E-zines: The Ultimate Self Promotion Tool

By Alexandria Brown
Posted Friday, October 29, 2004

If you're looking for low-cost ways to promote your business (and aren't we all?), I hope you've considered publishing an e-mail newsletter, or 'e-zine.' Here are six darn good reasons why you shouldn't wait any longer:

1. An e-zine is the perfect way to STAY IN TOUCH with your clients and prospects on a regular basis.

Unless you continually follow up with clients and prospects, they'll soon forget about you. But imagine calling or writing each and every one of your clients and prospects every week! That would be nearly impossible to pull off.

Well, an e-zine achieves the same goal - keeping you on their 'radar screens,' but in an unobtrusive way. This constant contact makes these folks more likely to think of YOU - not someone they heard about yesterday - when they need to hire a coach.

2. An e-zine allows you to effortlessly SPREAD THE WORD about you and your business.

If you write a decent e-zine, your readers will be very likely to pass it on to friends and colleagues. Remember that old shampoo commercial that went, 'And I told two friends, and she told two friends, and so on, and so on...'? That principle - clients passing on the word about your product or service - is called 'viral marketing' these days.

Most publishers begin with only a few dozen subscribers who are their clients and associates. But after several months, you can have thousands of readers on your list - thanks to viral marketing mixed with some promotional legwork.

3. An e-zine is a CREDIBLE and SUBTLE way to promote your services or products.

Instead of simply *saying* how great your business is, an e-zine lets you *show* how great you are by sharing your expertise through tips or client stories. (As my old journalism professor used to say, 'Show me, don't just tell me!') You're avoiding simple bragging, and are instead offering useful information that demonstrates your knowledge. Bravo!

4. Publishing an e-zine positions you as an EXPERT in your field.

By showcasing your knowledge and skills, you're likely to attract more and better clients. And by sharing what you know well, you're saying, 'Hey, I know my stuff! I'm an expert.' If you make a living by providing a service, you're an expert in your own right. If you're still uncomfortable with that term, try on the word 'resource.' (Okay, feel better?)

5. An e-zine is the ideal way to CAPTURE the e-mail addresses of your WEB VISITORS.

If I visit your site today but aren't ready to buy from you today, you've likely lost me forever when I click away. BUT if you invite me to sign up for your free newsletter that features helpful information on the topic at hand, I'll be happy to sign up.

NOW you've got me to market to, over and over, as long as you continue to give me the practical content you promised. This is especially powerful because statistics show that consumers don't usually purchase a product or service until after they've seen multiple messages about it.

6. An e-zine is CHEAP and EASY to publish - especially compared with a print newsletter.

If you were to produce and mail a snazzy-looking *printed* newsletter, you could easily spend thousands of dollars each year. But an e-zine is essentially FREE to put together and publish - it just takes a bit of your time.

And you can make it as long or short as you'd like. (Some of the best e-zines I get feature only one tip per issue and are less than one computer screen long.) For best results, keep it simple!

About the Author

Online marketing coach Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning tutorial package, 'Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.' To learn more about this step-by-step program, and to sign up for FREE how-to articles and FREE teleclasses, visit (http://www.EzineQueen.com/)