While there are seemingly endless ways to promote your e-zine and attract new subscribers, here’s a list of my favorite 15. Which ones are YOU using?
Print this out and check those you already do, and note those you should “get a move on.”
___ 1. Tell your clients, associates, and friends. Send out one of your best issues (or your first issue) as a sample issue, inviting them to sign up if they like it. (Never sign anyone up without his/her permission.)
___ 2. Put a signup form on your home page and every page of your Web site. No matter what page people may land on, this way they’ll know about your amazing e-zine. Don’t let them click away and lose them forever!
___ 3. Use a pop-up or pop-under box on your site. Yes, they’re irritating if abused, but I can tell you they work. Studies show pop-ups/unders can increase your e-zine signups by up to 10 times! Give it a try and test it. (Automatic popup creators like Ad Impact make it super easy.)
___ 4. Offer a free goodie for new subscribers. We all get so much e-mail these days, that you have to work hard to get anyone’s e-mail address. Offer new subscribers a valuable free article, report, resource list, e-book, etc.
___ 5. Offer a free sample issue on your Web site or have one available by e-mail autoresponder. Some people won’t sign up for anything until they can see it first.
___ 6. List your e-zine in free e-zine directories. There are hundreds of these on the Web where people visit to search for e-zines on particular topics. Make sure you’re here so you can be found! (One of the best is Charlie Page’s Directory of E-zines.)
___ 7. Swap ads with other e-zines. Search online e-zine directories for other e-zines whose target readership matches yours, and contact their publishers. Swap at least three ads in a row for best results.
___ 8. Buy ads in other e-zines. Again, search those directories for other
e-zines whose target readership matches yours, and see their ad specifications and rates. Purchase at least three ads in a row for best results.
___ 9. Plug your e-zine in your e-mail signature. After your usual contact information at the bottom of all your e-mails, be sure to include a two- or three-line plug for your e-zine.
___ 10. Get published in OTHER e-zines. There are dozens of Web sites where other publishers visit to pick up free content for their e-zines. Why not post YOUR articles there for them to use? You get free exposure and plenty of traffic back to your site.
___ 11. Do a co-op with other e-zine subscribers. You can cross-promote with other e-zine publishers on your own, or use an automated service such as Subscription Rocket, which I used when I got started years ago.
___ 12. Try a pay-for-subscriber service. These services advertise your e-zine for you and bring you subscribers automatically for as little as 10 to 30 cents apiece.
___ 13. Announce your e-zine to all of the professional organizations and associations you’re a member of. They usually allow you to make announcements in their newsletters or on their online bulletin boards.
___ 14. Advertise your e-zine on the back of your business cards. In the text, be sure to tell people how they can sign up for your e-zine.
___ 15. Become active in a few online forums where your ideal readers hang out. In your posts, position yourself as a resource in your area of expertise, and include a signature file that promotes your e-zine!
© 2003-2009 Alexandria Brown International Inc.
Self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur Ali Brown is devoted to creating financial freedom for women globally through the power of entrepreneurship. To learn how to create wealth and live an extraordinary life now, register for her free weekly articles at www.AliBrown.com