The debut edition of Squarely Digital's email newsletter

 
 
Hi {"ANONYMIZED":"2022-09-05"},

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve recommended other business owners start a regular email newsletter.

But guess what? I’ve never had my own. Until now.

This is the first edition of the Squarely Digital newsletter. I’ll send it every other week and write it with small business owners and marketers in mind. A good portion of the email will focus on using content (blog posts, case studies, emails, videos, podcasts, etc.) to grow your business.

I’ll include things I’ve written and links to interesting content others have, too, and I’ll throw in announcements about upcoming events and offerings of interest.

Let's start with a table of contents. Here's what is in this week’s email:

1. Reggie Holmes: Designing Great Content
2. Upcoming (Free) Content Marketing Sessions
3. A Taste of Business History
4. ICYMI: Content Marketing 101 Session
5. Workshop for Business Coaches

1. Reggie Holmes: Designing Great Content

Reggie Holmes of Enthuse Creative messaged me a few weeks ago with a great idea: What if we traded guest posts on our businesses’ blogs? I loved the idea, especially because it allowed me to put some of Reggie’s smart thinking on design and branding on squarelydigital.com.

Here are the finished products:

Three Design Tips to Make Your Content More Readable and Engaging (by Reggie)

Five Ways to Create New Content for Your Website Without Starting From Scratch (by me)

Please give them a read and let me or Reggie know what you think. And if you’re interested in a similar guest-blog swap, let me know.

2. Upcoming (Free) Content Marketing Sessions

I am leading two free sessions later this week aimed at small businesses that are trying to improve their marketing content:

Content Marketing 201: Customer-Centric Content Marketing
Hosted by BoomerWorks
Thursday, May 6, 5:15 - 6:45 p.m.

If you understand the basics of content marketing, this is a great way to go deeper. I’ll discuss how to create content that focuses on your future and current customers, and then we’ll have breakout rooms where you can work on your own ideas and get feedback from me and others. It’s a virtual event, of course.

>>Register for My “201” Session Here<<

Content Marketing Tune-Up Session
Friday, May 7, 9 - 10 a.m.

In my Tune-Ups, a small number of participants bring a piece of marketing content they have created for their business, published or not, and give each other feedback in a Zoom session. I lead the discussion and offer tips, all geared toward helping you get the most out of your content marketing efforts.

>>Register for the Tune-Up Here<<

3. A Taste of Business History

I love history and I love running my own business. A few months back, I decided to combine those two passions and see what happened. The result has been a series of LinkedIn posts about business history.

I’ve really enjoyed discovering and sharing relatively obscure and occasionally inspirational business stories. Here are links to a few of the posts — check them out and feel free to give them a like, comment or share.

How a Bored Truck Driver Revolutionized International Commerce

The Origin of the First African American-Owned Insurance Firm in the U.S.

One of Your Favorite Websites Launched on Feb. 14, 2005 as a Dating Site

4. ICYMI: Content Marketing 101 Session

I was honored to speak at the Positive Aging Sourcebook’s April 23 event, where I covered Content Marketing 101 for Senior Serving Organizations.

The session featured me outlining content marketing basics and a ton of great questions from host Steve Gurney and the attendees.

The video is available online here, with a text transcription and a podcast version.

5. Workshop for Business/Executive Coaches

Are you a business or executive coach, or do you know one?

I’ll be holding a four-week content marketing workshop designed specifically for them starting Wednesday, June 2.

In these workshops, I host four weekly, 90-minute Zoom group sessions plus a one-on-one call with each participant at the end.

I give participants a new writing assignment each week, and we discuss the work they turn in during the group session. I also address a key aspect of content marketing in each session and help participants devise a content marketing strategy to drive business after the workshop ends.

Because all the participants will be business coaches, the assignments and discussions will be geared toward the challenges they face and strategies most likely to bring them success. I am really looking forward to this one.

The workshop costs $199 (total). Get more info and register below:

>>Register Here for the Coaches Workshop<<

6. Off-Topic, But …

This email has gone on long enough. I’ll close with a link to a Facebook page that has been making me smile all spring: Lost Ballparks. The feed is full of photos of baseball stadiums that no longer exist. Almost every photo makes me wish they still did ...

 
See you next time,

Jon
 

5137 Brawner Pl • Alexandria, VA 22304 • United States • Click here to unsubscribe.