I’m confused, how about you?

On the one hand there is actually a GF (gluten free) movement. It must be true because it has its own magazine. So when I was driving around town I passed my local garden center that had a sandwich board sign announcing it had Corn Gluten. Corn Gluten? Wasn’t that a bad thing?

I have to admit that I had no idea what Corn Gluten was. So my wife Ann says, rather matter of factly, “oh yeah, corn gluten is a natural approach to suppressing weed seed in your lawn.”

How did you know that? “Well,” she explained, “when you proof as many newsletters as I do, you learn a lot.” She went on to say how much she learns from the Natureworks (Northford, CT) newsletter. Sure enough, I had to look over a website post from Stringer’s (Memphis, TN) and found another reference to Corn Gluten.

I still am not really clear on what CG (not GF) is and how it works. I consider myself fairly knowledgeable, so if I haven’t heard more about it, how many of your customers are confused as well. Not to confuse the issue, but confusion is not my point.

The point is there are some really good newsletters (both traditional and virtual) out there and they have quite a following. I can tell you statistically that the Natureworks newsletter averages over 35% for opens, and has a 25% click through rate. Nancy DuBrule, the owner and spiritual leader of the cult that is Natureworks, has a very loyal following built over the years by her ability to connect with her customers.

I can tell you with some certainty that the Natureworks customers know CG from GF.

Just another example of how “content is (still) King”. So, with that said I thought I might suggest a few (e) newsletters for you to subscribe to:

www.naturework.com

www.stringersgardencenters.com

www.forestlakegreenhouses.com

www.mostardi.com

This is not a judgment of what is good or bad, (all are managed through Sunrise Marketing), but rather a suggestion that you subscribe to as many newsletters as you can. This will give you a good feel for what you like (and don’t like). Notice I said newsletter. Despite the fact that e-newsletters are a hot topic, Natureworks paper newsletter has twice as many subscribers.

Care to share? I encourage you to post your thoughts, whether it is on Corn Gluten, great sites, or great newsletters you’ve found along the way.