Archive for Writing Better Ezines – Page 5

Recipe For an Ezine: Find Ideas for Content

By Patsi Krakoff
Friday, February 9th, 2007

Ideaguy Here are a few ideas on where to find ideas for writing content for your ezine:

1. Burning desires: what rocks your boat, gets you steamed up, energizes you?
2. What are your readers’ pain points?
3. What are others talking/writing about?
4. Any good resources you’ve found that can help readers?
5. Use Google Alerts for key topics
6. Interview experts
7. Review a book you’re reading
8. Common questions your clients ask you
9. Emails clients send you; include both positive and negative ones
10. Share a big mistake you’ve made and how others can avoid it
11. Share a personal story and then relate it to your readers’ and clients’ situations
12. Definitions of words or terms
13. Run a poll and report on results (good list builder)
14. Run a contest (also a good list builder)

What are other content ideas? I like to think of growing “content antennae:” by being aware and sensitive to my environment, I can pick up ideas for writing every few minutes. However, you need a clear, receptive state of mind to do this.

Hit the comment link below and share other ways to spark your writing.

Related posts:
Ingredient #4: Writing Useful Content, part 1
Ingredient #3: Writing Email Subject Lines
Ingredient#2: Clarity of Purpose
Ingredient #1: Naming Your Ezine
Main Article: Recipe for An Ezine- Should You Publish an Ezine?

Categories : Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, Writing Better Ezines

Recipe For an Ezine: Write Useful Content

By Patsi Krakoff
Thursday, February 8th, 2007

Newspaperbeingread Ingredient #4: Write Valuable Information Readers Can Use (part 1)

Content is King AND Queen on the Web. Your first contact with Internet visitors is most likely when they land on your website, blog, one of your articles, or a landing page you’ve written. Your words act as doorman, receptionist, host, and sales team.

How you write and what you say is responsible for first and lasting impressions with a prospect. So how do you write valuable content for your ezine?

Marketing Sherpa, a leading email and web analytics firm, has done tests on email effectiveness. Here’s what President Anne Holland reports on one such test: “My favorite result — copy writing really, really matters. The top three best ROI tests were more to do with words (copy, offer, subject line) than they were with design or graphics.”

Here are 10 short tips for writing good content:

1. The reader comes first; address their pain, their wants, their challenges.
2. Break your writing into short sentences, make shorter paragraphs, and use subtitles.
3. Use simple words in place of longer, more sophisticated words; avoid technical jargon and insider phrases and acronyms; don’t be afraid to use emotionally strong words.
(NOTE: Use the test for readability in Microsoft Word under [Spelling and Grammar] [Options] [Show readability statistics] and make sure you are writing at a about an 8th grade level.)

Read More→

Categories : Email Marketing Tips, Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, Writing Better Ezines

Recipe for an Ezine: Email Subject Lines

By Patsi Krakoff
Thursday, February 8th, 2007

Ingredient #3: Email Subject Line: Clear, Clever, and Compelling

Exxtra_read_all_about_it_1 Creating a good ezine article title or email subject line is probably more important than the actual content, given that so few readers (11%) actually read the entire content of emailed newsletters. Most readers scan, making the headline and subheadings very important. In the context of an ezine, the headline can be both the email subject line and the title of your articles.  In both cases, you want to compel the reader to first open your email and second, read your article.

The best headlines are those that start a story, make a shocking statement, tease a bit, offer a benefit or prepare the reader for what’s to come.

Experienced copywriters are extremely good at writing headlines and titles that pull in readers. One such expert is Michel Fortin, who uses his “3 X 3 Rule:”

That is, your headline should cater to:

1. The three greatest human goals to make or save:
   a. time
   b. effort
   c. money
2. The three greatest human desires:
   a. lust
   b. greed
   c. comfort
3. The three greatest human teasers:
   a. curiosity
   b. scarcity
   c. controversy

Read More→

Categories : Email Marketing Tips, Getting Read, How to...Tips, Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, Writing Better Ezines

Recipe for an Ezine: Get Clear on Purpose

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, February 7th, 2007

Targetarrow Ingredient #2: Clarity of Audience & Purpose

What do you want your newsletter to do?
Who is your targeted audience?
What’s in it for them?

Addressing these questions before starting your ezine will serve your objectives in the long run. The better you are able to articulate the answers, the easier it will be for you to write relevant content, grow your subscriber list, and measure results.

Not being clear will result in an ezine that stagnates, meanders and loses subscribers over time. Being laser-focused will result in subscribers who want to hear what you have to say, and who come to trust you over time can lead to sales of your products and services.

Your ideal reader will most likely mirror your ideal client. Once you clarify who your targeted readers are, then list what benefits they will get from being a regular reader of your newsletter.

When you are clear, write a 25 word statement explaining your newsletter:

1. Who it is for
2. What benefits they will get from reading it
3. Who you are as the author an expert

Example:

Read More→

Categories : How to...Tips, Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, Writing Better Ezines

Email Is Dead, Long Live Email

By Patsi Krakoff
Tuesday, February 6th, 2007

Blogging and Beyond with The Blog Squad: Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman, Internet Radio Show

"Email is Dead, Long Live Email!"
With guest Chris Baggott of Exact Target
Thursday, February 8 at 11:00 a.m. ET on Voice America

ChrisbaggottWhy you need a newsletter and how it works with your other marketing tools: The Blog Squad reveals essential information to make writing, formatting and sending out an electronic newsletter (ezine) easy and effective.   Guest expert Chris Baggott of Exact Target discusses issues affecting deliverability and ezine results and best practices.  In the second half of the show, we’ll work with Ideal Client Erik Feder on how to optimize his email newsletter.

If you have a question for Chris Baggott, please use the Comment link below and we’ll do our best to get it answered on the show.

Categories : Email Marketing Tips, Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, Online Marketing, Teleclasses & Seminars, Writing Better Ezines

Recipe for an Ezine: 8 Key Ingredients that Get Results

By Patsi Krakoff
Monday, February 5th, 2007

©2007 Patsi Krakoff, Psy. D. & Denise Wakeman, The Blog Squadtm

Newspapers_1_1 In our work with clients, we often hear this question from entrepreneurs who want to leverage the Internet and start marketing online: “Should I publish a newsletter?” As part of our Customized Newsletter Services program, we have reviewed hundreds of e-newsletters, or ezines, and can spot common errors immediately.

We have found ezines that work well for attracting new clients usually have these eight key ingredients:

1. A great name that defines the topic
2. A defined audience and clear purpose
3. A compelling headline or subject line
4. Valuable information readers can use
5. A call to action
6. A customized template or plain text formatting
7. A bonus incentive for subscribing
8. CAN-SPAM Compliance and a privacy statement

You will notice that the first five ingredients refer to the actual content of the ezine; the last three elements refer to how it is delivered. Each element contributes to the overall effectiveness of a newsletter for growing your business.

First, are newsletters really necessary for a strong online marketing system?

Should You Publish an Ezine?

Read More→

Categories : Email Marketing Tips, How to...Tips, Managing Your Ezine & Blog Tasks, Writing Better Ezines

Writing Better Headlines: The Power of 3

By Patsi Krakoff
Sunday, February 4th, 2007

Typing The purpose of a headline is to get people to start reading. That’s it. Your headline (or subject line in email) is crucial.

I recently read a good post on Michel Fortin’s blog about headlines and his 3 X 3 Rule:

The best headlines are those that start a story, make a shocking statement, tease a bit, offer a benefit or prepare the reader for what’s to come.

That is, your headline should cater to:

  1. The three greatest human goals: to make or save time, effort or money
  2. The three greatest human desires: lust, greed or comfort
  3. The three greatest human teasers: curiosity, scarcity or controversy

How simple and clear is that? When you think about it, in a marketing perspective, you are trying to save people time, effort or money. So you appeal to their lust, greed or comfort…

Oh, that’s interesting because I just recognize that I usually only appeal to their comfort – something

Read More→

Categories : Writing Better Ezines, Writing Great Blog Content, Writing Great Copy, Writing Great Press Releases

10 Most Misused & Misspelled Words in Blogs

By Patsi Krakoff
Thursday, February 1st, 2007

Typewriter I see these spelling mistakes all the time, not only in blogs, but in word docs, PDFs and PowerPoint presentations. No spell checker will pick them up, because they aren’t misspellings, simply misuses.

1. Your – You’re
2. Then – Than
3. Its – it’s
4. To – Too – Two
5. Were – Where – We’re
6. There – Their – They’re
7. A – An – And
8. Off – Of
9. Here – Hear
10. Lose – Loose

The list comes via Steve Rubel, via Dave Krug’s 901am blog, and originated with Johan Holmberg’s blog The Probabalist which had 121 comments to it! Seems people notice these everywhere and they are more annoying than you might think.

Which brings me to the point: if you’re blogging about something important to you, don’t let these easy errors distract your readers from paying attention. Although some bloggers pride themselves on being spontaneous, that’s no excuse for not re-reading a post for errors before you publish. Or after you publish – as all blog posts are easily edited.

What about you? What other errors have you notices on blogs?

Categories : Grammar & Common Usages, Writing Better Ezines, Writing Great Blog Content, Writing Great Copy, Writing Great Press Releases

10 New Rules for Writing Successful e-Content

By Patsi Krakoff
Wednesday, January 10th, 2007

The key to writing good e-content (content for your emails and ezines) is to make the most sense in the fewest possible words, while making an impression/connection with potential clients, to the point that they respond to your call to action.

Here are a few “new rules” shaping effective emailed content today.

1. Keep an eye on headlines (and subject lines). A cleverly crafted headline or subject line will determine if your email gets opened and read or not. Headlines appealing to reader’s desires on an emotional level will be more effective.

“Insider secrets,” “5 tips you can apply now to save time/money/energy,” and “What they don’t want you to know,” are examples of titles that work because they are compelling. They offer a promise to solve a problem. They create great curiosity. They seduce the reader to open and read the email.

Read More→

Categories : Email Marketing Tips, Writing Better Ezines

Email Is Dead, Long Live Email

By Patsi Krakoff
Tuesday, January 9th, 2007

“Email is dead. We can still use it to communicate with one another on an individual basis, but as far as content is concerned – RSS holds infinitely more value and promise.”  – Chris Pirillo, interviewed by Lee Odden. Later on, Chris adds, "I’ll likely continue to ‘do’ email newsletters…”

Portrayal of the demise of email reminds me of the British chant whenever there is a death of a monarch, “The King Is Dead! Long Live the King!”

Let’s get real. In response to the above interview, email marketing is not dead. It’s just evolving rapidly and only the strong will survive.

In February 2004, Jakob Nielsen reported that a study of email marketing showed that targeted e-newsletters continue to show strength, but that only 11% of newsletters were read thoroughly, so layout and content scanability are paramount.

Email newsletters are still an important way to stay in touch with customers and prospects. Ezines build relationships with readers, on one condition: that you don’t waste readers’ time with information that is superfluous and irrelevant.

The bottom line? Improving the quality of your content will ensure your email marketing and newsletters survive, get opened, get read, and work for your business.

Tomorrow: 10 “New Rules” for Successful e-Content

Categories : Email Marketing Tips, Writing Better Ezines
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