I Want to Do an Ezine! Part 1 What is an Ezine?

Copyright 2002 Terri Seymour

I have been getting numerous emails lately from people
who want to start publishing an ezine, but really don't
know where to start. So, I am going to write this
series of articles from start to finish in the hopes of
helping some of my associates get started with their
own ezine! Please feel free to email me if you have
questions about anything stated in these articles.

First of all, what is an ezine? An ezine is simply an
electronic magazine or newsletter sent out periodically
to a list of Opt In subscribers. Opt In means they
have voluntarily signed-up to receive your ezine and
were not added to the list without their knowledge or
permission.

This is one of the reasons an ezine is so valuable to
your business. Your subscribers have given their
consent to receive announcements, promotions, ads,
recommendations, etc. from you!

BUT, let me stress this, you must treat your subscribers
with respect, provide valuable and helpful content and
be there for them when they want or need you. You do
not want to USE them as a mailing list for every ad that
comes down the pike.

Ok, to get started, one thing you should do is look
over a few successful ezines to get a feel of how they
are done. Each publisher will add his/her own style,
personality, and soul to their ezine which in turn is
what makes it unique and successful.

A few ezines I would recommend are:
Rim Digest at http://www.rimdigest.com
Simple Biz Ezine at http://www.simplebizpublications.com
Ideas By Post at http://www.ideasbypost.com
and also, My Own Ezine at http://www.myownezine.com ;-)

These ezines are very well written and each publisher
has a very distinct style and personality to go along
with the useful content.

What you want to do with your ezine is establish a trust
relationship with your readers. You want them to get
to know you and learn that they can trust you and your
recommendations. Be there for them if they have
questions, if they need advice, or support, or if they
just want to talk with someone who has more experience.

Your ezine is much, much more than an advertisement
for your business. It is a bond between you and your
readers. Treat it as such!

Ezine publishing can be a very rewarding, fun,
challenging and if done right, profitable venture!

In next week's article, I will be dealing with layout,
design and format and also naming your new ezine.