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To The Pack, welcome back!

Thanks for being here... I hope this finds you healthy, curious and seeing the world through the eyes of your furry best friends --- full of wonder, adventure and fun, and full of happy rolls in the grass and sunshine! 🐾💚🐾

A Pawsitive Pathfinder is someone whose heart is called to make the lives of our beloved companion animals the healthiest, happiest, and longest it can be.

Step One of The Pawsitive Press Framework for Newsletter Development

Today, let's talk about the 1st critical step of the 5 steps in The Pawsitive Press Framework for Newsletter Development for creating a compelling pet care industry newsletter… the Purpose.
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Why is it super important to paws and really dig into the Purpose of your company’s newsletter?
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A compelling, well-thought-out, value-driven newsletter does so much more than just fill your subscriber’s inbox; it’s a communication tool to help you build trust, engage with your prospects and clients, and show off the amazing care, services or products you provide. When you offer value in every issue, your client relationships strengthen and your business grows.
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As discussed in a previous issue, The Pawsitive Press for Newsletter Development Framework is a 5-step process to creating and publishing an interesting, value-packed publication your subscribers actually want to read and choose to engage with, and will help you continually grow your business better by providing an endless feedback loop.
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It all starts with Purpose.
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Your newsletter’s Purpose is its “Why?”
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Why are you choosing to direct your precious resources to consistently sending out content to your subscribers?
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It's important that your business’ overall goals are considered when determining your newsletter’s Purpose, because, when you follow The Pawsitive Press Formula, your newsletter serves as the foundational keystone that all of your marketing efforts spring from.
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Accomplishing this step is all about deciding what business objectives your newsletter will serve.
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All businesses, no matter the industry, structure, or model, have 4 universal objectives they are consistently working to solve for:

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💡Awareness— increasing the number of prospective clients that know about the business.

🎯 Lead Generation— increasing the number of prospective clients that have volunteered their contact information.

💰 Sales— increasing the number of paying clients and buyers.

🧡 Retention— keeping and selling more to the clients you already have.

So, what goal do you have for your newsletter?
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Deciding the Purpose for your newsletter is a critical first step in its development. Finding it lives at the intersection of making sure your publication does exactly what you need it to do, while also being interesting, educational, and inspiring to your readers.
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This is especially true when it comes to creating focused, effective content with which you plan to circulate throughout your marketing channels.

Here’s why:​
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Getting the Focus Right: Imagine your newsletter is a spotlight.

Its Purpose is to shine a light for your readers on what your key message is so it speaks directly to your audience. This focus ensures that every piece of content serves a specific intention, while avoiding your newsletter issues being filled with random haphazard stuff that doesn’t hit the mark.

Knowing the Purpose of your newsletter helps determine the kind of content you should include.
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Audience Engagement: Different goals means speaking to your audience in your newsletter in different ways.
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Is boosting sales your newsletter’s Purpose? Then you’ll want to create more of a brochure-type publication, with promotions and product highlights.

If, on the other hand, you’re all about educating, inspiring and entertaining your readers—as I recommend to my clients—your newsletter will include things like articles, stories, and success features.

Understanding the Purpose, and getting it dialed in, means your readers get what they want and expect, resonate with what you deliver, and keep coming back for more.
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Measuring Success: If you don’t know what your goal is, how will you ever know if you’re actually getting there?
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Clear Purpose and well-defined goals allow for the establishment of specific, measurable objectives. For example, if a newsletter’s main function is to increase appointment bookings, tracking how many folks click through and book through links provided in the newsletter, you’ll know for sure if it’s working.

Without a clear Purpose, it’s difficult to measure effectiveness or the return on investment of the newsletter.

Smart Spending: Your resources—time, money, brainpower—are precious. Knowing the Purpose helps in efficiently allocating them.

If the newsletter’s primary goal is client awareness and lead generation through education, resources should be invested in crafting great content. However, if the goal is to boost sales, resources might instead be directed towards marketing and sales strategies within the newsletter.

Knowing your newsletter’s Purpose helps you spend your resources wisely.
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Keeping It Consistent: When your newsletter has a clear Purpose, sticking to a persistent style and message is a breeze.

A well-defined goal helps maintain consistency in voice and content, which is vital for building trust and authority with your audience. It ensures that all content is aligned with the overarching theme, including in your other marketing assets.

Having an explicit Purpose for your newsletter allows you to build consistency that creates conviction and makes it something your readers look forward to.
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Tying It All Together: Your newsletter isn’t a lone wolf.

While it is a foundational keystone of your overall marketing plan—or it should be—it’s an integral part of your overall marketing and communication strategies. By aligning its Purpose with your broader goals—like growing your brand awareness, market education, lead generation, increasing client acquisition, or keeping clients loyal—you make sure it’s pulling its weight and contributing to your overall success.

This integration ensures that your newsletter not only serves immediate goals but also contributes to the broader strategic objectives of your business.
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In short, deciding a clear Purpose for your newsletter helps ensure it’s a well-oiled machine, perfectly tuned to talk to the right people, in the right way, and get the right results. Sounds good, right?
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If you’re not sure where to start, or how to improve on what you’ve been doing in your business, Sitting Pretty Strategies and The Pawsitive Pathfinder are here to help.

In the coming issues of The Pawsitive Pathfinder: Professional Edition, in the coming issues we’ll continue to talk about what works in marketing today, marketing best practices, and dig into the next steps in The Pawsitive Press Framework.
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Until then...

🐾Pawsitively Playful🐾

Did you know...​
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August 1st is the "DOGust" Universal Birthday for Shelter Dogs??

Hello, I'm StacyLynn. The Furry Kidz Call Me 'AuntieMom'. Having been a professional pet sitter for the last decade, I've been adopted by many furry friends. They've helped me work on myself, taught me a lot about what makes our four-legged companions happy, and enriched my life in countless ways. I've become a fierce advocate for their health and well-being, on a mission to help more pet parents stand up for their furry kidz living longer and healthier lives. As a strategic consultant and ghostwriter, I support the pet care pros and brands that champion the health, well-being and longevity of all our furry friends. I am the OG Pawsitive Pathfinder.

🤓 Thanks for reading! This is one of the few places we can connect and share knowledge without the constant onslaught of social media distractions, so I truly appreciate you and your time and attention. 🧡

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