Success Strategies for Promoting Your Ezine
It's your masterpiece.
You've worked hard to put together an informative and interesting newsletter. Your current subscribers often write to tell you how much they enjoy it. So why are you having so many problems getting new subscribers?
The fact of the matter is, there are countless free newsletters available to anyone who wishes to receive them ... so unfortunately for ezine editors, "free" isn't enough to draw people to you.
Here are a few suggestions to help you build your list ...
__1. BE CONSISTENT.
Marketing your newsletter is the only way you're going to find new subscribers. You need to first let people know that your newsletter is available ... then persuade them that you have something unique and valuable to offer. Come up with an informative description that stresses the benefits of subscribing, and then start promoting. Some ways to promote your ezine include:
• Submit to ezine directories
• Use announcement lists
• Promote your ezine in your sig file
• Write articles and leave a link to your ezine in your resource box
• Put a signup box on every page of your website
• Experiment with pop-up subscription boxes
• Propose ezine co-opts with other editors: you can promote your newsletters together for extra exposure
• Include subscription links within your eBooks or reports.
__2. CONSIDER PAY-PER-SUBSCRIBER SERVICES.
No doubt you've heard the phrase, "Time is money". Marketing takes a lot of time. More and more, editors are turning to pay-per-subscriber services to help them grow their newsletters. An example of one such service is FunEzines.com.
These services charge you for each subscriber they find for you. I've seen prices ranging from an affordable $0.10 per subscriber to a whopping $0.85! Shop around. These services will usually charge you more if you use the double opt-in method than if you use single opt-in.
Reasons why you might choose to use these services include:
• Not enough website traffic to get a steady stream of new subscribers.
• Not enough time to spend marketing - or a lack of desire to spend the time necessary to promote your ezine.
• Desire to build your subscription base as quickly as possible.
__3. DON'T BE SHY -
INTRODUCE YOURSELF.
One of the big advantages of having your own newsletter is the leverage it gives you with other editors.
Don't be shy. Approach other editors in your niche market and offer to swap ads or run other joint ventures. This is a great way to increase your exposure without paying any out-of-pocket expenses.
Remember that editors are busy people, just like you. Make it easy by providing them with all the information they need to make a decision ...
• Address the editor by name, if at all possible. Mention his or her ezine name. Personalized email is always appreciated.
• Introduce yourself and your ezine. Tell the editor key pieces of information, such as the ezine's focus and circulation.
• Tell him or her what type of joint venture you have in mind. Let her know how it will benefit her.
• If you are proposing an ad swap, include your ad for her convenience.
• If the editor agrees to your proposal, let him know when his ad will run in your ezine.
__4. BE YOURSELF.
You've already made the effort to get subscribers ... now make the effort to keep them! There are thousands upon thousands of free newsletters available ... what makes YOURS different?
Let's face it: great content is vital to the success of your ezine ... but by itself, it isn't enough. There are plenty of editors who consistently turn out a high-quality, content-rich ezine.
What helps to differentiate one newsletter from another is the editor. If you inject your own unique personality into your ezine, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at how much your subscribers will appreciate it. I have many loyal subscribers who tell me that they like how I come across as a "real person".
Publishing a newsletter can be very profitable. Stick with it and you'll reap the rewards!
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Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, an exclusive newsletter for eBusiness beginners. OBB features ongoing tutorials on how to build a profitable Internet business on a shoestring budget. You don't need a million- dollar budget to be successful! Find out how you too can join the thousands quietly earning a living online: http://www.onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html
Written by: Angela Wu
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