| Ezine, Email Marketing Tips |
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The way most Ezines work is that you sign up to receive them via an "opt-in box" (fillable form that collects your name, e-mail and other contact information) and then you receive regular (usually automated) messages from the creator of the Ezine. These messages can be informational, entertaining and promotional. A common mistake uneducated marketers make is to get people to sign up to their Ezine and then just send them one promotional offer after another with a smattering of information about their business to fill in the gaps. This will not help you get very many new clients and your Ezine will likely soon go unread or be unsubscribed. I would recommend writing down a bunch of the questions that your clients frequently have and then use those as topics for discussion in your regularly scheduled Ezine newsletter. You can also mix it up by including a link to a video or audio for them the check out. The goal is to create and Ezine that becomes a welcome addition to your clients inbox. You want them to learn to rely on you more and more as the "go to person" when it comes to challenges in their career. As you continue to offer them information and insight that will improve their careers it is OK to include information about your products, services and special offers. Just think about it like you should "earn" the right to sell them, vs. just bombarding them with sales pitches. To get you Ezine started (if you don't already have one) I would recommend signing up with an ESP (e-mail service provider). The big hitters in the industry are Aweber or Constant Contact, and they both offer free trials so you can check them out. They will enable you to create auto generated "opt-in" boxes to place on a webpage so people can sign up, and one of my personal favorite parts is that they will allow you to pre-write your newsletters and schedule them to be sent at a later date. There are lots of good-looking professional templates to choose from too. You can even upload a picture of yourself and/or company logo, but please keep in mind that some people have their settings so that none of the pictures will download unless you are on the approved list or they click a separate box to import them and the big box with the "x" screams "junk mail" so you may be better off just going the text only route like I do. Good luck with your Ezine adventures. |
