Loving Your E-zine

We all hit that place in the life of our E-zine, that place where we just sit at our computers scratching our heads. "Oh, what to write, what to write!" we moan and lament.

In times like these (yep, this mistress of E-zines Made EZ experiences it, too!), it's good to revisit why you have an E-zine and the benefits it provides - for you and your readers.

First, think about why you started your E-zine.

* Because you had something to offer the world. Perhaps you're an expert in corporate assessments or in organizational strategies. You have TONS of information that people in your target market would find helpful.

* You wanted to touch your target market as often as possible. Remember, it can take 7 - 10 touches to convert a suspect into a prospect. Alexandria Brown, the E-zine Queen, is always amazed at people who have been on her E-zine subscription list for 4 years before buying anything. Patience, my dears, patience.

* Writing is something you can do, or you wouldn't have started the E-zine in the first place. Perhaps you love to write. Maybe it's the one place where you can be a little flowery and whimsical, or where your dry sense of humor shines through.

Next, think about what your E-zine means to your subscribers.

* Each month (or every week, or every two weeks - whatever your schedule is) your subscribers depend upon receiving your E-zine with helpful tips. Believe it or not, skip an issue, and you'll hear about it. I remember reading a story when I was a little girl about an old woman who lived by herself and started to feel as if she didn't matter: she was alone, she didn't seem to have friends, etc. One day, she decided to stay in bed. A couple of hours later, people were banging loudly on her door. "Your tea kettle didn't whistle this morning. I slept in and was late for work!" said the milkman. "And when I didn't get my milk this morning, the baby was hungry and crying," said the mother. And so it went. You'll find that your E-zine has a similar impact.

* It's a ready source of information and reference. It's like being handed a Word of the Day. For those of you who like the Word of the Day, notice how you try to use today's word. Imagine your E-zine like that. Your subscribers receive your information and try to apply it.

* It's a calling card. You're that communications expert, right? So, when you send out your E-zine on the importance of communication in the workplace with a blurb about your corporate communication workshops, one of your subscribers sends it to a friend who is looking for a company to present such a workshop.

Finally, getting that issue out for this month (or week or whatever) creates its own benefits.

* That's one more that you've completed. Done for this month!!!! What a good feeling that is to have completed one more task on your to-do list. And it's easy! You're just writing about what you already know. You don't have to do much research; you just write.

* Each article you write has its own marketing benefits. Perhaps you submit your article to article directories. This article is different from the last, and so you have a new topic and new keywords to attract more people.

* Think of each article as a chapter in a larger book. After a time, you might want to compile the various articles into a special report that you can offer as a gift or offer as a product. I can see the collection of articles I've written being a fabulous addition to my E-zines Made EZ manual.

Hopefully, this has renewed your passion and interest in your E-zine. If your energy and excitement around writing your E-zine have been high, then keep this handy for those times when you're a little low on the energy scale.