Most Commonly Asked Questions About Ezine Publishing

Most Commonly Asked Questions About Ezine Publishing
© Terri Seymour

Getting so many emails as I do about ezine publishing,
I thought maybe an article covering the most asked
questions would be useful to some of you who are
thinking about or just starting your own ezine.

* What is an Ezine?

An ezine is simply an electronic newsletter or magazine
mailed periodically to a list of opt-in subscribers.
Opt-in means that these subscribers have signed-up for
or requested to receive your ezine.

A good ezine will contain lots of useful information
and resources for the subscribers.

* Who Do I Send My Ezine To?

You obtain a list of subscribers by advertising and
promoting your ezine in several ways.

Announcement lists - Follow guidelines for posting and
get some fr~e exposure!
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ListPOP
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Announce_Your_Group

Writing Articles - Definitely something you want to get
into. Very powerful method of fr~e promotion!

Ad swaps - Running other publishers' ads in exchange
for them running yours is a great way to get a lot of fr~e
ezine advertising, plus you get to make new friends as
well! ;-)
http://www28.brinkster.com/bluesite/swap.htm
http://ezine-swap.com/

Sigtag - Always add a sigtag to your email with your
subscribe link and an attention grabbing headline about
your ezine. Very effective!

Discussion Lists - Similar to announcement lists, but
get involved in the discussions as often as possible.
mailto:digital-women-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
mailto:hbj_chat-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Message Boards - Similar to discussion groups.
Establish yourself as an expert who is there to help.
http://www.mcpromotions.com/webbbs/webbbs_config.pl?#156

Joint Ventures - Exchange thank you page ads with other
publishers, participate in group pop under windows,
swap publisher ads in your welcome letters to your
subscribers. Be creative with joint ventures to
dramatically increase your subscriber list!

* How Do I Mail My Ezine?

There are several ways you can mail out your ezine.

Autoresponder - A favorite of many publishers because
you are able to send out several follow-ups.
http://www.getresponse.com/index/47152

Email Server - When you are first starting using your
email server is an easy and inexpensive way to mail
our your newsletter.

Mailing List Manager - After your list grows, I recommend
you purchase an easy and effective mailing list manager.
http://hop.clickbank.net/?webcentral/lightning

Web Host - When you buy your domain, you also get a
mailserver from which you can send out your ezine.
Your subscribe address would be something like:
mailto:newsletter-subscribe@myowndomain.com

Yahoo and Topica, etc - Fr~e mailing list managers like
these are a good way to get started on a tight budget.
I used Yahoogroups way back when they were onelist?
and then egroups. I never had any major problems with
them, but eventually wanted to take control of my own
list.

* What Do I Put in My Ezine?

Lots of good resources, helpful information, a little
fun, motivational stories, original or guest articles,
product or affiliate program reviews, freebies, etc.
You must also add your personality to your ezine.
That is what makes your ezine special! Write an
editorial so your readers can get to know you and
can interact with you. Let your ideas flow and make
your ezine interesting and unique!

* Why Should I Publish an Ezine?

Publishing an ezine is important to your business
because it enables you to keep in contact with the
people who are interested in your website, your
product and you. You can build a solid foundation
of trust and respect on which to base your business
success!

Answering all questions in detail is quite impossible
in one article, but I hope I have covered some of the
main points that you might be curious about. If I have
not answered a question you may have, feel fr~e to
contact me anytime. Thank you.