Ezine Don'ts

By Maria Marsala
Posted Thursday, November 11, 2004

In business? Then you've looked into or know the potential an ezine has for your business. It's one of the marketing tools available to you that can help you increase sales and create name recognition, too.

Savvy ezine publishers incorporate these four elements to increase the chance for success.
--Create an "opt-in" ezine.
--Reach your target audience.
--Format a readable ezine.
--Market consistently.

What not to do? Read on --Don't overhaul or change the intent of your ezine without alerting your readers. Email the changes to them and provide them with directions on how to leave your elist.

--Too many ads cause people to hit their "delete" button. Don't interrupt articles with ads either. The key is setting expectations; if you present them properly, your ads willget read.

--Don't use all CAPITAL LETTERS to highlight the topic in your ezine, even for titles. (OK for offline newsletters; online, using CAPITAL LETTERS denotes screaming.)

--Do not force new subscribers to complete long subscription forms containing lots of personal information. While some will complete the entire form, most will "move on".

--Don't ever add someone to your ezine without their permission, including "harvesting" (taking and using) email addresses from anyone who has sent you an email for another reason.

--Don't distribute ad's in between your article or tip. Provide ads, yes. You ARE running a business. But differentiate them from the content.

--Make sure that designing your ezine is the best use of your time. If not, hire a marketing company or virtual assistant. Not familiar with virtual assistants? These resources can assist you.

--Do not use lots of exclamation marks, question marks, etc. Spam filters just don't like them.

--Don't wait too long between issues-ezines must be timely. Although quarterly newsletters are fine in the offline world, they don't work online. At a minimum, publish your ezines monthly-or your readers may forget they've subscribed and report you as a Spammer. Most hosting services will shut your site down first, and then ask questions later.

--On the other hand, if you have a lot to say and want to publish weekly or even daily, say so in your subscription box, so people will know how much volume to expect.

--Don't enjoy writing? Publish a tips ezine, hire a ghostwriter, or visit an article bank to pick up some free content.

--Don't forget to change the usual "welcome letter" that is part of all ezine hosting services. Create a wonderful personalized "Welcome" for your list; if you offer a bonus, include it in the welcome note.

About the Author
© 2003 Maria Marsala, Business Growth Specialist. The author of the ORIGNINAL Create Your Ezine Program. Learn how you can inexpensivly market your business using an online newsletter. Ezines help you quickly get the word out about your product or service to individuals who want to receive it! For more information, visit (http://www.CreateEzine.com)