To be successful with a newsletter, you have to specialize and make it your own. Your best bet will be with new information on a subject not already covered by an established newsletter, or at least your interpretation of existing subject matter. Regardless of the frustrations involved in launching your own newsletter, never forget this truth: There are people from all walks of life, in all parts of the world, many of them with no writing ability whatsoever, who are making incredible profits with their newsletter. Your first step should be to subscribe to many different newsletters. Analyze and study how the others are doing it. Learn how the successful newsletter publishers are doing it, and how they are making money. Adapt their success methods to your own newsletter, and add your own flare to it. Plan your newsletter before launching it. Come up with a plan of action, daily, weekly, bi-weekly, etc. Make a plan to distribute it, using subscription services and lead sources. Most newsletter publishers do all the work themselves, and are impatient to get that first issue online. As a result, they neglect to devote the proper amount of time to market research and distribution. Don't start your newsletter with out first having accomplished this task! Market research is simply determining who you will be marketing your newsletter to, and who will be interested in buying your products and services, and reading your newsletter. You have to determine what it is they want from your newsletter. Your market research must give you unbiased answers about your newsletter's capabilities of fulfilling your prospective buyer's need for information; The questions of why they need your information, and how they will use it should be answered. Make sure you have the answers to these questions, publish your newsletter as a vehicle of fulfillment to these needs, and you're on your way! You're going to loose prospects unless your newsletter has a real point of difference that can be easily perceived by your prospective buyer. If you are using someone elses newsletter and just adding your own affiliate links, dont be surprised when you prospects start dropping out. The design and graphics of your newsletter, plus your unique content will help with keeping your prospects from opting out. The name of your newsletter should also help to set it apart from similar newsletters, and describe what your basic premise is all about. A good name reinforces your advertising. Choose a name that defines what your newsletter is all about. Try to make your newsletter's name brand able and memorable - one that flows automatically. Don't pick a name that's so vague it could apply to almost anything. The name should identify your newsletter and its subject quickly and positively. You should also brand it with your domain name if at all possible. When you send out your newsletter, make sure that you use a name variable with your autoresponder. People like to see and feel that they are the only one that you are sending your newsletter to. You create trust and a feeling in the reader that they are special. You may want to add a picture of yourself, so your prospects have an idea of whom is sending them this valuable information. The use of pictures will set your publication apart from the others and give it an individual image, which is precisely what you want. The decision as to whether to carry paid advertising, and if so, how much, is another policy decision that should be made while your newsletter is still in the planning stages. Some purists feel that advertising corrupts the image of the newsletter and may influence editorial policy. Most people accept advertising as a part of everyday life, and don't care one way or the other. The only problem with accepting advertising in your newsletter would appear to be that as your subscription list grows, so may the number of advertisers. At this point, the basic premise or philosophy of the newsletter often changes from news and practical information to one of an advertiser's showcase. So think this out clearly before you decide what you want the reader to experience with your newsletter. Promoting your newsletter, finding prospective buyers and converting these prospects into loyal subscribers, will be the most difficult task of your entire undertaking. It takes detailed planning, persistence and patience. Make sure you send a welcome letter when a new prospect signs up and tell the reader how they are going to benefit from your newsletter, and then keep emphasizing right on through your "PS", the many benefits they will gain from staying on your subscriber list. . Give the reader a solid list of benefits with examples of what you have, or you intend to include, in your newsletter. You have to make your prospect feel that "this is the insider's secret" to the success they want to achieve. Present it to your subscriber as their own personal key to success. Prepare yourself for the fact that not everyone that signs up for your newsletter will buy your product or service. That is all part of the internet marketing business. However, you should not be discouraged, keep trying to get as many subscribers as possible and always be available to answer any questions your subscriber may have. Good luck with your newsletter. Copyright 2004 Dirk Wagner |
