| A Guide To
Increasing Your Subscriber Base Are you finding that the growth of
subscribers to your ezine is just not meeting your expectations?
Some ezine publishers are able to build large subscriber lists rapidly by using current
customer mailing lists and inviting those customers to receive their Internet newsletter.
If your business is new, your website is new, and your budget is tight - your results will
not be the same as those of an established company. And - that's OK!
If you are starting at ground zero, remember that it takes time and effort to build a
quality list. Don't get discouraged and stop now; instead, follow the items listed under
these three steps.
=> Step 1: Preparation
=> Step 2: Action
=> Step 3: Follow-Up
STEP 1: PREPARATION
During the course of your ezine promotion, you will be registering your ezine in
directories, search engines, classified ads and announcement services. This registration
process will require you to complete a a variety of forms.
By taking the time to write these descriptions before you start promoting, you will
present your newsletter in a consistent and well written manner.
=> You will need descriptions of your ezine in 3 sizes. 25, 50 and 100 words.
Most submission forms will ask for a description of your ezine. This description will be
used over and over, so spend a little time to make it concise and precise.
Example:
ACME NEWS is a monthly newsletter serving ambitious coyotes in the desert. We strive to
provide valuable and practical information about our new gadgets for catching roadrunners.
=> Write the instructions to subscribe to your ezine.
To subscribe to ACME NEWS put BEEPBEEP in the SUBJECT line of an email to
wileycoyote@acme.com.
=> Create another signature file with your subscribe
instructions in it.
==========================================
Wiley Coyote, Editor, ACME NEWS
Stay up-to-date on the latest gadgets. Read our ezine. To
subscribe to ACME NEWS put BEEPBEEP in the SUBJECT of an
email to wileycoyote@acme.com.
=========================================
STEP 2: ACTION
 List Of Directories
Submit your ezine to these directories. Read the submission instructions at each site to
ensure compliance. Some of these directories are specialized based on type of distribution
software or other guidelines.
E-ZineZ
A searchable ezine Directory
http://www.e-zinez.com
EzineSeek
Categorized and searchable directory of ezines
http://www.ezineseek.com
The John Labovitz's Ezine List
http://www.meer.net/~johnl/e-zine-list/
The Ultimate Magazine Database
http://www.infojump.com
Ezines Today
Click on the Free Subscriptions link for instructions to
submit your ezine.
http://www.ezine-news.com
eZINESearch
http://www.ezinesearch.com
The List
http://www.liszt.com/
Questfinder Search Engine with category for ezines
http://www.questfinder.com/
Do It Yourself
DIY Search is committed to helping and enhancing the DIY
community, as it pertains to the web.
http://www.diysearch.com/
The Internet Mailing List Network
http://www.listsnet.com/
The List of Lists by Vivian
http://catalog.com/vivian/intsubform2.html
The ListTool
Only if you use Listserv, Listproc and Majordomo lists
http://listtool.com/cgi/listTool/addList.cgi
What's New Too Submit - Announcement List
http://nu2.com/submit.html
Tile Net
TILE.NET is a project of Lyris Technologies, Inc.
http://tile.net/lists/
http://tile.net/lists/addlist.html
Web Loft Publishing
A Resource Directory for Doing Business Online - Add your
ezine in the Ezine Category.
http://www.webloft.com
HandiLinks
The Internet Publications subcategory is under the Internet
category.
http://www.ahandyguide.com
http://www.ahandyguide.com/addedit.htm
Web-Star
Submit to any one of the categories as appropriate for your
website and ezine.
http://web-star.com/exclusives.html
http://web-star.com/newpage/newpage.html
Get Published:
http://www.published.com/add/
New List
Announcements
Announce your new ezine at the sites listed below. Review
the submission samples at each site before submitting your
announcement. Look at other submissions and follow their
examples.
New List from List-Universe
http://www.new-list.com
The New List
http://scout.cs.wisc.edu/scout/new-list/
NewJour
http://gort.ucsd.edu/newjour/subscribe.html
Promote Your Ezine On Your Website
Remember to include a link for your visitors to subscribe to your ezine on every page of
your website.
Current Subscriber Referrals
An often overlooked method of adding subscribers, is the use
of online referrals from your current readers. Here's one
easy way to put this idea in action.
In every issue of your ezine, ask your readers to forward
the ezine to one other person. A personal recommendation
from one of your readers will often result in a visit to
your website or a subscription from the person receiving the
forwarded copy. This is another reason to put subscribe
information in your newsletter.
Go
Get Them
Don't wait for your subscribers to find you in a directory,
or on a list. Go to them. Do you know where your readers
hang-out online? Are you participating in email discussions
and forums about your topic?
==> Jump in and answer some of those questions.
==> Offer solutions to problems.
==> Be friendly and courteous.
By following these three simple steps, you can establish
yourself as professional, knowledgeable and approachable.
Put your new signature file to work for you when responding
to mailing lists. And don't forget to put a link to your
site in your forum postings.
=> Let Other Ezines Help You
Do you know what other ezines your target market reads?
Subscribe to ezines with topics similar to yours and
discover what the competition is doing. Identify what is and
what isn't working, and then use that information to improve
your newsletter.
==> Write articles and submit them to other ezines for
publication.
Your participation in mailing lists and forums will provide
you with a steady stream of pertinent ideas for articles
that are of interest to your audience.
How to get your articles published? Each week E-ZineZ News
Wire sends out a newsletter to subscribers looking for free
content to publish in their ezine. An easy way to get your
article in front of many publishers is to submit your
articles to E-ZineZ News Wire using the form at
http://www.ezinez.com/freecontent.
Submit your articles to The Content Catalog Gallery (a database of articles from
authors around the web) at E-ZineZ.
http://www.ezinez.com/writers.html
==> Apply for ezine reviews and awards.
E-ZineZ Excellence Award
http://www.e-zinez.com/eaward.htm
Ezineseek Choice Ezine
Given every two weeks to an outstanding email newsletter.
http://www.ezineseek.com
List-A-Day
Each day a featured email list is sent to all subscribers
and posted on the main page at List-A-Day.
http://List-A-Day.com/
==> Swap ad space with other publishers.
Many ezine publishers offer to swap ad space with other publishers.
Gary Knuckles of Promote Free has started an Ezine-Swap Newsletter. Are you tired of
writing ezines, lists, and site owners trying to find ones that will swap ads? NO More!
Just subscribe to Ezine-Swap for a weekly list of others who also want to swap ads to
increase subscribers or swap links to increase visitors. Of course by being a subscriber
you also can post your listing to communicate with others that want to swap too.
http://www.promotefree.com/eswap.htm
==> Advertise your ezine in other ezines.
If you are going to develop any type of ezine advertising plan, you need to run, not walk,
to the Directory of Ezines. Using this database, you can search for ezines that fit your
advertising criteria.
http://www.lifestylespub.com
=> Get Off The Net And Network, Network, Network
There is a great big world out there that is still offline most of the time!
Do you talk about your online presence in the offline world? Are you telling customers,
clients, friends, and associates about your Internet newsletter?
=> The Usual Suspects
Gifts, pens, mousepads, coffee cups, business cards, etc. Have instructions for
subscribing to your newsletter printed on everything!
=> Web Cards
Have you seen these yet? They are so fun and effective! Web Cards are postcards with a
picture of your website. Visit them at http://www.printing.com.
On the back of the card, write a headline and announce your website
address. Write another headline to promote your FREE online newsletter and include
subscribe instructions. Do you send out invoices? Great, that means you have customers.
Send a Web Card with information about your ezine and how to subscribe to it in each
envelope with the invoice.
Web Cards are also perfect for handing out as business cards, or even sending out in a
direct mail campaign - with a postcard, you don't have to worry about the envelope getting
opened.
=> Join The Ezine Publishers Community
There are many members of the ezine publishing community willing to share their
experiences with others. You can learn a lot by participating in any of these forums or
discussion lists.
Zine Talk
http://www.ezine-publishing.com/bbs
E-Pub
This email publishers discussion list is moderated by Brian
Alt, a leader in the Ezine publishing field. To subscribe
send a blank email to mailto:epub-subscribe@onelist.com
Online Publishers
To subscribe, send an email to
mailto:op-request@listhost.net?subject=subscribe.
The digest
is published every Monday and Thursday.
http://www.ideastation.com
STEP 3: FOLLOW-UP
Keep track of what kind of results you get after you post ads or write articles. Adopt,
adapt and improve on any ideas that work best for you!
The real secret to building your subscriber base is KEEPING all of your subscribers. The
single most important thing you can do to follow-up with your subscribers is to
consistently produce a quality ezine.
Display your privacy policy.
Make sure your subscribers are not worried about having their e-mail addresses sold or
given away.
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