news story in order to be featured in media outlets. And the Olympics are just that, a huge news driver. Reporters are always looking for stories with local ties.
Can you tie your business, product, or expertise to this attention-garnering event? It’s over 3 weeks away, hopefully your plans are well underway.
Let’s say you are a ski coach. Does the local news media know about you and that you’re ready for interviews to answer questions or give insights into this sport?
Are you are an expert in sports psychology? Can you comment on the challenges athletes will face in the Olympics?
You’re a restaurateur or bakery. Can you have an Italian themed Olympic-worthy menu or special offering?
You’re an Italian tutor. Can you highlight some of the common travel phrases that will be useful for athletes to learn? These will make great social media content.
The options are endless!
Essential strategy:
Plan well in advance
For any event or promotion make sure it ties into the spirit of the Games
Businesses can’t use any of the Olympic trademarked words or phrases. (more details here)
You can’t share anything from official Olympic Social media accounts on your business account
✍️ Key PR Takeaway: Plan to use the Olympics in your public relations endeavors. Be imaginative, have fun, and use this event to promote!
Useful PR Resources.
Beehiiv is the tool that I choose to use for my newsletter outreach. It has many free functions that make it perfect for my business.
Why I like Beehiiv:
Easy to use
Generous FREE plan for up to 2,500 subscribers PLUS you can use your own web domain (a feature rarely found for free)
Built in tools for a blog website and growth
Campaign analytics so you can track what is working and what’s not
Optimized delivery
Let me know any questions you may have, especially about getting started. And as always, I’d love to hear how it works for you.
Attention Seeker of the Week
Luna
Luna, the one-year-old Maine Coon beauty loves showing off her long fluffy tail, knocking things off of counters, in typical cat fashion. Her other attention seeking skills include playing hide and seek, playing fetch, chatting and of course getting on to counters and batting lights together. Oh you cute kitty, you have our attention!
Check out Luna and her naughty antics:
Speaking of newsletters, Attention Seeker has been listed as a top newsletter to read by a few different PR pros and some different outlets. I’m so happy this labor of love is getting more attention!
Until next week, keep your shades on and stay cool.
Your fellow Seeker,
Keren
🕶️
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