Lately, I’ve been sending out occasional note cards that have included things like candies and dog cookies. (If you haven’t been getting these mails, it’s because you’re not on my top secret mailing list–if you think you should be, send me your mailing address!)

In Sneads Ferry, there are 6 or 7 major real estate offices and one of them has done a great job branding the color yellow. Locals know when you see a yellow sign in front of a house that it’s listed by this particular agency.

And yet, in every issue of the local “Homes” magazine, at least one other real estate agency has decided to use lots of yellow in their ad. Sure, it’s a beach community and they want their ads to look bright and sunny.

Blogs have been a big marketing trend for about three years, and lately more and more small business owners are talking about “having” to start one. As if there’s a rule that says without a blog, you’re destined for failure.

With delivery rates taking a hit again recently (as I’ve said before, these things are cyclical–filters get stricter, cut down on *spam* and then relax), you might be believing the hype that the only way to communicate with your audience is with a blog.

Way back when I was a teenager, my parents were constantly telling me to “Watch your tone.” (Actually, what they said was, “Watch your tone, Jessica Christy.” I still don’t like my middle name.)

Did your parents teach you this lesson, too?

By making sure you Say Something Amazing in each and every issue of your newsletter, you’ll motivate readers to forward it to their friends and colleagues. Saying something inspirational is an especially powerful way to Say Something Amazing because everyone’s looking for more doses of inspiration in their day–and people love to share things that inspire them.