Ezine Don'ts

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 will
get 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.