As an ezine publisher, do you know what your most valuable
asset is? If you said your list, you are only half right!
Most publishers make the mistake of believing that the list
itself holds the greatest value. Whether your ezines' business
model is advertising or back-end sales, your greatest asset is
actually the relationship that you have established with the
readers on your list.
Most publishers who are not reaching the full potential of
their list believe that only by increasing the number of names
on the list, their list will eventually produce the returns
that they have been working towards. They spend the greatest
amount of their efforts chasing new subscribers, while they
fail to realize the gold mine under their own nose.
If you are not earning solid revenues from your list of 1000,
then you will likely earn just as much from a list of 10,000,
unless you do something different. It is reminiscent of the
old analogy about digging a hole looking for water. Most
people will dig a hole a mile in circumference and a mile
deep looking for water, while the successful will dig so
far and then move to a new location to begin digging again.
I am not suggesting that you should abandon your list or your
niche. Quite the contrary. I am suggesting that you approach
your list in new and more productive ways.
The most important thing to remember is that your readers want
to buy products and services, but they are leery to do so!
For any person to part with their hard earned money, they must
possess a level of trust with the person or company that they
are buying from. On the web, this is a greater challenge
because the buyer cannot walk into your place of business and
know that you are here to stay. They cannot look you in the
eye as they hand over their money to you for your products or
services.
The reason you hear so many people talking about the need for
an ezine to support your online business is because the ezine
publisher is in an exceptional position to build the trust
necessary to support the desire of the reader to buy. Yet,
most publishers fail to take firm hold of the opportunity to
do so.
There are several methods you can employ to build and strengthen
the trust that your readers will invest in you.
One method that can be used is to provide a Letter From the
Editor section in every issue of your ezine. It is not important
what you discuss in the Letter From the Editor --- it is only
important that you take the time to speak to your reader in a
personal and friendly way. I have even found it useful to
occasionally drop hints into who I am offline without divulging
too much detail. Sharing details of a personal hobby can go a
long ways towards establishing you as a real person with real
dreams, real desires and a real life.
I should not have to tell you this one as it should be obvious.
But, promptly answer all email from your readers, even if you
cannot be of assistance to their query and even if they are
lodging a complaint.
The most valuable of all methods for creating trust with your
readers is to first establish interaction with your readers,
and then to use the interaction to build relationships.
Establishing interaction can be as simple as creating a contest
for your readers. If you are on a tight budget, it is possible
to offer only a mention of the name and URL of the first three
respondents, as the award/incentive for your readers to
participate. Seeing ones own name in print is a very powerful
motivator for participation.
Interaction can also be developed by providing a question/answer
forum for your readers. Again, the motivation of seeing their
name in print can be a strong motivator for posting a question.
A third method for breeding interaction with your readers is to
provide them the opportunity to post tips to your ezine. Once
again, by posting the readers name and URL with a published tip
is a strong incentive for people to actively participate in your
Readers Tips section.
Always make certain that your reader is made aware that their
name will be used in print, and be certain that they understand
that you can use their first name only, if they so desire. Also,
be aware that not everyone has a URL of their own, so be sure to
suggest that you will be printing their favorite URL so that no
one will feel left out.
I would like to add one thing here. Publishing your readers
name and URL is not only a strong incentive for your reader to
participate in your ezine, but also for developing in them the
desire to read every issue in its entirety and to send an issue
to a friend.
Don't be afraid to speak directly to individual readers in your
ezine! If you do so, make certain to only refer to them based on
their first name. You must protect their privacy even when you
are providing intimate contact with your individual readers.
No matter what method you use to help establish your readers'
trust in you, always make certain that you are sincere and
friendly.
When your list becomes larger, as you will discover, an
interesting phenomena will occur. New subscribers will see
the relationships that you have already established with your
readers, and they will sense the trust that your readers have
invested in you. Your new subscribers will accept the level of
trust that your readers currently have in you as a sign that
they can invest the same level of trust in you as well.
Through the establishment of relationships and the development
of trust in you, you will finally begin to see the true
potential of your list. These are the foundations from which
you want to seriously launch your growth process. With the
necessity of trust firmly rooted in your readers minds, you
are assured that a meteoric rise from 1000 to 10,000 readers
will provide the appropriate Return on Investment that your
ezine needs to justify its continued existence.
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About the Author
Max Shifrin, the owner of http://www.FunEzines.com specializes
in helping ezine owners build their subscriber base. Max offers you *Free Website Hosting* if you only try out the service. If you don't like it, you still get to keep the hosting for at least 6 months! With absolutely NO obligation! For details Visit: http://www.funezines.com/clients_signup.cgi Right Now!