How to Write an Ezine Thousands Will Subscribe To and Everyone Will Open and Read
By Susan Dunn
Posted Sunday, August 15, 2004
Hype! And if you’re trying to do this, you’ll defeat your purposes. In fact your expectations and perfectionism will keep you from producing a good and useful ezine.
WRITER’S BLOCK
I was in public relations for many years, and had the opportunity to supervise and train many writers. The #1 cause of “writer’s block,” I found was perfectionism. They were trying to write THE PERFECT ARTICLE.
Write an excellent article. There is no “perfect article.” It’s important to keep things in perspective. Doubly so when you’re writing as an entrepreneur, because there’s no external feedback. You’re sitting in your own mind. We learn in Marketing 101, if you’re producing a newsletter and working yourself into contortions over the proofing and editing, to remind yourself of where it’s going.
Where is it going to go? In the trash. That’s for a hardcopy newsletter, brochure, flyer, etc.
And where is your ezine going to go? Click. Delete. Sometimes read, sometimes not read.
So lighten up! You’ll remove some heavy obstacles to your own success.
BUT I WANT MY EZINE TO BE SO GOOD, EVERYONE WILL READ IT
Read it? Half the ezines you mail won't even be opened.
According to Constant Contact, (http://www.roving.com) , the average open rate is 48%.
How many emails do YOU get a day? I get several hundred and I probably don't open ¼ of them. I haven’t got the time, I get too much spam, and I’m used to scanning with a discriminating eye. Even my favorite ezines I don’t open 100% of the time.
ONE GREAT ARTICLE
I produce ezines for clients, or help them design their own. It’s typical for newbies to worry excessively over putting everything they have to say in one edition. The implications of this relate to writer's block as well.
In their launch issue, they try and summarize what they do, or what they offer, or how to have a good relationship, or what NLP means in one, single, defining article.
This is a waste of time for three reasons:
1. It can’t be done. Even if you are the reigning expert in your field, you, yourself will learn
something new tomorrow (or you're not an expert).
2. Half your readers won't ever see that particular article or edition.
3. Your list will be growing, and the 10 who join tomorrow won’t have seen it either.
Your logo, tagline, or standard introductory paragraph should describe what you do. After that, talk about your subjects often, from different angles, and don’t try for the one, defining article or issue.
THE MESSAGE
When I did PR for a church, one minister said to me, “If they’re willing to listen to and read about half of what I put out there, over time they’ll get my message.”
This is a good way to look at it. Keep writing about what you do, who you are, and what you sell. Present it in an attractive format. Send it out consistently. Somewhere down the line, your readers will understand what Emotional Intelligence Coaching is, or why your widgets are the best, or what the Gooding Accountability System™ is. You don’t have to do it all at once. You can’t do it once and for all. Take it easy, save something for next time, and your readers will come along for the ride.
About the Author
(c)Susan Dunn, The EQ Coach, helps coaches, professionals and small businesses market their services and products on the Internet. Article-writing services. Visit her on the web at (www.webstrategies.cc).
