They need not be your products. Some webmasters would never consider mentioning a competitor's product, but I sense you'll gain greater credibility by trusting folks. They'll remember your good advice, and get back to you when they need your product. I'll go so far as to say this may be the very best way to build trust and confidence in both you and your products. Sharing good information your readers can use will never backfire.
Quotable quotes work fine.
Short tales with a snappy wrap. Humor can be useful, but take care in this. Humor in email does not come across as well as it does face to face with a friend. It can be misunderstood, and sometimes even offend. Here are a couple of sources you may want to check.