A long
time ago already during all kinds of training's and even during a so-called
'Business Bootcamp' I was told at least to be on social media, have a blog,
write and publish at least once in your life a book, and keep your relations
and customers “warm” with sending them a regular newsletter. All to keep your
company, your business or your organization in the spotlights.
More and
more people, acting as flocks, followed this advice. And yes, I also was one of
them (and still for a part I follow). I once wrote a book (not as a response to
one of this calls but out of an inner call to leave something that can be
shared in length of years). Stupid me I did not write that book in English. And
for the same reason of inner calling, I continue with publishing my blog
because I think there is something to share and possible to learn and they get
a lot of response.
Last week
I was invited to work a couple of times at the Four Seasons Resort. A wonderful
place to be. I am always early to have some time to adapt, prepare and enjoy
before my class starts. Twice, in the waiting area, I took a magazine in my
hands, and yes, about health. It took me a while before I came across the first
small article in those magazines about health. First I really got 10 pages with
marketing about watches, diamond rings, luxury cars, perfume, houses with
swimming pool, etc. Not what the title of the magazine promised I thought.
At the
place where I live and work a short time ago we had photo shooting sessions. All
for a Chinese magazine on travel and health. A publisher showed me three copies
of the magazine. Fantastic pictures, beautiful quality paper and also here 6
pages to turn before the actual magazine started. Turning the pages I asked him
at a certain moment when his magazine started. He had to laugh. Yes sir,
otherwise the message we want to bring will be unprofitable ... !? What about
too expensive? Aren’t we thinking in a strange kind of vicious circle? We have
to pay for this magazine if we want to have it and also people who buy a car,
perfume, make-up, etc.. pay for it. And then we think, because of this, we get
it for a ‘cheaper’ price…
These
magazines offer less and less value in relation to what the name of the
magazine tries to believe you, you will get. It’s all about marketing. Even a
Dutch mindfulness magazine called “Happinez”, has become an expensive
periodical nearly only filled with marketing / advertisement. The actual
content is not even 25%. Sorry but the truth (for me). A waste of money, time
and trees (paper).
Only
short and already a very long time ago I published newsletters. Tribes of
people had and still have the guts to go on with it. The newsletters I got by
post on paper had some value. They brought in the recycling some money for a charity
foundation. The digital ones disappeared even faster by pushing a button on the
computer and did not even bring any money for this foundation.
There is
a lot of work to be done in setting up and developing a newsletter, and perhaps
the great added value is that you, as a compiler, are aware and connected with everything
that’s going on in your life, your
company, your business, your organization, or whatsoever. Just because you have
to think about it writing it down. You are arranging.
Because
of an overkill on newsletters you - wanted or unwanted - receive and the lack
of time you have or want to take reading them, you can ask yourself if they
have any left value.
Your
newsletter is unique. Yes, that's right because you or your organization you
write about is unique.
However,
among those newsletters that are so digitally sent now, that uniqueness is not seen
any longer. You only and easy press the button ‘delete’ to refer the newsletter
that took so much effort to prepare to the digital recycle bin.
And, I am
sorry to say, more and more this happened by me and, it’s just my opinion, I
think there are many more people who do exactly the same. I do not have or take
the time to read them, lots of them I never asked for, most of them do not have
any value for me. They do not care me. Being more and more ‘buried’ under the “newsletter
phenomenon” I unsubscribed nearly all of them. And yes, less and less emails.
Creating rest to connect with things I really want to connect with.
In short,
the overkill of newsletters from everything and everyone and the overkill in
marketing in magazines for me destroyed the value of them. I ask myself what
their contribution is in improving communication and understanding. For me it's
just a matter of time and creating time and space by unsubscribing and not
buying any longer.
The ‘news
value’ I want to have I can find on the internet.
Step by step I really find and have more time to live life again without spending time on newsletters and magazines.
Captijn Insight: “Catalyst in your process to new sustainable flow in life and work. Whether you are an individual, couple, team or an organization.”
Step by step I really find and have more time to live life again without spending time on newsletters and magazines.
Frans Captijn
Host / Catalyst / Talenteer at
Captijn Insight
Captijn Insight: “Catalyst in your process to new sustainable flow in life and work. Whether you are an individual, couple, team or an organization.”
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