7. Interview associates whose expertise would interest your readers (while not competing with yours). E-mail interviews are incredibly easy to do. Just send your interviewee 3 to 5 questions via e-mail, edit their answers, and have them approve final version. Be sure to give them a short plug in your e-zine as a thank you. (A one-sentence description of their business, phone number, their Web site URL, and e-mail address should be fine.)

8. Recommend books and resources that you use, and offer full reviews on them. In one issue of my first e-zine, “AKB MarCom Tips,” I featured reviews of my favorite four copywriting resource books. I then later posted them at my Web site.

9. Invite readers to write you with their own questions, and answer one in each issue. Right after their question, publish person’s name, business, e-mail, and Web site address. They’ll enjoy attention/publicity!

10. Invite readers to send in profiles. Ask them to tell you about themselves — their names, businesses, locations, and how they use information gained in your e-zine. Feature one profile in each issue or one every few issues.

11. When all else fails, borrow an article! There are dozens of Web sites offering hundreds of articles that you can use in your e-zine. The articles are free and available for you to use immediately. The only catch is you’re required to leave entire article intact, including author’s promotional information.

Here are three places to check out for free content: Business Article Announce List — http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aabusiness Marketing Seek — http://www.marketing-seek.com World Wide Information Outlet — http://www.certificate.net/wwio/index.shtml

One last note: Keep in mind that if your e-zine’s main objective is to get you more clients and customers, you should not feature other writers' articles more than once in a blue moon. Showcasing other professionals on a regular basis undermines idea of establishing YOU as expert in your readers' minds.

(c) 2002 Alexandria K. Brown

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

"Dear Margaret,

It was a pleasure to chat with you at [EVENT NAME HERE] last Thursday. I'd like to learn more about your business and how we can help each other. Perhaps we can meet for coffee next week?

In meantime, you may enjoy my FREE weekly e-zine "Straight Shooter Marketing" that gives tips on how to market yourself online. I write it for small business owners just like you! You can learn more and sign up at www.EzineQueen.com

Take care and let's stay in touch.

Best, Alexandria K. Brown, 'The E-zine Queen'"

Once again, this strategy also gets these people to visit your Web site, which they may not have done otherwise. (Very cool, yes?)

3) Are you Speaker? Pass Around a Signup Sheet or Collect Cards Whenever I'm featured speaker at an event, I make sure to give audience members an easy way to sign up for my e-zine. I either pass around a signup sheet to collect their names and e-mail addresses, OR I collect business cards when I draw a winner for a free book.

If you use business card method, tell audience to write an "E" for e-zine on their card — this lets you know they want to be signed up for your newsletter. Some speakers do opposite, and tell audience that if they do NOT want to be subscribed to their e-zine, to put a "NO" on their card, but I'm more comfortable with former method.

Remember, Your List Is Your Goldmine!

People you meet in person will be very valuable subscribers, because they've already met you. And we're all more likely to buy from others whom we know, like, and trust.

Your in-person meeting will start that process, and your e-zine will follow-through for you, automatically!

(c) 2003 Alexandria K. Brown

ABOUT THE AUTHOR