Newsletter content question

[SaiyanX50]

ok so as of yet i haven't written one nor have i purchased any to send out. i keep saying i'm going to and have been saying this for almost 2 years now. well, i think one of the things that stops me is not knowing what to write. i really don't want to purchase a pre-printed one that others design and you add your name to it.

my plan is to send out a news letter on a post card. it's a really cool idea i found on a website and i'm ready to try it. here's my problem....what do i write? sometimes i know what i'd like to write but it always seems like i've gotten the idea somewhere else and i feel like it's not really "mine". so, how do you come up with useful information to pass on to clients without it being "stolen" or seem to be "lifted" from somewhere else? do you know what i mean? if you see a bit of info in a magazine/paper/on the internet, how can you write about it on your own while using their info? what is considered plagiarizing? i really don't want to steal someone else's news or tips but i'm not sure i'm creative enough to come up with original news or tips. can i use their tips and give credit to the source i found it in? i could really use some input here. thanks!

 

[teresa g]

Good question! I've been putting out a monthly email newsletter for about a year and a half, and I was just looking at that blank page today, wishing I had a good idea! Maybe we should have a list of ideas/starters here for all of us to glean from?

For awhile I had a series going. Each month I explained a type of massage, starting with Swedish the first month. I explained the basics of how it is done, what the expectations of it would be, why I would employ that technique (or why not, in some cases). whether it would be clothes on or off or if that is optional.

I have tried answering questions, but don't get enough and got tired of making up questions, lol.

Normally, once I get the first sentence out, I'm good. But it can take DAYS to get that first sentence written!!! :roll:

 

[Frank]

ok so as of yet i haven't written one nor have i purchased any to send out. i keep saying i'm going to and have been saying this for almost 2 years now.

lol ditto that

Maybe we should have a list of ideas/starters here for all of us to glean from?

That's an awesome idea

-------------------

An MT friend of mine did a monthly newsletter a while back, after she'd been in private practice for about a year. She covered topics like "Don't wait till you're in pain to get a massage, because pain is the LAST part of the problem to show up, and the FIRST part to go away" that kind of thing. She also talked about stuff like "A word about body image...." and talked about how ppl who felt self-conscious about taking off their clothes and getting on the massage table shouldn't be ashamed of themselves, no matter what "flaws" or "imperfections" they may perceive. She went on to say that the fact is, once someone is on our table, they cease to be this physical body to be judged by the outside world, and they become this Being of muscles and tissues with a soul inside and that's it. I think she also talked about research findings regarding massage therapy in general, or maybe nutrition/vitamins and pain (along with the usual disclaimers about MTs and nutrition, that she wasn't a nutritional counselor and that she was just echoing research, including her sources, etc.) Since I notice a HUGE difference between the tissues of the clients who take yoga and the tissues of those who don't, perhaps I might write something along the lines of an intro to yoga and perhaps try and grab some stats concerning the correlation between better health and yoga and do a little blurb about that. Dunno. Brainfarting. Neat stuff, though.

Oh well, maybe that'll get us started, maybe not, but even if not, maybe it got our minds jumpstarted lol

Hugs,
~Jyoti

 

[QQq!]

I'm not sure how much information you're going to need if it only fits on a postcard. I'm not able to picture what kind of newsletter it is going to be.

I do a newsletter each month. Well, maybe sometimes it's not so much of a newsletter as a promotional thing. Sometimes there's no promotion and it's just newsletter. Yes, sometimes too I wonder what it's going to be when I've run out of ideas. I do it via e-mail, so I can do it on the fly without needing a lot of lead time to get it printed, addressed and stamped.

I will let them know if I've taken a class on something. I let them know what it was about and how they can benefit from this technique. I will pay attention to the seasons and talk about stretching in the Spring when people are getting out there to do more exercise. I will post links referring to web sites with a lot of information. So, instead of plagiarizing someone else's stuff, I will just summarize a little and then point them to the site so they can read more. Then, I don't have to do so much work and they can read the info if they want to click on it.

I will answer questions and sometimes I make up my own. I will repeat questions if they come up often. I am always adding new people to my e-mail list so they might need to know. I try to be different about the way I phrase things so people don't think it's a total repeat of the information.

In our state there is a lot going on right now about certification and whatnot so I will include some of that.

I will toot my own horn sometimes if I have volunteered somewhere or have received recognition of some sort. I don't do this with everything, but once in a while.

If there is a particular service I would like to push a little I will talk about that and its benefits. If things are a little slow, I might mention chair massage and let them know the many ways they can put me to use with chair massage. This gets me exposure to more new people too so it's nice if I'm a little slow to pick up a few events.

In addition to modalities, you could also discuss certain health conditions and how massage can possibly help or bring relief to someone with a condition.

I have seen other newsletters where therapists have other interests, perhaps a particular charity or a sport they are involved in. They will let their clients know about a bike race or run that is coming up and invite them to get involved. They may ask for support via donations if anyone wishes to participate. I haven't asked my clients to make donations to a specific cause. I have let them know that I was supporting a massage therapist friend who had been displaced from Katrina. I had different things going on for several months. For example, I let my clients know that all my gratutities for a particular month were going to support my friend. The next month I donated x amount for each new client that was referred or something like that. But, I never asked the clients to dig into their pockets. I just ran promotions that I hoped would increase my business and be a way to raise money for my friend.

If there is going to be a program on TV that I think my clients might be interested in, I will mention that in my newsletter. These are usually related to holistic health.

When I read the newspaper or magazines, I am also keeping my newsletter in mind. I might pick up an idea for a topic, or I might choose to reference the article or whatever.

For my June newsletter I mentioned Men's Health Week and gave the link that I believe I found on this forum. I also mentioned the book "You, the Owner's Manual". I said it would make a great Father's Day gift and a wonderful way to let someone know that you want them to be around for a long time and want them to take care of their health.

I will also mention other things that I don't do and let them know they can ask me for a referral......perhaps they need a chiropractor or acupuncturist. Maybe they have cancer and want someone who focuses on cancer massage. Maybe they are looking for someone who does craniosacral work. I let them know that they can ask me for referrals if they are interested in any of that. This lets them know that I am interested in their health and am happy to refer them out if I can't help them. I think this goes a long way with people. If they do leave me for a while because they felt that acupuncture might help their problem more effectively than massage, they don't feel embarrassed to come back to me when they want massage again. They don't feel as if they've betrayed me.

 

[mars]

If you're a member of ABMP, they have newsletter articles available online. You have to be a member to access the information, but then you're free to use them any way you want -- including on postcards. Here are the steps to getting to the articles:

Visit the homepage: http://www.abmp.com
Log In (Your Login ID is your ABMP number. Your password is your last name).
Then click this link: "Updated Client Newsletter Articles Now Available"
You can use their generator to design an entire newsletter, or you can review and copy the text of an article for a postcard by clicking the "Select Articles" link on the left.

Here are some sample titles of the articles available:
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
Holding Headaches at Bay
Enhancing Your Complexion
Helping Children Find Focus
What is Reiki
Massage for your Teenager
The Art of Bathing
Somatic Semantics
High Time For Tea
The Scoop on Meditation
Massage for Seniors

If you're not a member of ABMP, or you want to write your own articles, maybe that list will at least give you some ideas.

Good luck!

 

[Benedict Y]

Newsletter content question

ok so as of yet i haven't written one nor have i purchased any to send out. i keep saying i'm going to and have been saying this for almost 2 years now. well, i think one of the things that stops me is not knowing what to write. i really don't want to purchase a pre-printed one that others design and you add your name to it.

my plan is to send out a news letter on a post card. it's a really cool idea i found on a website and i'm ready to try it. here's my problem....what do i write? sometimes i know what i'd like to write but it always seems like i've gotten the idea somewhere else and i feel like it's not really "mine". so, how do you come up with useful information to pass on to clients without it being "stolen" or seem to be "lifted" from somewhere else? do you know what i mean? if you see a bit of info in a magazine/paper/on the internet, how can you write about it on your own while using their info? what is considered plagiarizing? i really don't want to steal someone else's news or tips but i'm not sure i'm creative enough to come up with original news or tips. can i use their tips and give credit to the source i found it in? i could really use some input here. thanks!

I feel this way too whenever I think about newsletter articles. I have grand plans to write my own informative blurbs, but when it comes down to it I feel like I haven't made up one original sentence. In school I did my senior project on the many properties of water and I created a brochure to hand out to clients. Somehere on the brochure I stated that much of the info used was from blahbity blah book. And I find even when I am telling clients about things I've learned I tend to tell them the source. I feel comfortable with it. As much as I want to be an expert, I don't want my clients to take my word for gold (especially when I know I am not an expert yet) so I'd rather approach it all from the perspective that I am a resource for my clients. I appreciate looking up my own info even when others tell me what is what. So I'd suggest if you feel like you are paraphrasing, then so be it, tell them the resources you used so those who want to can look up the goods and find out more.

 

[Pinolera]

I just sent out my first email newsletter this month, using Constant Contact. One feature I've decided to do each issue is a "random act of kindness" idea. I list one and then provide a link to http://www.actsofkindness.org for people to visit and get their own ideas.

 

[...:::38 weeks:::...]

jessica - i've been adding those to my newsletter too - i love that site!

i even had someone suggest to start a local RAOK group here. it's fun!
amanda