Top 10 Reasons to Have an Ezine

 

 

1.      Establish yourself as a trusted expert. People search online for information and will look to you, as a subject matter expert, to provide it to them. Every week (or whatever schedule works) provides an opportunity to build on this, while reinforcing your brand.

 

2.      Build a relationship with the people on your list. It's common knowledge that people like to buy from people they like. By using ezines to connect with readers in their homes, you can develop a relationship of familiarity and trust. Be sure to share a little about yourself or your company in every issue, whether it is an anecdote, event, or employee spotlight.

 

 

3.      Keep in touch with prospects and clients. Consideration should be given to eventually developing two ezines: one for prospects and one for clients, as each require different information. This is a great way to notify your readers of weekly specials or upcoming product launches, offer new articles or customer stories, and provide links (or urls) to update FAQs, blogs and splash pages.

 

4.      Drive traffic to your website or blog. As noted in #3, remember to call attention to new blog posts or other changes to your website with links directly to those pages. Remind readers of your online newsletter archives. Promote special sales (maybe with discount coupon codes only for subscribers) with a link to the sales page. Use links to turn your ezines and newsletters into 'silent salespersons'– driving traffic to your website and building your lists around the clock.

 

 

5.      Build content on your website. Make a habit to adding your ezines and newsletters to your website in an archive area. This serves a several important purposes:

o    Visitors can read an issue or two to determine if your ezine will be of interest to them, which could help to increase sign-ups and potential sales.

o    If you optimize your article placements, you will not only make your website 'meatier', but you'll also bring new traffic from the search engines.

 

6.      Get feedback from your readers. Make it easy for you to stay in touch with prospects and customers and vice versa. Ask them to take action and comment on your articles and offers. Conduct polls and surveys. Start a 'Letters to the Editor' column in your ezine. Feedback allows you to fine tune your messages, target your marketing, and expand your product line. It's also great for relationship building!

 

7.      Develop an information product. If you deliver your newsletter once a week and include two articles, at the end of a year you'll have 104 well-researched articles in your portfolio! Pick the best-of-the-best and turn them into a bonus eBook for opting-in to your list, submit to download sites to build your list, or sell in PDF-format!

 

 

8.      Grow your mailing list. Let your ezine subscribers work for you. Be sure to remind your readers that it's okay to forward your newsletter to anyone they'd like. In addition, it's important to include sign-up instructions for those who received your ezine from viral marketing methods. A simple line titled, 'Get Your Own Copy of XXXXXX', with a link to your squeeze or opt-in page is all it takes! I use getresponse.

 

9.      Gather demographic data. By offering surveys, feedback forms, and niche reports, you'll be able to get valuable information about your prospects and customers. Learn what makes your readers tick, how to better serve them, and how to give them what they want. Make sure they become repeat customers!

 

 

10.  Save money! All of the above benefits of publishing an ezine are free or almost free. The small cost of a top-rated ezine publishing system is nothing compared to the cost of brochures, business cards, advertising, direct mail, pay-per-click or other means of promotion. Not only that, but someone has to manage that production! Because your newsletter is delivered online, you can grow your list to be as large as you want without worrying about the expense. Bottom line − it's proven that email marketing is the most cost-effective marketing solution for companies just like yours!

 

Top 15 Ways to Build Your Subscriber List

 

Email marketing can be profitable for any business, no matter what kind of product or service you offer. It is significantly cheaper than other advertising methods and, if done right, helps build loyalty and trust with customers. As a result, you generate more sales and more profits!
The foundation for successful email marketing is a targeted, permission-based email list. Marketers call contact lists their 'goldmine' because it can generate much of their sales revenue. If you've built up a list of opt-in subscribers that are qualified and interested in what you have to offer, then you've completed the first step and are on your way. If you haven't I recommend getresponse . It is what I use and it has all the necessary resources and is completely user friendly. If you note my optin box on the top right of this page, it was created via getresponse and It is one of the methods I generate leads. Now it's your time to 'mine' for gold!
Below you'll find several list-building and retention ideas that will help you get the best results from all your email marketing activities:

1. Provide useful, relevant content. Your visitors will not give you their email addresses just because they can subscribe to your newsletter free of charge. You have to provide unique and valuable information that will be of interest or use to them.
2. Add a subscription form to every page on your website. Make sure it stands out so it is easy to find. If it doesn't look cluttered, you may want to include more than one on some pages. For instance, if your opt-in form always appears in the top-left corner of your site, you may want to add one at the end of your most popular articles.
3. Add subscription forms to your social media pages. Make sure that you don't waste this valuable source of revenue opportunities. Integrate your sign-up forms with Facebook and more!
4. Make it easy for readers to sign up. The more information you request, the fewer people will opt-in. In most cases, a name and an email address should suffice. If it's not necessary, don't include it here. You can always survey them once they're customers! We do recommend that you provide a link to your Privacy Policy however.
5. Publish a Privacy Policy. Let your readers know that they can be confident you will not share their information with others. The easiest way to do this is to set up a Privacy Policy web page and provide the link to it below your opt-in form. (Note: If you don't have one, put the words 'privacy policy generator' into a search engine and you should be able to find a suitable form to use.)
6. Provide samples of your newsletters and Ezines. This lets potential subscribers review your materials before they sign up to determine if it's something they'd be interested in.
7. Archive past newsletters and articles. An online library of past newsletters and articles is both appealing and useful to visitors and builds your credibility as an authority. In addition, if your articles are written with good SEO techniques in mind, they can increase traffic to your website through enhanced search engine positioning.
8. Give gifts subscribers can actually use. Offer an opt-in bonus for joining your subscriber list! Write an ebook or provide a PDF business report, or even hire a programmer to create downloadable or web-based software. But don't limit yourself to offering gifts to opt-ins. Give them out when your readers fill out a survey, provide a testimonial, success story, or a great product idea. Let them know when they can expect the next gift offer. Everyone likes to get something for free! And if you pass out 'goodies' throughout the year, your subscribers will feel truly appreciated − and that's good for business!
9. Ask your subscribers to pass it on. Word of mouth is a powerful viral technique that works great with email marketing. If your subscribers find your content interesting, amusing or informative, they'll probably share it with their friends. This can be a great source of new customers, so make sure to remind them to 'pass it on'.
10. Let others reprint your newsletter as long as the content is not modified. If you're happy to share your content with the universe, then why not! Many webmasters and newsletter publishers are actively looking for high-quality content and, if they reprint your newsletter, you'll get new subscribers, and more traffic and links pointing to your site.
11. Include a 'Sign Up' button in your newsletter. If you're using plain text instead of HTML, be sure to provide a text link to your subscription page. You may feel that this is not required because the subscriber is already on your list, but remember that readers will forward your newsletters to others, or reprint them online. Make it easy for them to subscribe!
12. Add a squeeze page. A squeeze page has one goal − to acquire opt-ins and build your list. Think of it as a mini-sales letter to go along with your subscription or opt-in gift. It should feature a strong headline and a couple of powerful benefits that should make subscribers salivate to sign up! Once created, use a service such as WordTracker to find hundreds of targeted keywords, and promote your offer using pay-per-click advertising from Google, MSN and Yahoo. Now that should make a splash!
13. Include testimonials on your squeeze page. This is crucial. Put one or two strong testimonials from satisfied customers on your squeeze page. This can be in any format, but you may find that multimedia (audio or video) is more 'believable' and inspires more people to action. To further enhance believability, get permission to use actual customer names, locations and/or urls (Don't use 'Bob K, FL'). Add a note inviting others to participate. After all, it's free publicity!
14. Blog religiously. Blogging is a great way to communicate with prospects and potential customers, and creates a nice synergy with your email marketing. Be sure to include your newsletter sign-up form on each page of your blog. You can start a free blog at Blogger or WordPress.
15. Post on other blogs. Post thoughtful comments and information on similar blogs with a link to your squeeze or opt-in pages. Also comment on others' blogs through trackbacks. In most cases, your comments will be posted on their blogs with a link back to your site. This is an easy way to generate new traffic and subscribers, and get your brand out there!

Try Getresponse now for free here

 

7 Simple Strategies To Make Money From Social Media

Social Media is essentially social networking. Social networking allows individuals to set up personal profiles, interact with other users, and share certain aspects about their lives. For me, Social Media is a business tool. It is an Internet marketer's dream. Using Social Media to make money can be very, very lucrative. The amount of potential customers is extraordinary. You too can easily make money from Social Media just by following 7 simple strategies.

Get started
First of all, get started. If you think you don't know how or you don't have the time, think again. Nothing will happen until you take the first step and get started. Begin by creating accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and any other social media you want to use. If you don't know how, find out. If you don't have time, schedule it in as part of your marketing plan.

Promote on Facebook
Create a Facebook Page. Whether you are a business owner, an Internet marketer, an organization or a famous person, you need to create a page. Pages are designed specifically for companies, organizations, or other big names looking to capture and engage with an audience. When you have a page, it is completely customisable, it can provide statistics, people can become "fans" and you can add apps including discussion boards, shopping carts and more.

Use Twitter
Twitter is a powerhouse. Today, more than ever, businesses are using its power to meet, engage, and convert millions of people around the world. Businesses are using it in many different ways, but all for the same result: conversion and engagement.

Get a blog
In the past decade or so, blogs have grown tremendously in popularity. They are much more versatile than "stagnant" websites and allow an amount of flexibility never seen before. You see, blogs are all about connecting with an audience - your potential customer.

Promote on YouTube
YouTube is very similar to other social networking sites - you are able to reach large audiences and interact with others around the world. However, there is one key difference: YouTube is a video-based site which allows users to interact with one another through video recordings. There are many other methods for going about social media (messaging, comments, etc). However, this has showed to be the most popular and impressive way to do it.

Engage your audience
It's been estimated that about 95% of all the companies in the world are using social networking sites to promote their product and/or service. As a small business owner, you can use this to your advantage. You see, by growing an army of loyal followers you are able to aggressively target and market to those individuals. Not only is this cost effective but it should also convert very, very well.

Integrate Social Media into your website
Some businesses believe that having accounts is enough to generate cash flow and a loyal audience. This is only half true. When you incorporate social media on your site, you are essentially doubling your chances of gathering people.
You have now learned why you should use social media as a business tool and use it to start making money. This doesn't necessarily mean that you are going to make millions of dollars overnight. However, there are plenty of individuals who started with nothing on the Internet and have now amassed a money-making empire. This goes to show that ANYBODY can do it as long as they follow the 7 strategies.

All the best in wild success


by Dianne Ford
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6791767

Why Bother Blogging? 5 Strong Motivations

Many people ask themselves, why blog, why bother? This reaction is based primarily upon the time and commitment it takes to maintain a blogging platform. Nowadays many make money blogging and therein is found their motivation. Others however take a more 'personal' approach and they base their blog content upon merely helping or serving people! In either case a strong motivation must be found to maintain the constant flow of blog content needed to both attract readers and keep them coming back!

Here is a look a 5 different reasons or the motivations behind why many blog!

1:Help Others

Creating blog content that targets solving common problems associated with a particular niche reflect noble intentions. These type of platforms normally do well in attracting a large and loyal following and can also be quite effective if you intend to make money blogging. You must have an genuine interest in what you write about however since earning an income will take time and your interest will serve to keep you plugging away!

2:Share Experience

Sharing you own experiences serves multiple functions insofar as people can learn and/or be entertained by what you share. If you happen to have a good amount of experience to share than this type of blogging platform could be relatively easy for you to maintain!

3:Self Gratification

Sharing an interest or personal passion with like minded people is both an enjoyable and self gratifying experience! Much like having a lot of experience to share, if you are passionate about what you base your blog content on, this type of platform will likely be easy and even a joy to maintain. Visitor will also be quite appreciative of the quality of your posts making them even more loyal!

4:Offer Insight

Insights and/or opinions are an intriguing way to engage readers since if 'shared' correctly, it will be thought provoking. Nothing gets people more involved then stirring their interest by offering them a perspective they have not considered before. Helping them to 'stretch' their thinking is an invigorating and often enjoyable experience, especially when it focuses on subject matter that holds their interest!

5:Motivate People

Some people are simply 'naturals' at finding the best in others and making others realize their own potential, are you one of them? Having a blogging platform that 'picks people up' and gets them motivated is one of the most popular type of sites. In most cases folks will find not only motivation but will also experience a renewed sense of self esteem making them fell better about themselves. In turn the motivator also experiences an uplifting feeling due to their ability to make those around them feel more confident and capable.

In most cases the people who may ask, why blog, what's the purpose likely do not possess the commitment to maintain a blogging platform. This is not a negative but rather a point that it does in fact take time and a strong motivation to consistently create blog content people find interesting. For those who aspire to make money blogging this commitment must be even stronger! It simply takes more time to get people to spend money then it does to get them to read free content of interest to them. In either case a strong motivation is needed to maintain a consistent effort to create blog content. Discussed above are 5 of the most common and powerful motivations many bloggers use to help them maintain their site! Do any stir a strong enough motivation within you?

By TJ Philpott

5 Business Building Blogging Tips

 

Blogging can help your business. It doesn’t take rocket science to know that you won’t get far in the online world if people don’t know you exist. So, how do you get your name out? How can you generate buzz for your business? Well, it’s simple. You do it by blogging. In order to be successful in your blog marketing campaign you simply have to take a step back and understand how people use the internet. You see, people go online for two reasons – they’re looking for answers, or they want to watch cat videos. Basically, people hop online to find information or to be entertained. Your goal is to become one of those reasons (or a combination of both).

Are you ready to start your adventure into blogging and see what it can do for your business? Good. Let’s get started.

Tip #1 – Answer Questions Your Customers Are Asking

People need answers to their questions. Why not be the source? Offering the solution or answer to someone’s problem is the best way to paint yourself in a new light. Do this often and you’ll gain a reputation as an authority figure in your niche. You have to own it! This is the best way to bring in targeted traffic to your website. Think about it. When you run into a problem or are trying to learn something, what do you do? If you’re like me – or just about anyone else, you simply plug your question into Google and wait for an answer. The key here is to use that same process when you create your post. What is it that your potential customers are searching for? What are the answers they need? Zero in on that and you’ll be set.

Tip #2 – Blogging Doesn’t Happen On An Island

If you think that all it takes to be successful at blogging is to set up a WordPress blog, plug away at a few posts and - voilà, become a success story you, my friend, are sadly mistaken. If you want visitors voraciously reading your posts like rabid dogs you have to get out there and make a name for yourself. The important thing to do here is to find key players in your industry, along with people that share your interest, and get noticed. This may sound difficult, but all you have to do is to think about what your goals are. You’re online trying to get noticed and get new visitors to your site, right? So, is everyone else. By giving other people recognition, you’ll end up receiving the same thing. How to do it? It’s easy. Start following people on Twitter – and then take it one step further. Respond to their tweets, visit their fan page, comment on their blogs. Pretty much start stalking people – but in a good way.

Tip #3 – Um.. Use Keywords

When you first start out blogging you can’t expect to appear in the top of the search engines. As a matter of fact, you probably won’t even be close, at least not at first. Search traffic is the holy grail of website traffic, so even though you can’t expect too much traffic from the search engines (at first), you should structure your posts with SEO in mind. Have a purpose for each post. Be sure to include your keyword in the title, url, image tags, and body of your post. Keep it natural though.

Tip #4 – Embrace Social Media

Search and social are becoming nearly one and the same. You really can’t talk about one without including the other. You have to learn how to use social media as a tool for both research and networking. Twitter, Facebook, and Google+ are now your allies. Not only should you be using social media to stay up on industry trends and connecting with peers, you should also be using it to share your content.

Tip #5 – Post Regularly

This is often the most difficult part of becoming a successful blogger. Consistency is key. You want to post content regularly to your blog. This will help you in a lot of ways:

• More keyword-rich content for your website (which the search engines love).
• Regular content that you can share across your social media accounts.
• An opportunity to share your expertise, building your reputation as an expert.

In the end, you’ll benefit greatly by blogging for your business. Google loves fresh content. Updating your blog regularly will help pull in traffic and raise your website in the SERPs.

You didn’t think this would be easy, did you?

by Rivalhost

 

Social Media Marketing- Tips to Up Your Game

People are steadily coming to realize the importance of social media and integrating it effectively into ones business and marketing strategy. It's quite rewarding to say the least. Think about these statistics: Facebook has 900 million active users and there are more than 200 million users on Twitter. That is a lot of people and in a nutshell is the reason why you should have a social media strategy! Many people assume that it is highly technical and costly but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's actually pretty simple. The hardest part is simply jumping in and just getting started. I'm not talking about the basic Facebook profile where most people use it to let others know that they are in a complicated relationship, or are "checking into Starbucks" or having Ruth and Chris for dinner. That is not a social media strategy! That is just using Facebook to socialize. That is not our game plan.

 

Social Media First and Foremost

What you must take into account and remember when it comes to a social media strategy is that it takes time and it takes patience. As with every other legitimate business practice, nothing comes over night or with ease. If that were the case, everyone would be a social media success! It takes time to gain followers and credibility and so you want to make sure that you do not become disappointed if it does not happen for you right away. For some it will happen very fast, for others it will not and this is completely normal as it all depends on what the business and profile is all about and how it relates to the masses!

Social Media Must-Do's

You want to make sure that you are posting new updates as often as possible. You want to make sure that these updates are relevant and respectful! You don't want to post things simply for the sake of posting. You must make sure that you are "posting on purpose." As a business person, you never want to post things that may be offensive, derogatory, or sexually offensive. This is a sure way to lose followers in a heartbeat. Keep it professional, informational, inspirational and of course add some character. Post with consistency. Social network users look for updates and so if you are not posting on purpose, you run the risk of losing followers, customers and not being taken seriously.

·         Make it a point to interact with people - acknowledge comments, respond back and "like" other users content. People need to know that you are there and you are real.

 

·         Use interesting and captivating headlines - this grabs attention and speaks to emotions.

 

·         Be versatile especially in the beginning. Don't limit yourself to strictly Facebook, or strictly Twitter, or strictly to your own blog. The only way to expand and gain new followers and customers is to go everywhere that the people are and then hone in on what is working best and most effectively for you after you've tested the waters a bit. Be everywhere in the beginning and then narrow it down to few later.

 

·         Stay up to date. Keep it fresh. Make sure that all of your information is current and keep a current profile image up.

 

·         Create a business page to market your business so that you can add followers. This is not the same as your Facebook profile. A basic profile will limit you in how you can engage people and in the applications that you can take advantage of to engage people. Creating a Facebook PAGE (otherwise known as fan page) is an absolute must.

 

Social Media Don'ts

·         Don't do the Hard Sell. Never do the aggressive hard sell. Buy from me now! Join me now! People hate this. People especially hate this when they don't know you from Adam and this is what a majority of people are doing! This cannot be the complete focus. Only 5% to 10% of your social media strategy should entail "the sale focus." It's better to take a back end approach.

 

·         Do not self promote. People are not interested in hearing you toot your own horn.

 

·         Don't lie or exaggerate. People can typically see through B.S., especially the type of people that you are hoping to attract. Be genuine. Don't say that you are an "expert" in areas that you are not. Don't claim to have made a million dollars when you have not. People appreciate genuine people.

 

Stay abreast on social media and make it a point to read as much as you can and slowly implement new features and strategies into your social media strategy. For the most part, most information is free. If you have money, you can pay someone to assist you with getting your social media strategy going (just ensure that they are qualified to in fact get you the results you desire). If you don't have money, but you have time, invest in reading and learning so that you can begin to take action. There are endless resources available to you on the internet.

Social media is not difficult at all. It is completely up to you to make a decision in your mind to simply begin or to begin to generate results. It's an affordable, superfast way to put your business on the map and begin to build your brand and credibility. Invest some time, money if you have it to spare and begin with these tips. You'll be well ahead of the masses!

 

 

Make Money Online (Without Spending a Dime)

Making money online used to pretty much require you to have your own Web site, products to sell and some marketing savvy. But a new generation of dot-coms have arisen that will pay you for what you know and who you know without you having to be a web designer or a marketing genius.
But it's hard to tell hype from the real deal. I did a search on "make money online" and "making money online", and much of the information out there is just promoting various infoproducts, mostly about Internet marketing. I see why people sometimes ask, "Is anyone making money online besides Internet marketing experts?"
So I put together a list of business opportunities with legitimate companies that:

• Pay cash, not just points towards rewards or a chance to win money
• Don't require you to have your own Web domain or your own products
• Don't involve any hard-selling
• Aren't just promoting more Internet marketing
• Give a good return on your time investment

In the interest of objectivity, none of the links below are affiliate links, and none of them have paid or provided any other consideration for their presence here. These are legitimate companies with business models that allow you to get paid for a wide range of activities.

1:Help friends find better jobs.
Sites like ReferEarns, Zyoin, Who Do You Know For Dough?, and WiseStepp connect employers with prospective employees, many of whom are already employed and not actively job-hunting, via networking - the people who know these qualified candidates. Rewards for referring a candidate who gets hired range from $50 on up to several thousand dollars - not chump change. If you know a lot of job-seekers (and who doesn't these days?), this is a great way to break into the recruiting business with no overhead.

2:Connect suppliers with buyers.
Referral fees are a common practice in business, but they haven't been used much in online networking sites because there was no way to track them. Sites like Salesconx, InnerSell and uRefer now provide that. Vendors set the referral fees they're willing to pay (and for what), and when the transaction happens, you get paid. uRefer also allows merchants to set up referral programs for introductions and meetings, as well as transactions.

3:Write.
A growing number of sites will pay for your articles or blog posts. Associated Content and Helium will "pay for performance" based on page views for just about anything you want to write about. Articles on specific topics they're looking for can earn direct payments up to about $200. The rates are probably low for established writers, but if you're trying to break into the field and have time on your hands, they're a great way to start. Also, a lot of companies are looking for part-time bloggers. They may pay per post or on a steady contract. Our Weblogs Guide posts blogging jobs weekly in the forum.

4:Start your own blog.
You don't have to have your own Web site, or install blogging software, or even figure out how to set up the advertising. At Blogger you can set up a blog for free in less than five minutes without knowing a thing about web design, and Blogger even automates setting up Google AdSense so you can make money off your blog by displaying ads and getting paid when people click on the ads. To make even more money from it, set up an affiliate program (see below) for books, music, etc., and insert your affiliate links whenever you refer to those items. You'll have to get a lot of traffic to become a six-figure blogger, but pick an interesting topic, write well, tell all your friends, and you're off to a good start.

4:Create topical resource hubs.
Are you an expert on a particular niche topic? Can you put together an overview of the topic and assemble some of the best resources on the topic from around the web? Then you can create topical hubs and get paid through sites like Squidoo, HugPages and Google Knol. Payments are based on a combination of ad revenue and affiliate fees. You'll get higher rates doing it on your own, but these sites have a built-in supply of traffic and tools to make content creation easier.

5:Advertise other people's products.
If you already have a Web site or a blog, look for vendors that offer related but non-competing products and see if they have an affiliate program. Stick to familiar products and brands - they're easier to sell. To promote those products:

• Place simple text or graphical ads in appropriate places on your site
• Include links to purchase products you review or recommend in a blog, discussion forum or mailing list you control
• Create a dedicated sales page or Web site to promote a particular product

They all work - it just depends on how much time you have to spend on it and your level of expertise with Web design and marketing.

6:Microstock photography.
You don't have to be a professional photographer to sell your photos for money. People are constantly in need of stock photography for websites, presentations, brochures and so on, and are willing to pay for the right image. People generally search for images on stock photography sites by keywords, not by photographer, so you have the same chance as anyone else of having your image picked. Just be careful that you don't have images of trademarked brands, copyrighted art or people's faces that are readily identifiable (unless you have a model release), but just about anything else is fair game, and I promise - you'd be amazed what people need pictures of, so don't make any assumptions. If it's a decent photo, upload it. Some sites to get you started include Fotolia, ShutterStock, Dreamstime and iStockphoto. The great thing about this is that it's truly "set it and forget it".

The above list is by no means comprehensive, but it highlights some of the new and interesting ways to make money online without investing any money, without having a product of your own, and without having expert sales and marketing skills. Most of all, unlike taking surveys or getting paid to read e-mail, the potential return on your time investment is substantial.

By Scott Allen

Article source: http://entrepreneurs.about.com/od/homebasedbusiness/a/makemoneyonline.htm