As an email copywriter, I’ve always been keenly aware of the possibilty that someday the email platform will change radically or be replaced by something else. After reading this post on the Social Media Examiner blog today, it seems likely that Facebook’s new messaging system will do just that.

A new feature in Facebook’s message system is “groups.” You’ll be able to create private groups among your Facebook friends to help facilitate private conversations:

Instead of sending traditional email blasts, you can send creative messages via Facebook that are more likely to resonate with recipients. It’ll serve as a new and unique platform for receiving marketing messages.

Although it’s too soon to tell if Facebook messages will be the new email, it’s not too soon to suggest that you should already be sending creative messages that resonate with recipients. Start doing that today and no matter what new messaging system emerges in the future, you’ll be ready.

Many years ago I decided to stop watching Packers games and only watch any NFC Championship playoff games and Super Bowl games they play in.

Watching regularly was too stressful (all those Favre interceptions) and I just gradually lost interest in watching men play a boy’s game and get paid millions for it.

Besides, living in Wisconsin, I’m usually all too aware of what the Packers are up to, even when I don’t watch.

But a recent New Yorker article listed some cool things about the Packers and why they are the only team worth paying attention to (if you read carefully you’ll see how it applies to your business too):

* The Packers are the only football team owned by their fans (112,000 of them, to be precise).

* They are located in Green Bay, which has a population of only 101,000, and not in the larger, hipper, shinier city of Milwaukee.

* The Packers GM gets to make decisions without a millionaire owner breathing down his neck and has had the freedom to do things like ditch Brett Favre in favor of Aaron Rodgers.

* Volunteers work the concession stands at home games and 60% of the proceeds go to charity.

* Volunteers remove the snow from the field before home games (imagine the response Jerry Jones would get if he asked for volunteers).

* The beer is cheaper than at other stadiums.

* Every home game has been sold out for two decades.

* Unlike other NFL teams, which tax their local communities and then keep the profits for themselves, the Packers actually aid their local community by not draining it of resources.

So what’s the business lesson here for you?

The way Packers view and treat their fans is a good example of how to treat your customers and make them part of your story.

The other NFL team owners are like the marketing “goo-roos” out there (greedy, not loyal, fans/customers are the least of their concern).

By being in the small pond of Green Bay and having deep connections with a small number of people (school kids even get part of the day off the day after the Super Bowl), it’s easier for the Packers to have connections even beyond Green Bay (i.e. focus on a small customer/fan base and the rest will take care of itself).

Now that I know these cool deets about the Packers, and now that I’ve seen how Aaron Rodgers doesn’t throw interceptions like Favre did, maybe, just maybe I’ll let myself watch a few more Packers games now.