Interview With Ezine Publisher Allan Gardyne

Allan Gardyne is CEO of AssociatePrograms.com, a large directory of affiliate programs. His
award-winning newsletter gives tips on successful affiliate marketing. To subscribe, send a blank
e-mail to: associateprog@add.postmastergeneral.com

David Geer: Can you give us a little background information about yourself?

Allan Gardyne: My wife, Joanna, and I run our Internet business from a pole house by the
beach at Tuan, a little fishing village in Queensland, Australia. We usually spend summers
in New Zealand, where we have friends and family.

I'm founder and CEO of
http://www.AssociatePrograms.com
http://www.PayPerClickSearchEngines.com
http://www.LifetimeCommissions.com

DG: How long have you been publishing an ezine? And, how many subscribers do you have?

AG: I launched the Associate Programs Newsletter early in 1998. It has more than 16,000
subscribers.

DG: What's the most effective tool/resource that you use for getting new subscribers?

AG: I just use sign-up forms throughout AssociatePrograms.com. Perhaps one day I'll try
other methods.

DG: What, in your opinion, is the least effective way of getting new subscribers?

AG: Deciding to do something, instead of actually doing it.

DG: What works best for getting your present subscribers to recommend your ezine?

AG: Publishing helpful, useful articles which my readers want to read works well for me. As
I write every article, I ask my myself, "How can I make this USEFUL to my readers?"

DG: Do you think that "pay-for-subscriber programs", such as Lead Factory or Post Master
Direct, are a cost effective way for publishers to get new subscribers?

AG: I don't know. Postmaster Direct is fairly expensive. I think you'd need to be a brilliant
copywriter to use it effectively.

DG: What advice would you give to your best friend who wants to start an ezine?

AG: Do it only if you enjoy writing. It can be enormously time consuming. Before you publish
one issue, see if you can write six issues and plan six more issues. Too many ezines run
out ideas too quickly.

DG: What should be included on a web site sign-up form for an ezine?

AG: Strong benefits that answer the question: "What's in it for me?"

DG: On the above form, what should not be included?

AG: Long, complicated sentences. The words should be understood at a glance.

DG: As you see it, what is the greatest challenge faced by new ezine publishers?

AG: You'll have a huge number of competitors. You have to do something to stand out
from the crowd, and keep doing that week after week, month after month. The best way
is to offer high quality. If you don't produce something your readers want, you'll have a
depressing number of unsubscribers.

DG: What ezines do you look forward to finding in your inbox?

AG: Marketing Experiments.

DG: Anything else that you'd like to add?

AG: If you want to save time, one option is to simply produce a monthly update. The
ezines for

http://www.PayPerClickSearchEngines.com and
http://www.LifetimeCommissions.com

both began that way.

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