One. Network offline. Visit professional like-minded groups. These groups usually meet once a month, have speakers, and networking time for you to mix with other professionals. You will get valuable information at these meetings for low cost”yearly memberships run around $25-$50 giving you free meeting attendance. Each meeting is around two hours including networking time and speaker. Usually at each meeting you are given a 30-second time to introduce yourself.
Two. Speak to groups about your expertise. You may be a guest speaker for a large association or group, or you may form your own seminars and workshops, where people come to hear your expertise. During each meeting, pass the clipboard that asks your audience for their email addresses. In return, you will send them pertinent information. Be sure to put your Web URL in plain sight. You want these people to visit your Web site, first to see your expertise, then perhaps to buy products.
Three. Promote your eMag on your web site. Visit many sites and take from them what will make your pages zing.
I notice a pablum approach upon visiting many sites. One sign on the “Home” page simply said, “Subscribe to my free ezine.” Is that enough to make you buy?
Instead, use the passion approach. For my new web site, I submitted this blurb to my Webmaster: Finish, publish, and sell your book”fast! Receive free articles, tips and resources in the FREE monthly eMag “The Book Coach Says.”
Nearby in a box, I shared the benefits of subscribing”what the reader will get. I shared how my service/products are unique”remember the “Fast” tag in my services and books? Write your eBook or Other Book”Fast! Follow your lines with “click here.” Your visitors need explicit directions.
Another “passion” approach includes a testimonial about your ezine from a top person in your subject area. Mine, “totally worth your time,” is from Dan Poynter of www.parapublishing.com.
Placement is also important. For the best response and more subscribers, place your subscribe box on the top half of your homepage. Remember the old adage; “Make it easy for your customer to buy.”
Four. Promote your eMag through your signature. Create a promotional signature in three to six lines, and add it to the end of each email you send out. Here, you would list your book title, benefits of your service, your FREE eMag title, followed by your email or web site address.
Five. Promote your eMag in newsgroups, discussion lists and forums. Target those related to your business or book category. For instance, Sandra Schrift of Speakers University aims her newsletter primarily at emerging and professional speakers. Her secondary audience is coaches. Anne Wayman, San Diego Web designer and editor, and author of Powerfully Recovered, belongs to several related newsgroups.
Six. Offer your subscribers a free GIFT SUBSCRIPTION to send to their friends. You can use another autoresponder to send the gift, plus whom it’s from, and a little blurb about what they will be receiving. Always include a way for subscribers to unsubscribe.
Seven. Send out press releases via email about your eMag. Press releases by email are different from print ones. They must be short! They must be newsworthy! We at Skills Unlimited Publishing send out over 150 different print releases a year, and are just beginning the great adventure online. You may not be able to include a story, but you can use a short analogy, and put your benefit in the headline. Always be sure to make your message clear.
Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people’s lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Author of 10 eBooks including “Write your eBook Fast,” “How to Market your Business on the Internet,” and “Create your Web Site With Marketing Pizzazz,” she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says…and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 145 free articles. Email her at Judy@bookcoaching.com.
