Social Media Post #5 – eNewsletters
Posted on: May 6, 2014
Contrary to the opinion of some social media gurus, I recommend that we include lots of links in our communications. If our readers want to ignore them, they can. But make it as easy as possible for those who want more info. If you have the time! Links take time.
Be sure that the links work. I’ve been embarrassed more than once discovering that some links don’t work after sending out several batches of an eNewsletter.
Most folks prefer personal touching stories. I prefer causes, issues. I prefer orderly communications. I cringe at chatty, over-exposing personal stories.
My eNews has evolved (devolved?) basically as a monthly billboard for my blogs (4x/week) and podcasts (3x/month).
For the first two years, I sent my eNews only as text. Now I create the eNews as a blog and link to that blog from the email message (which still contains the text format). The blog format for the eNews gives me much more design flexibility. Yes, there are many eNews templates but they require a reader to have browser that can read it. My method requires an extra click by the reader.
Following the dictum ‘Repetition is the soul of marketing,’ I repeat some information from one edition to the next, placing the newer, fresher material at the top. That’s risky in that some folks may disregard it, seeing something they’ve seen before. Research shows, however, that it takes three mentions to get someone’s attention; more than that to move them to action.
Next from Simple Living 101: Tools for Activists – Jerry’s Excellent Adventure: Email Lists
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What’s NOW with SLW!
- Tony and Shane Uncut: Tony Campolo & Shane Claiborne’s complete dialog on simpler living and global justice, in eight parts.
To LISTEN, click the player at the top or the bottom of the Show Notes, or visit the Episode Index. You can listen to each episode as it is released the 1st and 15th of the month, May-Aug. Or listen to several or all episodes at Preview/Back-up. The detailed Show Notes are similar for each episode, though the topics are different.
Topics for Episode 1:
St. Francis and clothes; the Bible and lifestyle (Mark 10); discipleship, hospitality, freedom, marriage and sex; alternative health insurance: Christian Health Care Ministries; speaking and travel, carbon footprint fast, home stays and Tony’s jacket
ABOUT the VIDEO PROJECT
Order the new DVD Choose Justice with beautiful 40 page Conversation Guide for $10US from The Simple Way store. The six-part DVD captures the heart of the dialog. Perfect for group discussion and action.
Going on the road; meeting Tony & Shane: Travel journals and photos. Scroll to Post #197. Share the adventure of making the original video.
Learn more about TONY and SHANE + More Mentions
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Simple Living 101: Tools for Activists – Jerry’s Excellent Adventure: WEB SITE – Almost everything we do though social media is related to our web site. It doesn’t need to be large or complicated. Read MORE | Next from Simple Living 101: Tools for Activists – Jerry’s Excellent Adventure: eNewsletters
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Diane Nesselhuf of Sharing the Dream: Fair Trade, a Tool for People and Planet vs. Free Trade, a Weapon of Domination – TheCommonGoodPodcast.com, episode 47.
- Since we’re in Eastertide, you may have something to contribute to our on-going collection Who’s Risen from the Dead, Anyway? for Lent/HolyWeek/Easter and to our most widely-read annual resource, Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? for Advent/Christmas/Epiphany. Submission Guidelines | Articles are carefully indexed — ADVENT/CHRISTMAS | LENT/EASTER.
- Simpler Living Alternative Daily Calendar – May
- Check out a few of these thought-provoking, timely resources that might meet your personal, family or congregational/group needs. They’re all FREE.
- Treasury of Celebrations*: Create Celebrations That Reflect Your Values and Don’t Cost the Earth Earth – May-Aug.
- Worship Alternatives: Pentecost/Ordinary Time
- Spirit of Simplicity: Lent/Easter ART | QUOTES
- 10 Tips for Simpler, More Meaningful Celebrations | SPANISH: 10 puntas
- Alternatives’ Seasonal/Thematic Index
What’s Coming
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Simple Living 101: Tools for Activists – Jerry’s Excellent Adventure: Email Lists| Blogging | Podcasting | Basic Marketing Plan Checklist
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Peace, Justice and Sustainability – New Course from Northwest Earth Institute
- Resources for Ascension, Pentecost and Ordinary Time
- Justin Lewis on Media & Consumer Capitalism
What’s Happened
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What a Week! The SLW! mission combines justice and much less consumerism with responsible celebrating. I intend to add to the online Treasury of Celebrations, the most recent Alternate Celebrations Catalog — not just historical background but two critical elements — alternative ways to celebrate those memorable days and ways to simplify the celebrations. Why? How We Celebrate Says a Lot About How We Live. RELATED: Reshaping Our Celebrations / Celebrations: Regaining Perspective / Celebrations as Identification | List of Interesting, Relevant Articles
- What Can I DO for Earth Day? Learn about perennial grains (from my blog Perennial Design) and pledge to plant a tree in 2014 (from the Arbor Day Foundation and the Trillion Trees by 2020 Campaign).
- Murder and Resurrection: “What if we destroy the planet before Jesus gets back?” RELATED: What Might a Christian Life Look Like? | Vision of the Future | Chris Hedges: The Myth of Human Progress and the Collapse of Complex Civilizations (video).
- SLW! Podcast Episode #19 Show Notes: Overviews of Summer Festivals; Simply Delicious: Quantity Cooking for Churches; and Hunger Resources from Worship Alternatives, plus SLW! new Literacy Service.
What Others Are Doing
- Interviews, Book Groups, etc. – Spreading the Conversation about The OneEarth Project and the book, Blinded by Progress: Breaking Out of the Illusion That Holds Us, by Lee Van Ham. | TheCommonGoodPodcast.com, episode 42 | Lee’s NEW Slide Show
- Faith and Money Radio – Making the Connection
Podcast Reminder
You can access all SLW! podcast audio and the show notes either at SimpleLiving.startlogic.com/SLW-PODCAST or at SimpleLivingWorks.org (then click window #3). Listen through your computer, iPod, iPad, iPhone (or equivalent).
SUBSCRIBE through iTunes, Stitcher.com or your favorite podcast service. To SUBSCRIBE to email notices, click Comments at the bottom of Show Notes, then check ‘Notify me of new posts by email.’ Please rate us in iTunes and leave a review. Send us your email address to receive the free monthly SLW! eNews. Remember to like us on Facebook. Urge your friends to do the same.
Episode Index: #1-3: Getting Acquainted | #4-5: Beyond a Consumer Lifestyle | #6-11: Whose Birthday Is It, Anyway? | #12: Living More with Less UPDATED | #13: Let’s Get Ready for a Simpler Lent & Easter | #14: Simple Living 101 + Social Media BONUS | #15: author Cecile Andrews, Champion of Simplicity Circles and Community Conversation | #16: Rites of Passage, including Wedding Alternatives | #17: Vicki Robin, co-author of the best-seller Your Money or Your Life | #18: Not Ordinary Time: Eco-Justice Ministries | #19: Simply Delicious: Quantity Cooking for Churches / Hunger / Alternative Summer Festivals | #20-27: Tony and Shane Uncut
Do your friends a favor. Share our blog and podcast. Like SLW! on Facebook. | Follow us on Twitter. | Follow us on Pinterest.
Share your thoughts on our podcast and blogs. Email Feedback AT SimpleLivingWorks DOT org [or SimpleLivingWorks AT yahoo DOT com or SimpleLivingWorks2 AT gmail DOT com], leave a message on our Facebook page or on the SLW! blog.
Peace, Gerald “Jerry” Iversen, Chief SLW! Activist
GRAPHIC – Spirit of Simplicity: Quotes & Art #1-A1409
We do not solicit or accept donations, nor do we sell anything. All our resources and services are free of charge. We’re an all-volunteer organization. Instead, we urge Alternative Giving. Give away at least 25% of what you spent last year on all celebrations – Christmas, birthdays, etc. — to local, national and international causes.
Copyright: Creative Commons non-commercial attribution share-alike license.
*Treasury of Celebrations: published by Northstone, a division of Wood Lake Publications, BC, Canada, best known for its Seasons of the Spirit curriculum.
Through social media, we extend the mission and resources of the non-profit organization Alternatives, 1973-2011. Simple Living Works! web site home page | Theme/Seasons Index To learn more about SLW! – our MISSION, for example — please listen to our getting-acquainted episodes, especially #1 and 2.
We produce a half-hour podcast twice a month, hopefully educational and inspiring for you, your family and your congregation or group. We blog several times a week.
Simple Living Works! 
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