December 12, 2004
Do these "Santa" deals appeal to you?
Some say this is an extraordinary opportunity to get bargains on products they need.
Some say it's just a ploy by marketers to build a mailing list by giving away products that are given away anyway.
What's your take?
Posted by Charlie at 05:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
December 10, 2004
How to Market with Ezine Articles
Of all the ways that people have invented to sell things over the Internet, writing free articles to run in ezines is perhaps the most effective. One great thing about this method of marketing is that you can do it with NO money. So if you are just starting your Internet marketing career, put away the Visa and warm up that keyboard!
Article marketing may be the perfect way to market. It's free to do. It educates prospects. It gets your message in front of thousands of interested prospects you would NEVER reach otherwise. It's viral. Best of all ... it works!
So what is "article marketing" and how can it impact your world? Glad you asked. ;)
Of all the ways that people have invented to sell things over the Internet, writing free articles to run in ezines is perhaps the most effective. One great thing about this method of marketing is that you can do it with NO money. So if you are just starting your Internet marketing career, put away the Visa and warm up that keyboard!
Article marketing may be the perfect way to market. It's free to do. It educates prospects. It gets your message in front of thousands of interested prospects you would NEVER reach otherwise. It's viral. Best of all ... it works!
So what is "article marketing" and how can it impact your world? Glad you asked. ;)
What we call "article marketing" is simply writing informative articles and having those articles run in ezines. If that sounds hard, it's not. Let's run the numbers for a moment.
There are over 300,000 ezines out there. Estimates say that over 90% of them use free articles in their ezines. That means there is a HUGE market for your articles, no matter what you want to write about.
We like to say it this way. From cat food to Katmandu, there's an ezine out there for everyone. You included.
=====> The Big Picture
The first step is to understand the goal of article marketing. The goal is to write an informative article and have it run in as many TARGETED ezines as possible. When people read the article they see your resource box at the end of the article, click to your website and buy your stuff. They learn something, you make money. Simple.
Notice the emphasis on targeted? Please, please, whatever you do, do not waste an editors time with articles that they don't need. One of the greatest things about the Directory of Ezines is that you can use it to find the perfect ezines for your articles ... fast. Use the DOE, but never spam editors with articles they can't use.
Getting off soapbox now ;)
=====> How to Write the Article
You want to write an informative article about something you know. Once you chose your subject, here's the magic formula for writing the article. Five easy steps.
1. Be yourself. Don't try to write like anyone else. Let your personality shine through.
2. Tell a story. People love to hear an interesting story.
3. Limit yourself to 600 words. This is an ideal length for most ezines. Format your article to 65 characters per line with a hard return at the end of each line.
4. Have a clear opening, make three or five points it the middle, and have a brief conclusion.
5. THIS IS THE BIG ONE. Give the reader a few steps he or she can take to make your idea work for them. Tell them what to do first, second, third to accomplish the task you are writing about.
If the reader can take ACTION based on what you wrote (just like you can now apply this formula to your writing) you will have delivered valuable information to them. Do that and, hopefully, they will keep reading your stuff! ;)
=====> How to Find the Right Ezines
The absolute, 100% effective, surefire way to do this is to use the Directory of Ezines. Sorry, couldn't resist. ;)
Look for ezines that have these three things.
First, the ezine content matches your article content.
Second, the ezine accepts articles.
Third, the reader is someone who would be a good customer for you. Once you nail down those basics you have found the perfect market for your articles.
=====> How to Approach the Editor
The BEST way to approach an editor is this.
1. Subscribe to the ezine.
2. Read a few issues.
3. Write a personal note commenting on what you enjoyed about the issues you read.
4. Offer your article as one that might fit in.
5. Ask to be informed if your article is run.
6. Thank them for their time.
7. Be available if they have questions.
If an editor chooses your article, the odds are they will run your articles in the future as well. Stay in touch and you can develop close relationships with literally hundreds of editors. Remember that each editor represents thousands of readers that you may never reach any other way. Also remember that the editor is a busy person. Keep your email brief.
=====> How to Maximize Your Return on Time Invested
Include a "resource box" at the end of the article. A resource box is where you sell the reader on going to your website, subscribing to your ezine, or taking any other action you want them to take.
Marketing with ezine articles is truly a win-win-win proposition. The publisher wins because he or she gets great free articles. The reader wins because your article is informative and tells them how to accomplish an important task as easy as 1,2,3. You win because hundreds of thousands of readers see your selling message at the end of your article.
All of this with no out-of-pocket costs. Now THAT'S a beautiful thing!
Posted by Charlie at 12:28 PM | Comments (0)
December 09, 2004
How to Market with Ezine Articles
Of all the ways that people have invented to sell things over the Internet, writing free articles to run in ezines is perhaps the most effective. One great thing about this method of marketing is that you can do it with NO money. So if you are just starting your Internet marketing career, put away the Visa and warm up that keyboard!
Of all the ways that people have invented to sell things over the Internet, writing free articles to run in ezines is perhaps the most effective. One great thing about this method of marketing is that you can do it with NO money. So if you are just starting your Internet marketing career, put away the Visa and warm up that keyboard!
Article marketing may be the perfect way to market. It's free to do. It educates prospects. It gets your message in front of thousands of interested prospects you would NEVER reach otherwise. It's viral. Best of all ... it works!
So what is "article marketing" and how can it impact your world? Glad you asked. ;)
What we call "article marketing" is simply writing informative articles and having those articles run in ezines. If that sounds hard, it's not. Let's run the numbers for a moment.
There are over 300,000 ezines out there. Estimates say that over 90% of them use free articles in their ezines. That means there is a HUGE market for your articles, no matter what you want to write about.
We like to say it this way. From cat food to Katmandu, there's an ezine out there for everyone. You included.
=====> The Big Picture
The first step is to understand the goal of article marketing. The goal is to write an informative article and have it run in as many TARGETED ezines as possible. When people read the article they see your resource box at the end of the article, click to your website and buy your stuff. They learn something, you make money. Simple.
Notice the emphasis on targeted? Please, please, whatever you do, do not waste an editors time with articles that they don't need. One of the greatest things about the Directory of Ezines is that you can use it to find the perfect ezines for your articles ... fast. Use the DOE, but never spam editors with articles they can't use.
=====> How to Write the Article
You want to write an informative article about something you know. Once you chose your subject, here's the magic formula for writing the article. Five easy steps.
1. Be yourself. Don't try to write like anyone else. Let your personality shine through.
2. Tell a story. People love to hear an interesting story.
3. Limit yourself to 600 words. This is an ideal length for most ezines. Format your article to 65 characters per line with a hard return at the end of each line.
4. Have a clear opening, make three or five points it the middle, and have a brief conclusion.
5. THIS IS THE BIG ONE. Give the reader a few steps he or she can take to make your idea work for them. Tell them what to do first, second, third to accomplish the task you are writing about.
If the reader can take ACTION based on what you wrote (just like you can now apply this formula to your writing) you will have delivered valuable information to them. Do that and, hopefully, they will keep reading your stuff! ;)
=====> How to Find the Right Ezines
The absolute, 100% effective, surefire way to do this is to use the Directory of Ezines. Sorry, couldn't resist. ;)
Look for ezines that have these three things. First, the ezine content matches your article content. Second, the ezine accepts articles. Third, the reader is someone who would be a good customer for you. Once you nail down those basics you have found the perfect market for your articles.
=====> How to Approach the Editor
The BEST way to approach an editor is this.
1. Subscribe to the ezine. 2. Read a few issues. 3. Write a personal note commenting on what you enjoyed about the issues you read. 4. Offer your article as one that might fit in. 5. Ask to be informed if your article is run. 6. Thank them for their time. 7. Be available if they have questions.
If an editor chooses your article, the odds are they will run your articles in the future as well. Stay in touch and you can develop close relationships with literally hundreds of editors. Remember that each editor represents thousands of readers that you may never reach any other way. Also remember that the editor is a busy person. Keep your email brief.
=====> How to Maximize Your Return on Time Invested
Include a "resource box" at the end of the article. A resource box is where you sell the reader on going to your website, subscribing to your ezine, or taking any other action you want them to take.
Marketing with ezine articles is truly a win-win-win proposition. The publisher wins because he or she gets great free articles. The reader wins because your article is informative and tells them how to accomplish an important task as easy as 1,2,3. You win because hundreds of thousands of readers see your selling message at the end of your article.
All of this with no out-of-pocket costs. Now THAT'S a beautiful thing!
Posted by Charlie at 12:31 PM | Comments (0)
Swap Articles to Get More Subscribers
Most people have heard about doing ad swaps (where two ezine publishers swap ads with each other. But have you ever thought about swapping articles? It's a great way to get content you can trust for your ezine, and a great way to develop a winning relationship with other publishers too.
Here's how to do it.
An article swap is something like an ad swap, only more powerful. The idea of exchanging, or swapping, ads has been around for years. An ad swap is simply when two (or more) publishers exchange ads in each other's publications.
There are many good reasons to do this; including publishers getting more ads in their respective ezines while their advertisers reach a larger audience. A classic win-win.
In some cases publishers swap ads when ad sales are low so their publications look fuller, which can also lead to increased ad sales.
In much the same way publishers can save time and enhance the value of their publication by swapping *articles* in addition to, or instead of, ads. Swapping articles can be a huge win-win for publishers and readers too when done well.
The benefits of running a successful article swap are many. The publisher's writing workload is decreased. Their readers get to hear a fresh voice. Successful article swaps can lead to joint ventures, running solo ads in each other's ezines and more.
If you use your resource box wisely, and readers like your style, you should gain subscribers every time your article is run. In addition, a successful article swap means readers you might not reach otherwise will see your information.
Here are the steps to create a successful article swap, along with some ideas to go deeper and create lasting value for both yourself and the publishers you swap with.
1) Chose your publishers well. While this should be obvious, don't send your articles on duck hunting to publishers of Internet marketing ezines. As with all marketing, the more targeted your approach is the better your results will be.
Use ezine directories or other search tools to find publishers based on the category that best fits your article topic.
POWER TIP: Once you've chosen a publisher, take time to read a couple of issues of their publication. If you can send them an article that reinforces a point they have made to their readers you might just make a friend. If you can't, mention what you admired about their publication in your opening email.
This shows the publisher respect and elevates you out of the group that just email their request using a form letter.
2) Be careful in the opening letter. Let the publisher know your goal is to swap articles, not just have your article published.
Publishers often receive so many article-publishing requests that they filter them for later review. Don't let your request fall into the 'to be read later' pile. Make sure your subject line is clear and to the point. Publishers hate being tricked by a subject that doesn't relate to the actual email message.
POWER TIP: Include the word count and format of your article in your opening letter. (Example: 856 words formatted to 65 characters with hard returns at the end of each line.) This will save publishers time and show them you know your business.
To really impress them, run your article through a spam filter reporting service and let the publisher know your article is clean and won't hinder the delivery of their publication.
3) Use an autoresponder for the article itself. Don't send the article in your article swap request. Set up the article in an autoresponder instead so that publishers can get the article if they want it. This way you will know who is interested by watching the requests to the autoresponder.
Your message will be shorter (some people filter mail based on length of message) and you will appear more professional too.
4) Offer to combine an ad swap with an article swap. Don't make the article swap contingent on swapping ads or it will seem like blackmail.
Do offer to extend the arrangement to include ads, if appropriate for you, in order to save yourself and the other publisher's time.
Getting both ads and articles in one email means less administrative work for all publishers involved. And that's a good thing.
5) Send publishers a courtesy copy. While it's important to be clear in your communications about when their article will run in your publication, it shows style to send them a courtesy copy. If they offer to subscribe to your ezine, that's great. If not, be sure to send them a copy when their article is published.
For added power, forward a copy of any feedback sent to you after the article runs. These little things are how relationships are formed.
One last tip; after you do a few successful article swaps with a publisher offer them a multi-part series. These series are perfect for when publishers want to go on vacation.
All publishers live under time pressure. If your series can fill their article needs for three weeks while they are gone and save them time too you'll have a winner.
Article swaps are a powerful way to get your information seen by a broader audience, develop new relationships with publishers and more. Best of all, very few people are doing them now so doing this now will make you a trendsetter!
While anyone can spew out a few hundred emails with an offer for an article swap, the more personal and targeted your requests are the more success you will have, plus you will make lasting friendships in the process.
When that happens you will be in a league of your own.
Posted by Charlie at 12:27 PM | Comments (0)
December 07, 2004
The Sweet "Peas" of Ezine Success
Here's an article from late 2003 that is as true today as the day it was written. Think email marketing is dead? Think again!
As 2003 draws to a close, it's easy to see that email and ezine marketing have been under attack. Who are the attackers?
Some are the unethical marketers who flood our inboxes with messages we don't want, creating a perception that things are just out of control. Some are legislators who want to make a name for themselves by grand-standing that they are going to "fix the problem".
Some are industry insiders who have an agenda that works best if email marketing goes away. And some are the big email marketers, who want to eliminate competition and consolidate the business for themselves.
Some are even proclaiming (quite loudly) "email marketing is dead!"
Happily, that assertion is completely wrong. Here's why.
Email marketing, and by extension ezine marketing since ezines are delivered via email, will continue to be strong in 2004 for these three simple reasons. I like to call them "The Sweet P's of Ezine Success".
1. Ezines are Profitable. The trend in Internet marketing today is Joint Ventures. We've all heard about joint ventures until we're blue in the face. But what is a Joint Venture other than a new and effective use of email marketing?
Most JVs concentrate on the person who has a product they want promoted "Joint Venturing" with someone who has a powerful opt-in list.
In 2002, this was called a solo ad. In 2003 it was renamed "Joint Venture" and everyone began selling eBooks on the subject. The right JV can be very successful, but let's see it for what it really is … email marketing.
2. Ezines are Personal. How many times have you heard that "people buy from people they trust."? Well, it's completely true. Everyone online tries to create, or convey, credibility on his or her web site. But there is only so much one can do with a web site.
Only email marketing, with its ability to deliver personal messages over a period of time, can let your prospective customers hear your message in your voice, and on your schedule. And hearing your voice is what it's all about.
Success online is not the ability to successfully imitate someone else. It's the ability to let customers connect with you, and in so doing begin to respect and trust you and the products you offer or recommend.
3. Ezines are Proactive. Today, talk of blogs (web logs that act as sort of an online diary) taking the place of ezines is common. While blogs are fine, and an important part of a comprehensive marketing campaign, they are not as effective as ezines because the reader has to go TO the blog to get information.
In today's world people don't have enough time. With literally billions of websites out there, what are the chances that someone will remember to go to a particular blog? Not likely.
Some things don't change. People subscribe to ezines that deliver timely information they can use to make their lives better. People don't join a newsletter and then say, "Oh darn, there's that pesky ezine again. I wish they would stop that!" No, they do what you did.
Having chosen to join an ezine, you look forward to each issue, see the subject line in your email program, open it and read information that interests you.
4. Ezines are Powerful
An interested audience, choosing to read information that they asked to receive that makes a difference in their real world. Now, that's marketing power. And when your message (whether an ad or an article) appears in publications that fit this description, you win every time. That's why ezine marketing works so well.
5. Ezines are Persuasive
The online world is much like the offline world. How many times do you buy the first thing you see from the first person who offers it to you? Most of us need to see an offer more than once to feel that we're making an informed opinion.
Ezines, with their regular delivery schedule, are the perfect way to make your case over time.
6. Ezines are Precise
You've heard the term "target marketing"? Well, nothing on the Net is more targeted than ezines. Even Pay Per Click (although excellent) can't target as well as ezines since search terms can be very broad.
If you want precision marketing, you want ezines.
Yes, I'm an advocate of ezines, and happily so for one very important reason.
EZINES WORK ... they produce results.
And results is what all great marketing is all about.
While I respect every voice, even those with whom I seriously disagree, the facts speak for themselves. The market and technology have combined to beat back every serious attack on the email marketing business.
The bad people will not win.
The spammers will not prevail.
Those who use email marketing wisely and responsibly can look forward to a very bright future indeed. As the economy improves, the outlook for email marketing in 2004 and beyond has never been brighter.
Posted by Charlie at 03:09 PM | Comments (0)
Making Digital Lemonade
You have probably heard the saying "When life give you lemons, make lemonade!"
I believe that one of the keys to success in any situation, business or personal, online or offline, is the "can-do" spirit epitomized by that saying. People who overcome problems are the people who rule the world.
What about your online business? How do you make lemonade when the Internet hands you lemons in the form of emails that bounce, pages that don't display, and more?
I'm glad you asked. ;)
You have probably heard the saying "When life give you lemons, make lemonade!"
I believe that one of the keys to success in any situation, business or personal, online or offline, is the "can-do" spirit epitomized by that saying. People who overcome problems are the people who rule the world.
What about your online business? How do you make lemonade when the Internet hands you lemons in the form of emails that bounce, pages that don't display, and more?
I'm glad you asked. ;)
Here are three things you can do today that will make a serious difference in your online business, and help you turn lost files, 404 errors and more into digital lemonade.
=====> 1. Prepare for mistakes
No matter how hard we work or carefully we plan, mistakes happen. We rush to get the sales letter just right and then put the wrong URL in the ad that goes out. Or you name the page .htm and not .html, and it won't display.
Or a million other things that humble us and remind us that, after all, we're only human.
The good news is that you can prepare for these common mistakes, and minimize the impact they have on your business.
Here are two things to do today that will help when things go wrong.
#1 Have more than one host. Some hosting runs under $10 a *year*. Having a second hosting company means that you can change the DNS settings on your site in the event that your primary host lets you down or goes out of business. In just 24 to 48 hours the change will be effective, and you will be back in business.
#2 Keep a copy of your website on your machine. This one is big. And you'd be surprised how many people don't do it. Always keep a full copy of your site, and your mailing lists, on your computer as a backup. When a web server crashes things get lost, and sometimes all you get is "sorry".
=====> 2. Be open and honest when things go wrong.
Life happens. When a mistake occurs simply send a message to your list, or post a message on your site, stating the mistake and apologizing for the inconvenience.
Over the years I've made a ton of mistakes, but they haven't cost me because I responded quickly and was transparent about the situation.
NOTE: Some marketers are now sending an Oops message (You know - Oops, I sent the wrong link.) after every selling email. While this second email might make more sales, over time it will make them look bad and *cost* sales. Not a good strategy.
=====> 3. Turn mistakes into opportunities.
There are two great ways to do this. And both are free.
First, create a custom error page that visitors see when a mistake happens. It's super easy to do and can pay *big* dividends.
Here's an example I created this morning. This link is not valid and creates the infamous "File not found - 404" error. But look at how much more useful this page is than the standard message.
http://www.directoryofezines.com/ajejuue
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SUPER HOT TIP: Add your subscription box or offer a free download on your custom error page. You'll be surprised at how many more sales you make over time this way.
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Here's a great site I found this morning which shows how to create a custom 404 page. It's the process I used.
http://www.plinko.net/404/custom.asp
Second, create a standard email that is sent to everyone who emails you. We all deal with bounced email and many of us change addresses occasionally. But what do you do with that old address?
Since a picture is better than a thousand words, and since Rosalind Gardner does this better than anyone I know, I've put her email on a web page for you to see. This works for her and it will work for you as well.
http://www.directoryofezines.com/rosalind-email.htm
No matter how hard we work, things will sometimes go wrong. This is the Internet, and computers, after all. What really matters is how we respond when things happen, and how prepared we are in the meantime.
With a little preparation you can turn the lemons that the World Wide Web hands you into digital lemonade. In the case of a custom 404 page, you might actually make a profit when people can't find pages on your web site!
And that's a beautiful thing indeed!
Posted by Charlie at 01:24 PM | Comments (1)