Secrets of Successful Ezines
Minicourse Part #4

Text, PDF or HTML?

There are really three essential keys to a successful ezine: content, formatting and marketing results.

This part of the minicourse on ezines is all about the formatting of your ezine, and as they say in Hollywood, looking good is everything.

When it comes to professional ezines, however, the most important component is the content. Without good meat, people will unsubscribe, or at best delete your messages and never forward them on to friends and colleagues. Your subscribership will not grow.

Even with good content, however, many people will not read your messages if they are poorly formatted, difficult to read, too much print and not enough white space, or look long and tedious.

HTML

HTML messages are those where the email message has color, bolded fonts to highlight subheadings, and graphic images such as logos, photos and clip art. They are easier to read and can look very attractive. You need a professional to design a template for you, unless you know HTML coding or have special software and can do it yourself. You can also use standard templates offered by many of the email distribution companies.

Getting HTML properly formatted can be tricky. Some people with older computers will not be able to read them. Your HTML ezine can show up as garbled code in some of your readers’ inboxes.

There are ways to avoid these problems. Yet because they are one more hurdle in getting your readers to read messages, some professionals choose not to send out their ezines in HTML.

Text

Even text email messages have to be formatted properly. If you type it directly from your email software, for example Outlook, you cannot know how it will show up in your recipients’ inboxes, especially if they use different email software or have Mac computers.

Text email messages have to be in what is called plain text, i.e., no bolding, italics, bulleted lists. It should be created in a Notepad program rather than the usual Word Doc. It should only have about 55-65 characters per line, and this has to be either entered visually or formatted automatically by using a free service such as www.formatit.com.

When using plain text, use extra line spaces and short paragraphs. This makes it easier to read on line.

Break up your messages with subheadings. Since these can’t be bolded, use lines to set them apart, like this:

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subheading
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

**********************************************
Subheading
**********************************************

Or, use any other key to make a line:

———————————————–

PDF’s

PDF’s are read-only files. They offer many creative possibilities for newsletters and ezines. You have to have Adobe Acrobat software to create them, and readers have to be able to read the files using the free reader software available online. Most people have Adobe Reader, but to be safe you can offer the link to download it for free.

The disadvantage to PDF’s are they have to be sent as an attachment and some email distribution system don’t allow attachments. You can go around this problem by sending out a brief synopsis of your ezine with a link to read the full article or ezine where it is posted on your web site. This also drives traffic to your site. This extra step may cause some readers to put it off and never read it.

Subject lines

This is why the title of your ezine and subject line is so important. If it is catchy and interesting people will click to read it even when pressed for time. Using their first name and a question is often effective. Many distribution systems allow you to put the subscriber’s first name into the subject line.

Need more information on how to format your ezine? We have it in our e-book, Secrets of Successful Ezines. You can download it here, for a small fee that is well-worth it!

Need help on formatting? You are in luck! Email Elge Premeau, the ezine ‘texpert’, at elgep@e-marketingstrategist.com.

Patsi Krakoff
patsi@customizednewsletters.com

Secrets of Successful Ezines
Minicourse #3

What You Need to Know BEFORE Starting Your Ezine

Yes, you can start right now, write 500 words and email it to all the people on your email list. Bingo, you’ve got an ezine published. It can be that easy and simple.

But stop and think for a minute. What happens when your list becomes too large, more than a couple hundred subscribers? Do you want to have to enter and remove subscriber requests yourself each time?

What if you want to create a graphic design and include your logo and photo into your ezine? How do you do that?

In the next couple of lessons from the ebook The Secrets of Successful Ezines, we will reveal what you need to know from the very start of your ezine. If you don’t make the right decisions from the beginning, you will lose subscribers as you grow because you will probably have to change distribution services along the way.

Every time you switch distribution methods, you have to ask your subscribers to re-confirm their subscription, and many people won’t do it because of email overload.

Here are the questions you need to answer before setting up your ezine with a distribution service (yes, even the free ones).

1. How many subscribers do I have now, and how many do I believe I will have in 2-5 years?

2. How often will I write and publish my ezine? (Depends on readers’ and your preferences).

3. What is the desired length of my ezine? (Relates to frequency and to your readers’ preferences).

4. How will my readers want to receive my ezine: in plain text, rich text, PDF or HTML? Will I send out a brief email with a link to the full article on my web?

5. Will I give my readers a choice of which format they prefer?

6. Do I have a virtual assistant to manage my subscription list or will I want this done for me automatically?

7. Do I have an effective welcome message each time a new person signs up?

8. Can I post my ezine on my web site or do I have someone who can do this for me?

9. Do I have someone who can create my web page sign up forms, or do I want my distribution system to create these forms for me?

10. If I want to use a graphic version of my ezine, do I want to use my logo and colors similar to my web site, do I have someone who can create a template for me, or do I want to use a standard, generic template created by one of the services.

11. Do I want to write all my content myself, use other people’s content, buy content and revise it for myself, interview people, use Q & A’s, and/or book reviews?

12. Do I want to submit my ezine to directories and my articles to content sites, or do I want a system or a v.a. to do this for me?

13.  How will I grow my subscriber list?

14.  What actions do I want my subscribers to take upon reading my ezine?

15.  How will I track open rates when I send out my ezine?

16.  Do I want to pre-load my ezines into an autoresponder that delivers them automatically every month or week, or do I want to keep them timely and spontaneous by broadcasting them at a certain date each month or week?

The answers to these questions will help you decide which distribution system will meet your needs now and in the future.

And, on top of all that…!

As you can see, there is a lot that goes into creating a successful ezine, one that grows the number of subscribers, one that reflects you and your professional services, one that gets delivered in a professional manner on a regular basis.

On top of all the planning for your ezine, you must keep in mind the primary purpose for doing an ezine: creating value for your readers and getting business results!

If any of these tasks seem overwhelming, do not despair. There is help available and user-friendly systems have sprung up everywhere you look.

A start would be hiring an ezine coach, taking an ezine teleclass, and buying an ezine how-to book.

Hey there, we just happened to have all three of these solutions for you!

Click here to buy your copy of Secrets to Successful Ezines, where many of the top ezine publishers share the history of their ezines, which systems they have used, what mistakes they made along the way, and how they grew their ezines from 50 to 5,000 and even 20,000 readers in a few short years. Buy HERE.

For ezine help, contact Patsi Krakoff, patsi@customizednewsletters.com
And Elge Premeau, Elgep@e-marketingstrategist.com.

For upcoming teleclasses, go to www.teledevelop.com.

Click here for a comparison chart on ezine distribution systems (a steal at $9.95).

Here’s to better ezines in 2005!

Patsi

Secrets of Successful Ezines
Lesson #2:

Before you Begin:
Getting Clear

If you are by nature a writer, you will struggle less with writing and publishing an ezine. If you aren’t, here is some good news!

Most professionals are good at what they do—they’ve been educated and trained and have honed their skills with experience. Why should they struggle when it comes to putting some of what they know into a newsletter or ezine?

Here’s a few reasons our clients tell us they struggle with writing their ezines:

Fear of running out of something to say
Fear of giving too much information away.
Fear of not writing well
Fear of appearing too promotional or phony

These fears are actually unreal, but can feel very real at the time one sits down and tries to write copy.

Here’s what helps:

Get clear on you’re the core reasons for doing an ezine.

1. What is your higher purpose? This is the reason you have chosen to become a professional in your chosen field. What drives you to do what you do?

2. What is your business objective? Besides being in your profession for deep motivational reasons and a higher purpose, you are probably trying to make money and thrive doing what you love to do. What do you want your ezine to do for your business?

3. Who is your ideal reader (client)? If you have a clear picture of who your readers are and what their needs are, you can write content they would value.

When you are clear on why you are doing your ezine, the words will flow easily.

You won’t fear not having enough to say, because it is an expression of who you are.

You won’t fear giving away too much information, because you know that people will still need your services to implement your advice.

You won’t fear not writing well, because you will be writing from your heart. You will be writing to your ideal client, your ideal reader and will have a clear picture of who that is. Your writing will be personal, as if writing an email message to a client you already know.

You won’t fear sounding phony or promotional, because you realize people need and want your services. You are simply letting them know who you are and that you are there to help them—and how they can know more about you. You are being authentic without sounding promotional.

To read more about the Top Ten Mistakes Professionals Make with Ezines, click here to buy the ebook Secrets of Successful Ezines.

We have included many sample ezines you can learn from and have included pages of interviews from people who have created and grown their ezine subscription rates from 50 to 20,000 in just a few years. Click here to read more about why you should buy this important guide to writing an ezine that gets results.

“See” you soon!

Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D.
www.CustomizedNewsletters.com

Elge Premeau
www.E-MarketingStrategist.com

Secrets to Successful Ezines
Mini course #1

Why You REALLY Need an Ezine!

You probably already know that you should write and publish an email newsletter or ezine to market your services. You may not really understand why.

Well, who wouldn’t want to see their name in print, along with their photo, logo and a promotional blurb about how great you and your services are! After all, there is power in the written word.

But apart from the ego-boosting, here’s what an effective ezine does for you:

1. Keeps in touch with clients and prospects

2. Builds customer relationships

3. Establishes credibility

4. Creates trust

5. Shows your expertise

6. Reveals your philosophies and shows how much you care

7. Creates emotional bonds with readers

8. Drives traffic to your web site

9. Pre-qualifies leads (separates those who might want to hire you from those who don’t)

10. Sells your products and services (books, e-books, workshops, e-courses, coaching and consulting)

How Is an Ezine Like a Ham Sandwich?

Think of your ezine like making a ham sandwich: the meat is placed between two pieces of bread!

First you have to decide about what kind of bread: white, wheat or rye (plain text, PDF or HTML formatting?). This will make your ezine look good enough to read (or not…!)

Then comes the meaty content. This will fill your reader up and make them crave more…or not!

Then the dressing and condiments: what action do you want your readers to take?

Serving up your sandwich can be done to look like it comes from a cheap diner or a 4-star restaurant. When sending your ezine, a reliable distribution service is important.

But remember, a good sandwich is still a good sandwich no matter how it looks; so make sure you deliver rich, meaty content of value to your readers. You want them coming back for more!

Shameless Ebook Promotion!

Of course! What kind of experts would we be, if we didn’t tell you that all this information comes in a meaty ebook available to download? And it’s only $47 for the next couple of weeks.

Seriously, we want you to take the next steps toward creating an ezine that gets results. All the details of how to write, format, distribute and get results from your ezine are in the ebook Secrets of Successful Ezines available for purchase here.

If you don’t think you’ll need all these details, with the how-to steps, just keep reading the rest of the mini course delivered to you here in the next week.

Next mini-course: The Basics

1.  Write well (even if you aren’t by nature a writer)

2.  Common mistakes professionals make with ezines (and how to avoid them)

“See” you!

Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D.
www.CustomizedNewsletters.com

Elge Premeau
www.E-MarketingStrategist.com

What should you put into your bio when you are writing an article or your ezine?

Traditionally, writers include their education and experience, establishing credibility for themselves as experts in their field. The bio blurb is all about them.

Those writers who are doing online articles and ezines and who are more marketing-savvy, however, know that even their bio should keep the reader in mind. Even this part should address the question readers ask themselves when they read: “What’s in this for me?”

So instead of leading with statements about yourself, why not lead with a question that addresses the concerns of your readers?

Most writers are from the old school. When a client signs up for my newsletter services, they submit their graphic logos, professional photos and marketing message or bio for the front page of their custom-designed newsletter.

I get these 150-word bios that are all about the writer. For two paragraphs, they try to put as much of their accomplishments into a small space. However impressive these accomplishments may be, they are missing the boat.

One new client sent me this question about writing a bio in the new internet marketing-savvy style:

Patsi, can you send me a couple of sample bios that address a reader’s needs (as you’re recommending that I do) or send me to a few websites that incorporate this style bio so I can get a better feel for how it’s written. Thanks, Linda Yaffe, Working Matters

You know, I don’t have any really good examples to show you. Wish we did, but most of our subscribers are traditional and don’t reflect new marketing styles. I should write an article about this. Here are the basics:

Establish in your mind what you can do for your ideal client/readers.

What will they get out of reading your ezine, or signing up for your services?

What problem will you solve for them?

How will you make their life/work more comfortable? More efficient? More profitable?

Appeal to their emotions, their feelings, their humanity, their values more than to their knowledge or expertise.

Establish some credibility for yourself, who you are, what you’ve done.

Establish yourself as an expert.

Create trust by being mindful of the readers’ needs and wants

Write clearly, simply, and concisely.

Share something personal if you can, such as where you live, a hobby, family members and/or pets.

And, always be honest and real. People are attracted to authenticity whatever that may be. No hype, show your humanity.

I hope this helps when you go to write your bio.

Patsi

P.S. I wouldn’t be worth my salt if I didn’t practice what I preach, would I!

Here is my own sample bio:

Do you struggle with your ezine?

Which of these tasks do you find most time-consuming and painful:
Writing?
Formatting?
Sending?

Patsi Krakoff is a recovering psychologist/ coach/ writer/ ezine evangelist who can save you time, energy and money by doing some of these tasks for you. Her company, Customized Newsletter Services, provides quality articles, formatting and distribution services for professional services such as business, executive and life coaches, therapists, other health care professionals, trainers and consultants.

She is author of the ebook, Secrets of Successful Ezines, and of many articles available for use in your ezines and newsletters. Visit www.customizednewsletters.com and www.coachezines.com, a blog about better ezines.

She lives in San Diego where she plays tennis, coaches her two cats Huey and Dewey, and partners with husband Rob in creating a fun life.