Publish a Newsletter (eZine)
They used to be called "Newsletters", now they're "eZines". Whatever you want to call it, publishing your own newsletter will not only keep you in touch with your visitors and customers, but help you build a database of highly-targeted users.
Your electronic newsletter can be in the form of a periodic e-mail or published on your Web site, or an "opt-in" recurrent publication. Although producing an e-newsletter will require a commitment of your time and energy, it is an ideal way to maintain contact with your customers, cultivate future business, and strengthen your customer relationships. You can solicit Web site visitors to register for your eZine so that they can receive information about your product updates or specials as they become available. Your eZine can be automated via a Listserv. The benefits to you are many and include:
- Entice prospects/customers to return to your site
- Inexpensive, no cost for printing, postage, advertising or phone calls
- Bulk e-mail without the spam issues
- Prospects sign up to receive your message
- Repetition of your marketing message, more shots at making more sales
Revenue Generator
As time goes on and your subscriber list grows, your newsletter can also become an additional source of revenue. As a rule of thumb, every 1000 subscribers is worth $25 to $35 to other advertisers. A weekly newsletter with 10 ads can generate upwards of $1,000.00 per month.
Naming your e-Zine
Put some thought into branding your e-Zine with an optimum name. Although your name should tell your a subscriber what your publication is all about, some list sites display their eZines in alphabetical order. Selecting a title such as, "All About Vinegar Valve Secrets" instead of "Vinegar Valve Secrets" will make your publication appear higher on a list.
Content to Include
A well written and interesting publication will insure your eZines success. To retain subscribers and attract new ones, you must deliver information of value. With all that is required to run a business, this is not always an easy task. Again, Internet resources can assist in this challenge. There are many sites that permit their content (articles, book reprints, etc.) to be integrated in your e-Zine at no cost. The following sites are great resources of FREE content. Also, many of these sites will accept your articles for distribution.
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Where to Host Your List
Mailing List Servers provide complete list subscription management. The following represents the most popular list services. Note that some are advertising-based free services wile others require that software is installed on your server and/or carry a cost.
Tell the World
Announcement Lists offer a terrific way to announce your new eZine (or your Web site) to the world.
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Announcement list for new e-Zines. This is the most important list on the Internet. This list can bring you many new subscribers. Also us this to announce changes to your services.
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LaunchPad is a platform, where you can announce your website with brief description, to thousands of people around the world, free of cost.
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AAnnounce - Announcement list for lists, forums and newsletters.
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Promote - Announcement list for new sites, lists, newsletters, eZines and webrings.
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New-List.com - Announcement list for new lists.
| Always send a sample copy of your e-Zine to yourself before blasting it to your list. See exactly what your subscribers will see and you will catch many formatting and typographical errors. |  |
Although there are many creative ways to produce traffic on the Internet, there is no "one best" method. Success is gained from employing as many tactics as possible. One approach that has gained a considerable following of late is that of sponsoring online contests.
