How To Write An Ezine In Today’s Economy

Newsletters, or Ezines, have always been a great tool for business. I have used several for my businesses over the past few years, and have had a lot of success with them. But in today’s economy, are they still effective? And now when it seems everyone is sending email in greater proportions, can you really gain business with ezines?

Yes. The key to building a great business is to create regular marketing strategies, and use them again and again. Give your prospects and customers what they want, and you’ll be successful.

Whether you’ve been sending ezines for years, or are new to the whole process and are wondering where to begin, let’s look at 7 basic concepts to get you going in the right direction.

1. Setting up your system. Yes, you can create a simple email, and send it to a list you build through your Outlook or other email program. That’s okay with a few subscribers. But it’s not feasible once you have several hundred or even several thousand subscribers. You’ll not only risk shutting down your Outlook, but the server your email account is handled through may also shut you down for spam violations. 

The best way to get started is to set up a newsletter program that makes it easy for you to create your ezine, and keeps you in compliance with spam laws and verifications. I’ve used Aweber for years, and love their service.

2. Speak to your customers. Never write an ezine from your perspective – give your customers what they desire. You may know the technical terms and buzzwords. Yet these may completely frustrate your readers. Give them the information in language they understand and will motivate them to move forward with you.

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Copywriting for eCommerce Sites

When I’m out networking, consulting, or even writing up an article for online use, I always talk about using copy. The search engines love copy, so use as much copy as possible.

But what if you have an eCommerce website that you want photographs for, not copy? 

With an eCommerce website, people want to see the product, not read a ton about it. But you may be surprised at what people are willing to read. On every page of your site you should have:

• The product name
• Model numbers
• Details (weight, size, color, style, etc)
• Features
• Product reviews
• Shipping fees
• Support and service information
• Testimonials

Keep in mind that not all copy has to be right next to the photograph of your product. You have an entire page of real estate – use it wisely.

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What’s In A Title?

What’s the difference between these two titles?

• “Financial Planning”
• “50 Million People Will Never Be Able To Afford Retirement. Are You One Of Them?”

One of them motivates you to read more. One of them provides the curiosity needed to want to invest more time. Human nature is to always make the best decision possible, and act on things that will put you in the best place possible. The purpose of marketing is to draw in that human nature, and walk through a benefits/solution model, and provide the best solution possible – your product or service!

And it all begins with the title to your advertisement or brochure. What about it is going to make me want to read more? The title “Financial Planning” does nothing for me. I know dozens of people that are in the business of financial planning. But the title “50 Million People Will Never Be Able To Afford Retirement. Are You One Of Them?” motivates me to want to read more. Am I one of them? And if so, how can I change that?

Use these three steps to help you generate a title that will draw interest either on your website or in your advertising.

Step One
Start with the end in mind. What do you want your reader or viewer to do? What type of action do you want them to take? Ultimately, your title should grow their curiosity, and make them want to find out more information, even before you describe what you do and what you are offering.

The title “50 Million People Will Never Be Able To Afford Retirement. Are You One Of Them?” accomplishes this task. It makes the reader curious to find out which category he falls into. He’s motivated to keep reading, and to possibly take action.

Step Two
Touch a person’s heartstrings. People only take action on the things they care about. When they have a problem, they search for a solution. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes, and find a reason for them to care.

With the title “50 Million People Will Never Be Able To Afford Retirement. Are You One Of Them?” it’s easy to see how you provide them with a reason to care. I definitely don’t want to be one of the 50 million, so what do I need to do to make sure I’m not?

Step Three
Practice writing your headlines. Marketing is a continual process. Work at creating new titles for your website, advertisements, and other marketing pieces all the time. One of the best places to shop for headlines is in the grocery store checkout line. Take a look at the magazines and newspapers on display. These publications are experts at writing titles, and using them to attract attention. The more attention they cause, the better chance they have of attracting buyers.

Once you’ve created a title, don’t be afraid to play with it and change it periodically. If you have an ad in a monthly magazine, tweak the title every publication. If you are using a title on your website, tweak it every few weeks. Or better yet, use a split testing software that allows you to try out two or more titles at once.

Motivate your visitors and readers with a great solid lead in, and you’ll increase your chances for gaining new clients. And isn’t that what business is really all about?