Top 10 Reasons to Have an Ezine

1. Establish yourself as a trusted expert. People search online for information and will look to you to provide it to them. Every week (or whatever schedule you determine) provides an opportunity to build on this, while reinforcing your brand.

2. Build a relationship with your list. It's common knowledge that people like to buy from people they like. By using ezines to connect with readers in their homes, you can develop a relationship of familiarity and trust. Be sure to share a little about yourself or your company in every issue, whether it be an anecdote, event, or employee spotlight.

3. Keep in touch with prospects and clients. Consideration should be given to eventually developing two ezines: one for prospects and one for clients, as each require different information. This is a great way to remind your readers of weekly specials, updates to your FAQs, or new and improved products you will be launching, in addition to articles of interest.

4. Drive traffic to your web site or blog. Call attention to new blog posts or other changes to your web site, with links directly to those pages. Remind readers of your online newsletter archives. Promote special sales (maybe with discount coupon codes only for subscribers) with a link to the sales page. Use links to turn your ezines and newsletters into silent salespersons" driving traffic to your web site and building your lists.

5. Build content on your web site. Make a habit to adding your ezines and newsletters to your web site in an Archive area. This serves a few purposes.
* Visitors can read an issue or two to determine if your ezine will be of interest to them, which will increase sign-ups and retention.
* If you optimize your article placements, it will not only make your web site meatier", but bring new traffic from the search engines.

6. Get feedback from your readers. Make it easy for your prospects and customers to get in touch. Ask them to take action and comment on your articles. Conduct a survey. Start a Letters to the Editor" column in your ezine. Feedback allows you to fine tune your message, improve your marketing, and expand your product line.

7. Develop an information product. If you deliver your newsletter once a week and include two articles, at the end of a year you'll have 104 well-researched articles in your portfolio! Pick the best-of-the-best and turn them into a bonus ebook for opting-in to your list, submit to download sites to build your list, or sell in PDF-format!

8. Grow your mailing list. Let your ezine subscribers work for you. Be sure to remind your readers that it's okay to forward your newsletter to anyone they'd like. In addition, it's important to include sign-up directions for those who received your ezine from viral marketing methods. A simple line titled, Get Your Own Copy of XXXXXX", with a link to your squeeze or opt-in page is all it takes!

9. Gather demographic data. By offering surveys, feedback forms, and niche reports, you'll be able to get valuable information about your prospects and customers. Learn what makes your readers tick, how to better serve them, and make sure they become repeat customers.

10. Save money! All of the above benefits of publishing an ezine are free or almost free. The small cost for a top-rate ezine publishing system is nothing compared to the cost of brochures, business cards, advertising, direct mail, pay-per-click or other means of promotion. Because your newsletter is delivered online, you can grow your list to be as large as you want without worrying about the expense. Bottom line it's been proven that email marketing is the most cost-effective solution for companies just like yours.

The author Martin Haasjes is owner of Online-marketing.nl and a full-time internet marketeer. To get more tips on Making Money on the Internet go to this blog, make money online. To receive 7 FREE internet marketing eBooks go here: free ebooks