Building Your Ezine Subscriber Base and Selling Ad Space Part 3
By Merle
Posted Friday, July 16, 2004
How to grow your subscriber base and sell ad space in your ezine
In this the last in a 3 part series on ezine publishing we turn to the nitty gritty of finding subscribers and selling your valuable ad space.
So now you have a terrific looking ezine and interesting content but where do you find subscribers? I was hoping you'd ask. In order to grow your subscriber base you'll need to promote your ezine every chance you get.
The first thing you need to do is include a sign up box on each and every page of your website and if you can, offer a free sample copy by autoresponder. To set up a free autoresponder check out (http://www.GetResponse.com)
Some publishers swear by pop up boxes to increase their subscriber sign ups. If you go this route I encourage you to opt for the kind that pop up upon exit not upon entering, less annoying. You'll find some software to help you with this here....(http://www.codelifter.com/pop5index.html) or look at (http://www.DynamicDrive.com) for some free scripts.
The next step is to get your ezine listed in as many online newsletter directories as possible. You'll have to do your homework by searching the engines for directories where you can add your listing for free.This is an important step as many people look to these directories when looking for newsletters to subscribe to. Some of them are:
(http://www.Lifestylespub.com/mcp/)
(http://www.E-zinedirectory.com/)
(http://www.Webscoutlists.com/signup.epl)
(http://www.Ezineadsource.com/)
(http://www.Zineconnection.com/)
(http://www.Ezine-Universe.com/)
(http://www.EzineLocater.com/)
(http://www.EzinesPlus.com/)
Remember many of these online directories will allow you to post your ad rates as well. A double bonus which allows you to pick up new subscribers as well as advertisers.
Announcement lists are also good for promoting your ezine. Search at (http://groups.yahoo.com) for lists that exist for the sole purpose of announcing new lists. You'll also want to participate in online discussion boards with a good signature line that mentions your ezine. You'll find some great boards to post to at (http://www.DiscussMarketing.com)
Other great ways to grow your subscriber base include swapping ads with other publishers and writing articles to submit to other publishers for possible publication in their ezines. Again, a strong signature line is imperative. Try some of these sites for swaps.
(http://www.BizPromo.com/EzineTrades.htm)(http://www.Ezine-Swap.com)
Free Software to keep track of your swaps (http://www.nowsell.com/pages/ad-tracker.html)
Other Ezine Publishers you can swap ads with (http://www.alacarim.com/adex/)
Free Directory of Ezines and other helpful resources for today's ezine publisher (http://www.FreeZineWeb.com/)
The Handbook of Ezine Publishing (http://www.e-zinez.com/)
EP Digest offers many helpful resources (http://www.EpDigest.com)
After writing your own articles syndicate them (http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=184827)
Then submit your articles to: (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/article_announce)
If you don't mind paying for opt in subscribers you can pay a small fee for them at....World Wide Lists (http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=184828) or try Marty Foley's List Builder Service at (http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=184830) I've used both of the above services extensively and they're truly remarkable for growing your list quickly. These are opt in list builders, not Spam techniques. Make sure you know the difference.
If you're interested in a great free e-book that will teach you how to grow your list download "Ezine List Builder" (http://www.netwoozy.com/freeebooks/) it's in PDF format.
or try this one...not free but worth the money:
"WebSite and Ezine Promotion Made Easy" (http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=184831)
Once you reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers you'll be able to start selling text ads. Do not include too many ads in your newsletter or you'll lose a lot of subscribers before you even get started. You need to make sure you're including useful content and not just a billboard of ads, or your subscribers will be reaching for that unsubscribe button in a hurry.It's really a balancing act, good content with a few ads mixed in.
If you can it's a smart move to start collecting demographics from the very beginning. This will give you an idea as to the types of people that subscribe to your ezine and will be helpful to ad buyers who will want to know what "target market" your ezine hits. If you set up a short form asking the basics like "sex", "age", and "occupation" and ask new subscribers to fill it in upon subscribing you'll be amazed at how easy it is to actually collect this type of information.
A few sites that will help you to sell your available space:
(http://www.Ezines-Ads.com)
(http://www.Opt-Influence.com) (must have 5,000 subscribers)
(http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=189476)
Publishing an ezine is the most important tool you can have when it comes to promoting your website. An opt in list of people who want to hear from you on a regular basis is priceless and the actual process of writing your own ezine and connecting with people is an inspiring experience in itself. It's a genuine way of building a sense of community around your site and opening the lines of communication between yourself and potential clients.
Don't let this marketing tool pass you by....by following the steps in this three part series you'll be well on your way to publishing an ezine that will pay you back in more ways than you can imagine- and that's an online marketing tool fact.
So what are you waiting for? Get busy!
About the Author
Merle is an internet marketer, promotion consultant and ezine publisher. Visit her sites at (http://www.mcpromotions.com/),(http://www.merlesworld.com/) and (http//www.ezineadauction.com/).
