The Writing Edge for Business Writers: 2/27/15

Feb 27, 2015 | Profit

You’re a businessperson. You may not think of yourself as a writer, but you know that writing well can boost your results and your career. Naturally, you want to do better. Every week I point you to one or two pieces that I think will teach you something or spark an idea or two. This week I’m pointing you to pieces on the Washington Post and Jeff Bezos and building the right kind of email list.

From Isabell Hülsen: Jeff Bezos Takes Washington Post into Digital Future

“Since August 2013, a new calendar has begun for the 137-year-old newspaper: B.B. — before Bezos, and A.B. — after Bezos. The Amazon CEO has injected new energy into the editorial staff. Instead of simply bringing in cash to allow the staff to continue the status quo, he plunged the Post into a period of cultural change, determined that the paper would reinvent itself and escape the confines of the printed page.”

Wally’s Comment: This article is worth your time for two reasons. It’s a good business story. And it’s a good story about the forces at work in the future of media.

Here’s a tip of the hat to Michael Wade who pointed me to this article.

From Jawad Khan: How To Grow an Email List With Subscribers Who Are Willing To Pay

“List building itself has no value for your business. It is the kind of subscribers in your list that’ll determine if you can make any profits. An email list with irrelevant and uninterested subscribers is completely useless, in fact a burden, for your business.”

Wally’s Comment: How valuable are the names on your email list, really?

Sources I Check Regularly

I find the posts and articles that I share with you on The Writing Edge in many places. But there are a few that provide insightful pieces again and again. Here they are.

The CopyBlogger Blog

Problogger

Digital Book World

jeffbullas.com

Becky Robinson’s Weaving Influence