Internet Marketing Tools - Email Ezine Basics

Internet Marketing Tools - Ezine Basics Part nine of ten
By Shelley Lowery

One of the most powerful marketing tools used on the Internet is the ezine. An ezine, also known as an email magazine, online publication or electronic newsletter is simply a newsletter available via email and/or online. There are hundreds of thousands of ezines on various subjects available on the Internet free of charge.

Publishing an ezine is a great way to build an opt-in list of potential customers. Not only will it enable you to share your expertise, but it will also build your credibility. Developing a trusting relationship with your subscribers is the key to your ezine's success. You must have a sincere desire to assist your subscribers to the best of your ability. Provide them with helpful information that will teach and inform in regard to the subject matter.

Although offering your ezine to your subscribers free of charge may seem to be a waste of time, you have to look at the entire picture. This publication will enable you to have a direct line of communication with your subscribers. Your subscribers are not just subscribers -- they're actually targeted potential customers. When they subscribed to your publication, they were letting you know they have an interest in your ezine's focus. This provides you with the opportunity to advertise your products or services, and provide them with recommendations.

Once you've developed a trusting relationship, your recommendations will be very effective. However, you must only recommend a product or service that you truly believe in, as your professional reputation is on the line.

If you've been marketing on the Internet, then you know it may take several contacts with a prospective customer before closing a sale. What better way to make those contacts. In addition, you can eventually make a nice income selling sponsor advertising and classified ads.

If you're not publishing an ezine, you really should be. The Internet offers a wealth of quality information and resources to assist you.

Tutorials:

Learn everything you'll need to know in order to begin publishing your ezine.

How to Publish an Ezine http://www.thewritemarket.com/ezine.shtml

The Handbook of Ezine Publishing http://www.e-zinez.com/handbook/index.html

A Beginner's Guide to Ezine Publishing http://www.epdigest.com/beginner/

Ezine Tips http://ezine-tips.com/ If you'd like a head start in writing your ezine, the following sites will provide you with some ezine templates:

How to Use A Template to Create Your E-Zine http://www.e-zinez.com/handbook/template.html

Ezine Success http://www.websuccesscentral.com/ezinesuccess/part1.html

You can publish your ezine completely free. Free list hosts will provide complete email list subscription management including list hosting, subscribes, unsubscribes, mailings and more. They will place a small ad within each message sent to your group. This is a small price to pay and well worth the great service they provide.

Free List Hosts:

Yahoo! Groups - http://groups.yahoo.com/

Topica - http://www.topica.com/

Smart Groups - http://www.smartgroups.com/

Fee based mailing list hosts provide complete email list subscription management including list hosting, subscribes, unsubscribes, mailings and more for a fee.

Fee Based Mailing List Hosts:

SparkList - http://sparklist.com/

Email Factory - http://www.emailfactory.com/

Lyris - http://www.lyris.com/

L-Soft - http://www.lsoft.com/

If you'd rather take care of your own list, there are a couple of different options:

- Use a software program that resides on your computer
- Use a script that resides on your server

Mailing List Software:

Mailloop http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=ml

This outstanding program will enable you to have complete control over your lists including:

- Automatically filters your email
- Completely run your newsletters
- Import your leads or orders into a database
- Automatically email your personalized customer database
- Send out an unlimited amount of autoresponses - and more.

Group Mail http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=gm

Another outstanding software that will enable you to send highly professional formatted messages that are personalized for each of your recipients. You can manage an unlimited number of lists with an unlimited number of recipients in each and much more.

If you're using a software program like Group Mail, you'll also need a good form processing script to enable your visitors to subscribe:

Master Form http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=wm2

This form will enable you to have the results of your form emailed to you or to a specified address. It can write your information to a database file and you can even have a personalized thank you page. In addition, you can even have multi-page forms with no limit on the number of pages.

Alien Form http://cgi.tj/scripts/alienform/

This powerful script will enable you to have the results of your form emailed to you and any additional addresses you specify. It can write directly to files, allowing you to log every time the form is submitted, or to store order or subscription details securely on your server.

Mailing list scripts will enable you to run your mailing list completely online via your web browser.

Mailing List Scripts:

OptIn Lightning http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=oil2

A complete list management system including pop-up subscription request alert, email subscriptions, follow-up autoresponders, SQL database, supports large databases, personalization features, automatic removal links and more.

@News Wizard http://www.web-source.net/cgi-bin/t.cgi?l=nw

Complete list management including unlimited lists, list import/convert function, duplicate check, HTML or plain text newsletters, customizable auto-personalization of messages and more.

Although a quality ezine should contain some original content, it is completely acceptable to use articles written by other authors.

Free Content - Articles that may be freely published delivered to your email each day.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/free-content

Article Announce Groups - Articles that may be freely published delivered to your email each day. http://www.web-source.net/articlesub.htm

Ezine Articles - Article Directory http://ezinearticles.com/

Marketing Seek - Article and Ezine Directory http://www.marketing-seek.com/

Idea Marketers - Article Directory http://www.ideamarketers.com/

Author Connection - Article Directory http://www.authorconnection.com/

Internet Wire - Offers broad, real-time dissemination of company press releases and material news. http://www1.internetwire.com/iwire/home

If you're not collecting your visitor's email addresses, don't wait another day to start. Opt-in lists are one of the most powerful marketing tools on the Internet.

Copyright © Shelley Lowery 2002.

About the Author:

This article was adapted from the highly acclaimed ebook series, Web Design Mastery. Web Design expert and author Shelley Lowery's latest ebook is an in-depth guide to professional web design that is rapidly becoming known as the "Bible" for professional web design. http://www.webdesignmastery.com



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