Newsletters: Why Your Small Business Needs Them (And No, They're Not Just for Your Grandma)

Ah, newsletters. They may not be the most exciting thing to talk about but trust us, they're worth your attention. Sure, you might think that they're a thing of the past, reserved for your grandma's knitting club or the local garden society. But in reality, newsletters are still a powerful tool for any small business's communication strategy.

First off, let's talk about the benefits. Newsletters are a great way to keep your customers up-to-date with what's happening in your business. Whether it's new products, upcoming events, or even just a friendly update on what you've been up to lately, newsletters are the perfect platform to get the word out. Plus, they can help you build brand loyalty and trust with your audience, which is key for any small business.

Now, we know what you're thinking. "But who actually reads newsletters anymore?" Well, the answer might surprise you. According to a recent study, 81% of people still subscribe to at least one newsletter, and 40% of those people said they look forward to receiving them. That's right, people actually WANT to hear from you (as long as you're not spamming their inbox, of course).

So, how do you create a newsletter that people actually want to read? Here are a few tips:

1. Keep it short and sweet: Nobody wants to read a novel-length email. Keep your newsletter concise and to the point.

2. Add some personality: Newsletters are a great way to show off your brand's personality. Don't be afraid to inject some humor or personality into your content.

3. Make it visually appealing: Use images, colors, and fonts that reflect your brand's aesthetic.

4. Offer something of value: Whether it's a discount code or a free download, give your subscribers a reason to keep coming back.

Now, we know that creating a newsletter can be time-consuming, especially if you're a small business owner wearing multiple hats. But trust us, the benefits are worth it. Whether you're a small business owner, entrepreneur, or just someone who loves to stay connected, newsletters are a fun and effective way to communicate with your audience. And if you need help building a newsletter strategy that works for you, feel free to contact us! We're always here to help.

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Next time you're thinking about skipping your newsletter, remember: Grandma would be proud.

5 Amazing Courses to Spark Your Creativity

According to the dictionary, creativity is "the use of the imagination or original ideas, especially in the production of an artistic work." We also know that "creativity" is more than just an artistic expression but also, a way to recognize ideas that can help in solving problems.

Can creativity be taught? For sure! Even if you think you are the most creative person, creativity can be taught and be extremely useful not only for your work but, for your personal life.

To help you out, we have selected 5 online courses to spark your creativity this year. Here are them:

1. Find Your Style: Five Exercises to Unlock Your Creative Identity by Skill Share

“You don’t find your style, your style finds you.” Discouraged by the words of his art professor, Andy J. Pizza spent years following trends and feeling inauthentic in his art, waiting for his style to show up. Spoiler: it never did. So Andy set out to find it himself, a journey that led to experiments, breakthroughs, success as an illustrator, podcaster, and speaker, and ultimately this class.

Check it out here

2. Spark your Creativity & Imagination & prevent getting stuck by Udemy

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to always have plenty of new ideas bubbling up on the inside of you? Wouldn’t it be wonderful to never run out of creative gas? Wouldn’t it be amazing if you could be in charge of the flow of your creative juices?

Guess what – that actually is within your reach! You can train yourself to make that happen. You do not need to be a victim of creative blocks. You have the ability to break out of those. Or even better, you can prevent them from happening.

Check it out here

3. Ignite Your Everyday Creativity by Coursera

Creativity is an essential skill for the 21st Century that is innate in all people and can be nurtured. We constantly need new and better ideas for almost every aspect of our professional and personal lives. The goal of this course is to help you recognize, develop and act upon the creativity that you already possess. We will accomplish this using three methods: b aware, b inspired, and b creative.

Check it out here

4. Jumpstart: Ignite Your Creativity for Profit, Innovation and Reinvention by Maria Brito

You will learn to ignite and unleash the power of new ideas and your creative thinking to make more money, innovate in an industry, job or field, or reinvent yourself professionally into someone new.

Check it out here

5. Exploring Play: The Importance of Play in Everyday Life by Future Learn

This course from the School of Education at the University of Sheffield will encourage you to think differently about play.

We’ll discuss definitions of play and current debates about how the nature of play changes. Does play help us to learn? Can it prepare young people to be successful in the adult world? Are all forms of play good for us? You will learn to ignite and unleash the power of new ideas and your creative thinking to make more money, innovate in an industry, job or field, or reinvent yourself professionally into someone new.

Check it out here

Trends to Watch Out for in 2023

Trends. Year in and year out we see what companies and different industries are going to follow or set as trends that will impact the way we consume things and even, how we behave.

Trends are something pretty interesting. Trend, movement, or tendency, is according to the dictionary, a general direction in which something is developing or changing. Even if you think you want to go against the mainstream, the trends are everywhere and if you work in the creative industry, is important to know them.

To help you out, we selected some of the trend reports for 2023 for different industries. Have fun!

Instagram

"The 2023 Trend Report was produced alongside a sweeping study of Gen Z users across Instagram. Created in partnership with WGSN* during October 2022, Instagram measured the topics, issues, and trends that matter most to teens across the platform."

Check it out here

Vice

"Grab your most hole-ridden jumper, slap on some Viva Magenta eyeshadow and join us for this year’s cultural forecast."

Check it out here

Pinterest

"People use Pinterest to plan for the future. That means we know what’s next. In fact, for the last three years, 80% of our report predictions came true.¹ This isn’t another year-end trend report. This is a not-yet-trending report—a window into the future, from the place where people go to plan it. Let’s look forward to 2023. This is Pinterest Predicts."

Check it out here

Think with Google

"There’s no doubt that 2023 will be a year of sharpening our focus.

The challenges and disruptions brought on by the pandemic, geopolitical tensions, and economic uncertainty will make it a year like no other.

However, businesses cannot press pause on 2023 planning to wait and see how things will unfold. To continue to grow — and survive — business leaders need to put strategies in place now. And marketing has a major role to play.

To help your business find clarity amidst uncertainty and move forward with confidence, I asked Google leaders to share their top marketing trends and predictions for 2023. I hope their insights will help guide you as we head into the new year."

Check it out here

Eating Well

"We used traffic data and audience insights to help predict which food and wellness trends we think will be big in the coming year."

Check it out here

Smart Brief

"Social media marketing is an ongoing challenge requiring brands to react to shifting audience behaviors and proactively adapt to trends that are in constant motion. This year has been a transformative year in the world of social as we watched consumer trends fluctuate, new technology launches and emerging platforms grow. The rate of change across social media apps sees no sign of slowing, forcing marketers to brace for what’s in store in 2023."

Check it out here