Having read those, are you feeling all jumped up about marketing now? Or are you a little bummed out?

Personalization should make your customers/readers feel you understand them. It can have a warming effect on your relationship with them. It can even allow you to target products and messages specifically to their interests. These are universally agreed to be good things.

The challenge now for players in industry is to set a few guidelines and limitations for themselves, i.e. just how personal can we get before we've gone too far? As a heavy user of e-zines, I love personalization - within limits:

Please, use your e-zine to speak to me in a one-on-one, relaxed style about marketing or whatever your topic is.

Speak to me personally about your own professional experiences, failures and successes.

Speak to me of inspiring case studies involving real people.

Survey me to find out what I need.

Subdivide your opt-in database into super-specific categories so you can narrowcast your messages to your various target audiences.

Use software to personalize your e-zine by sprinkling my first name throughout copy. (Yes, I still get a kick out of that!)

That's personalization at its finest. But hamsters in your colon? Like guy breathing down my neck in bank line-up, you just got much, much too close. And instead of inspiring me, you've creeped me out.

This is all free advertising since you have your little five to eight line ad/bio at end of article. It is a great way to build your subscriber base. In addition, if ezine you get published in archives your article to its web site you get extended free advertising.

6. Ezine Directories

There are 1000's of free and paid directories where you can list your ezine and get new subscribers. Do a search at google.com for "ezine directories" and there will be enough listings to keep you busy. I try to post at new ones whenever I get a chance. You might want to keep a listing for yourself of where you post so you can update listing as your ezine grows.

If you would like a list of some ezine directories, just send a blank email to: ezinedirectories@123respond.com which is one of my autoresponders and you will have it in a couple of minutes.

7. Trade/Exchange Ads

Another good way to increase your subscriber base is to trade/exchange ads with other newsletters. Once you have built up several hundred subscribers, you can start trading ads with other publishers.

8. Pay Per Subscriber

I have also used pay for subscriber services a number of times too, paying anywhere from 10 cents to 24 cents per subscriber. Make sure that you are getting opt-in subscribers rather than opt-out. These services are called co-registration services where a person signs up for some free service or item and can also signs up for ezines. The opt-out service signup page has check mark already in box and a lot of people signing up aren't aware or miss that they are also signing up for ezines. This can cause a lot of unsubscribes and probably some nasty notes. I stick with opt-in which means that person has to check box for ezine they want to subscribe to.

I am currently using a service which is double opt-in meaning that they check box and then receive a confirmation message they have to return. Then I receive name and email address.

Those are some of basic techniques that you can use to build your opt-in list. Your own list can be a goldmine for your business. It allows you to keep in contact with present, former or future customers. Building a list is an ongoing process if you want to keep growing.