Building Your Ezine Subscriber Base and Selling Ad Space (Part 3 of 3)

So now you have a terrific looking ezine and interesting content but where do you find subscribers? I was hoping youd ask. In order to grow your subscriber base youll need to promote your ezine every chance you get.

The first thing you need to do is include a sign up box on each and every page of your website and if you can, offer a free sample copy by autoresponder. To set up a free autoresponder check out http://www.GetResponse.com

Some publishers swear by pop up boxes to increase their subscriber sign ups. If you go this route I encourage you to opt for the kind that pop up upon exit not upon entering, less annoying. Youll find some software to help you with this here ... http://www.codelifter.com/pop5index.html or look at http://www.DynamicDrive.com for some free scripts.

The next step is to get your ezine listed in as many online newsletter directories as possible. Youll have to do your homework by searching the engines for directories where you can add your listing for free.This is an important step as many people look to these directories when looking for newsletters to subscribe to. Some of them are:

http://www.Lifestylespub.com/mcp/
http://www.E-zinedirectory.com/
http://www.Webscoutlists.com/signup.epl
http://www.Ezineadsource.com/
http://www.Zineconnection.com/
http://www.Ezine-Universe.com
http://www.EzineLocater.com/
http://www.EzinesPlus.com/

Remember many of these online directories will allow you to post your ad rates as well. A double bonus which allows you to pick up new subscribers as well as advertisers.

Announcement lists are also good for promoting your ezine. Search at http://groups.yahoo.com for lists that exist for the sole purpose of announcing new lists. Youll also want to participate in online discussion boards with a good signature line that mentions your ezine. Youll find some great boards to post to at http://www.DiscussMarketing.com

Other great ways to grow your subscriber base include swapping ads with other publishers and writing articles to submit to other publishers for possible publication in their ezines. Again, a strong signature line is imperative. Try some of these sites for swaps.

http://www.BizPromo.com/EzineTrades.htm
http://www.Ezine-Swap.com

Free Software to keep track of your swaps
http://www.nowsell.com/pages/ad-tracker.html

Other Ezine Publishers you can swap ads with
http://www.alacarim.com/adex/

Free Directory of Ezines and other helpful resources for todays ezine publisher
http://www.FreeZineWeb.com/

The Handbook of Ezine Publishing
http://www.e-zinez.com/

EP Digest offers many helpful resources
http://www.EpDigest.com

After writing your own articles syndicate them
http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=184827

Then submit your articles to
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/article_announce

If you dont mind paying for opt in subscribers you can pay a small fee for them at World Wide Lists
http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=184828

or try Marty Foleys List Builder Service at http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=184830

Ive used both of the above services extensively and theyre truly remarkable for growing your list quickly. These are opt in list builders, not Spam techniques. Make sure you know the difference.

If youre interested in a great free e-book that will teach you how to grow your list download Ezine List Builder
http://www.netwoozy.com/freeebooks/
its in PDF format.

or try this one...not free but worth the money:

WebSite and Ezine Promotion Made Easy
http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=184831

Once you reach a minimum of 1,000 subscribers youll be able to start selling text ads. Do not include too many ads in your newsletter or youll lose a lot of subscribers before you even get started. You need to make sure youre including useful content and not just a billboard of ads, or your subscribers will be reaching for that unsubscribe button in a hurry.Its really a balancing act, good content with a few ads mixed in.

If you can its a smart move to start collecting demographics from the very beginning. This will give you an idea as to the types of people that subscribe to your ezine and will be helpful to ad buyers who will want to know what target market your ezine hits. If you set up a short form asking the basics like sex, age, and occupation and ask new subscribers to fill it in upon subscribing youll be amazed at how easy it is to actually collect this type of information.

A few sites that will help you to sell your available space:

http://www.Ezines-Ads.com
http://www.Opt-Influence.com (must have 5,000 subscribers)
http://www.linkcounter.com/go.php?linkid=189476

Publishing an ezine is the most important tool you can have when it comes to promoting your website. An opt in list of people who want to hear from you on a regular basis is priceless and the actual process of writing your own ezine and connecting with people is an inspiring experience in itself. Its a genuine way of building a sense of community around your site and opening the lines of communication between yourself and potential clients.

Dont let this marketing tool pass you by....by following the steps in this three part series youll be well on your way to publishing an ezine that will pay you back in more ways than you can imagine- and thats an online marketing tool fact.

So what are you waiting for? Get busy!

About the author

Merle (just Merle, thank you) is an experienced Internet Marketer/Promoter. She knows what it takes for business websites to be successful. She has been online for over four years and has two other websites to her credit: MC Promotions - http://www.mcpromotions.com and Merles World - http://www.merlesworld.com

merle@mcpromotions.com
http://www.marketingchallenge.com