from JPT Group | December 2022 | Vol. 15 No. 12
What Next
As the curtain falls on an inexplicable 2022 and we turn our eyes to a (fill-in-the-blank) 2023, questions arise as to what the new year will hold and, more important, what will you do make this coming year one to remember?
This is the perfect time for organizations to assess what they’ve done that worked for them in the past and what “holes” can they fill as we turn yet another annual page. New products, new initiatives, new people, new media, new target markets. Any of those could be in your sights… or something totally different.
What about…
If you’re one of those who are contemplating a newsletter for the coming year, let’s lay out some considerations for you to ponder. While a newsletter may or may not be the most appropriate prey to pursue, maybe you take some time to think about it.
Think about it, not quite – everybody’s doin’ it. According to clutch.com, at companies with more than 100 employees, 83 percent send email newsletters. Not exactly “50 Million Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong,” but enough to say “Don’t be Cruel” to those that do.
You could ask “what are the benefits?” Well, the Content Marketing Institute reports that 31 percent of B2B marketers say email newsletters are the best way to nurture leads. More than that, in a 2021 survey, 86 percent of businesses said newsletters provided a vital connection between their brands and audiences says scoop.it. Whether looking to expand or to nurture, that’s pretty compelling.
But what about the other side of the coin? Does anyone care? NNGroup asked that very question and found when participants were asked how they would like to receive updates from a company, 90 percent chose to receive email newsletters.
That warms the cockles of our hearts as someone who considers newsletters among our specialties. So much so that we offer FREE downloads of a booklet which we produced to help you make the decision as to whether a newsletter would be a powerful addition to your marketing arsenal.
Could there be a newsletter in your future? Downloading Getting Started with Your Newsletter may answer your questions and lead you to the answer.
“In an emergency, the man who does something is sometimes wrong; but the man who does nothing is always wrong.”
– Julian Byng, Canadian general
BUSINESS UPDATE
The More Things Change…
Until someone comes up with something better, the oldest customer complaint dates back to ancient Mesopotamia. In the nearly 4000-year-old cuneiform tablet, a customer claims he was sold inferior copper ingots.
— Mental Floss
Stop it! You’re killing me!
Murder is nothing to scoff at, laugh about, or treat lightly. This is serious stuff. It’s a matter of life and death – literally. So, as a public service, the Tearsheet will share this warning courtesy of the fine folks at Half as Interesting.
A disclaimer: Depending on where you live your chances of meeting with violent crime can vary greatly. So the data for your particular environment may be somewhat different. As British comedian Jimmy Carr says, “You’re more likely to be murdered here than in New York City. That’s because you don’t live in New York City.” Which proves once again, of course, that there is humor in most everything.
That said, you are most likely to be murdered on the following days: (in order) New Years Day, Fourth of July, Christmas Day. Better watch out during the next 2½ weeks.
Some may blame it on the pandemic, but according to the most current data available from the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, property crime fell 8.1 percent in 2020, while at the same time, violent crime went up 5.2 percent – fueled by murder which increased more than 28 percent.
“Kill one man and you're a murderer. Kill a million and you're a conqueror.”
– Jean Rostand, biologist
You dirty rat. New York’s mayor wants someone with "a general aura of badassery" to be “rat czar” to lead the city's battle against the pesky rodents.
— news.sky.com
Leave it to Beaver. In 2001, Beaver College near Philadelphia officially changed its name to Arcadia in part because anti-porn filters kept blocking access to the school's website.
— Mental Floss
Then again… The mascot of Beaver High School in Pike County, Ohio is, interestingly enough, the eagle. It’s school colors are “beaver-like brown” and white.
— Wikipedia
Yet another mascot. The bird depicted on the American silver dollar is the image of an actual eagle who was named… Peter. After he died in 1836 he was stuffed and is still on display at the mint.
— factretriever.com
They’re so life-like. A French circus has incorporated holographic lions, elephants and whales into its acts as a nod to wildlife preservation.
— bloomberg.com
Scary stuff. A mountain near Eugene, Oregon, originally named after a local ranch in the early 1900s, will soon be renamed. It seems some people aren’t comfortable with: Swastika Mountain.
— NPR
You wear it well. The Florida Supreme Court didn’t start wearing black robes until it moved into a new, air-conditioned building in 1949.
— knowledgestew.com
Smells like the king. The Norse king Eystein, King of Raumarike, who lived around 750 A.D. also was known as Eystein the Fart.
— whobegatwhom.co.uk
The Month of December
Month of the Month
December. Oh sure, it’s the holidays. But it’s also Buckwheat and Pear months as well as National Tie Month. Today, on the other hand… December 15 is Underdog Day and National Cupcake Day.
Quote of the Month
“I don't think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains.”
— Anne Frank
Question of the Month
We have a two-part question this month.
First, what color of car has the highest market share? Second, what color of car holds its value best (i.e. depreciates the least)?
Before you drive yourself crazy, check out the answer.
YET ANOTHER UPDATE
Be it ever so new
As the new year looms just over the horizon, The JPT Group has given rise to a new, updated website. Check it out… if you dare.
As always, your comments are welcome.
