Online business 'newbies' have no doubt heard that offering a
free newsletter is one of the best ways available to build their
business and their profits. Some of the benefits include:
* Increased credibility * Leverage for profitable Joint Ventures
* More exposure through article reprints, for example * An
additional source of income through advertising sales
While publishing a newsletter can be a very profitable venture,
the fact of the matter is, they're also a lot of work. Here are
a few things to think about before you get started.
__1. What Type of Newsletter Do You Want to Write?
The type of material you include in your newsletter is as
endless as your imagination. Some suggestions include:
* Featured Article * Useful Website Pick * Reader Q&A * Letter
to the Editor * Surveys or Polls * Product Reviews *
Suggestion/Help Column for Subscriber Websites or Products * Tip
of the Day * Inspirational Quote
__2. Where Will You Get Your Content?
Will you write all the content yourself, get others to write it
for you (ghost-writers), or use 'recycled' articles from other
writers?
Fresh, original content is best. It gets tiresome when you see
the same article in 7 different newsletters! If you don't think
you can manage writing *all* of your content, perhaps you can
compromise: mostly your own writing, with the occasional
third-party article thrown in.
__3. How Often Do You Plan to Publish?
One of the advantages of offering a free ezine is the
opportunity to build a relationship with your readers. They come
to know you and trust you, and you, in turn, learn what types of
products or services they're interested in.
A newsletter that's published too infrequently runs the risk of
being forgotten by its readers. On the other hand, one that's
published too often may annoy its readers and cause them to
unsubscribe or delete the message.
Many popular ezines are published once a week or once every two
weeks. Use that as a *guideline* for determining your own
publishing schedule.
__4. Can You Afford a Professional List Manager?
A list manager automates the tedious task of subscription
management. In other words, it automatically handles subscribe
and unsubscribe requests from your readers.
There are many good list managers available. Some are 'free';
that is, you may use them for free if you accept third-party
advertising in your message or, alternatively, delivered to your
mailbox.
Professional list managers will require an investment. They will
allow you to send out ad-free messages (and keep your mailbox
free of more advertising!) and typically offer a number of
features not available in the 'free' version.
__5. Will You Accept Advertising?
New editors often choose to offer free ads to new subscribers.
This is supposed to help them build their lists more quickly. On
the other hand, you could end up with subscribers who join just
to get a free ad, and who never bother to read your newsletter.
Most newsletters start to charge for advertising around the 1000
subscribers mark. If you choose to do so, take a look at similar
ezines within your niche market to see what types of rates they
charge.
__6. Should You Publish an Email or Web-Based Newsletter?
There are advantages and disadvantages to both. You could choose
to do both: send an email newsletter and archive each issue on
the web. Another alternative is to publish on the web, but send
out an email notification with a brief blurb about each article.
Include a tracking URL for each article and you'll be able to
see which topics interest your visitors the most!
__7. How and Where Will You Promote?
There are many free ways to promote your ezine. The question is,
Do you have time to do it? Free methods include:
* Ezine directories * Message boards, where appropriate *
Article submissions to websites and other editors * Ad swaps *
Signature files * eBooks * ... and more.
Ezine promotion requires ongoing effort. If you don't have the
time, desire, 'know-how' or traffic to build your subscription
base on your own, you may have to consider using one or more of
the 'pay-per-subscriber' services available online.
__8. How Much Time Do You Have to Devote to Your Newsletter?
This is the bottom line. How much time can you spare to produce
a quality newsleter? Write a couple of sample issues to get a
feel for how much time it takes. You may need to make
adjustments; for example, you might decide to cut down on the
number of articles you offer in each issue, but publish more
frequently.
About the author:
Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a newsletter for
eBusiness beginners. OBB features ongoing tutorials on how to
build a profitable Internet business on a shoestring budget. You
don't need a million-dollar budget to be successful! Find out
how you too can join the thousands quietly earning a living
online: http://www.onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html
