How to Start Your Own Ezine: Finding Readers and Content

If you have a website where you sell products or services, an ezine might just be the thing for you. What's an ezine, you ask? It's an electronic newsletter delivered via email. It can be sent in text format or in HTML. Giving your visitors the choice is always a good idea, as some who are still on dial up may not want to wait for a HTML version of a newsletter to load.

Seven Great Reasons to Start an Ezine:

1. To stay in touch with your readers. A weekly, monthly, bimonthly or quarterly ezine will keep your readers in the loop concerning breaking news on a new product or service you're offering. By keeping in touch with your readers, you are reminding them of your interest in them, not just as potential customers, but also as friends. An ezine can include some valuable informational articles on topics of interest to your readers.

2. To promote special discounts and offers. An ezine is the perfect tool to offer specials like discounts to products or special offers on a new service. These special offers would only be good to those on your list and not the general public visiting your website. Make your customers feel exclusive by offering special discounts, memberships and other offers.

3. To get impulse buyers. There are some people who have lots of money who also happen to be impulse buyers. Taking advantage of these types of people may sound wrong, but if what you're offering is going to help them out, it's a win-win situation. The fact is, impulse buyers are going to buy anyway, so they might as well buy from you!

4. To make an extra income. The ezine need not be free. Provided you've gathered a data base of email addresses (and first names), you can offer an ezine for whatever subscription rate you consider fair for your type of business. Ezines can run anywhere from $15 to $300 a year or more, depending on the type of information you're providing, tips you're giving and the exclusivity of your client base.

5. To make extra money on paid advertising. You can run ads on your ezine, and charge for them. Just like a magazine, your ezine can generate income for you through paid advertising, sponsors and people needing to make announcements.