Just an Online Minute – We Miss You, Masha

Well, I finally did it — I cancelled my subscription to MediaPost’s email newsletter, Just an Online Minute. This used to be one of my favorite online marketing / emedia newsletters and one that I would religiously read each week. No longer…

Ever since the departure of Masha Geller the newsletter just hasn’t been the same. I’m sure the folks running the newsletter are great people, but there’s no edge, no unique angle, no personality in the articles. In short, there just isn’t anything there worth reading any more. With each issue, I kept hoping they’d get back on track with worthwhile commentary or in-depth analysis of an issue and each week I was left disappointed by rehashed news stories that I could get anywhere. Today’s “feature” was a story about the impending new release for Microsoft’s XBOX — stuff they’ve been talking about for months on sites like XBOX365.com.

Masha was the heart and soul of that newsletter and it was her thoughtful analysis of the news or her strongly-worded commentary that challenged me to look at issues in a new light and ignited new ideas and ways to grow our business. Interestingly, as a result of my dissatisfaction with Just an Online Minute, I went and looked up Masha on Google and found she is now over at iMediaConnection as an “Editor at Large.” Sure enough, her latest article provided not only had valuable information, but engaged me as a reader. She didn’t just report facts, she gave her analysis of the facts and did it with some attitude and personality.

We can learn from this. Rehashing news, covering non-relevant news, or putting out promotional garbage just won’t cut it anymore for email newsletters (and hasn’t for quite some time I might add). There are very few markets — especially B2B — where people really need to know news the instant or even the day it happens. Nor do they want to see every promo you have. Time is a premium for both consumers and business professionals. If I’m going to take the time to read your newsletter, give me some substance:

• If it’s news, give me a quick digest-style no more frequently than weekely so I can quickly scan, get up-to-date, and then dive in if I want to.
• Pick a key issue, tell me how it impacts me and what I need to do about it. Help me do my job.
• Entertain me. Have a personality, take a stand. Make me love you or hate you, but make me look forward to reading what you have to say.

How’s this help you make money? Well, for one thing, keeping your subscribers on your list would sure help out — and if your content or author is really good, your list will grow organically through word-of-mouth. And having people look forward to your newsletter and increasing your open rate certainly doesn’t hurt your response and CTRs either. Increased circ and increased response rates equte to increased revenue.

I’m still a big fan of MediaPost in general, but here’s a case in point — all those ads being sold into Just an Online Minute? I’ll never even see them. I’m an iMediaConnection subscriber now.