A Formula for Creating Successful EZines

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A Formula for Creating Successful E-Zines

• Presented by
• Robert W. Bly
• www.bly.com

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What We Will Cover Today

• The magic of Ready, Fire, Aim!
• When text is better than HTML and when it is
  not.
• How to write and design a great e-zine in less
  than 2 hours per issue (without hiring a
  professional writer or designer)
• Maximum article length for your e-zine number
  of articles per issue and ideal reading time.
• 7 ways to add more names to your e-zine
  subscriber list.
• The most effective way to improve your e-zine
  sign-up box.
• Best day of the week, time of day, and frequency
  for e-zine publication.
• How to use your e-zine to generate a truckload of
  leads and orders from every issue.
• Recommended software for maintaining your e-list
  and distribution of your e-zine.

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The Magic of Ready, Fire, Aim!
Fire
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When Text is Better than HTML
.

• Audience used to text
• Information Seekers
• Image not important
• Product not visual

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When Text is NOT Better than HTML
.

• Audience used to HTML
• Image is important
• Product is visual
• Branding is key

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Writing a Text E-Zine

• 5 7 stories
• 1 3 paragraphs each
• Maximum reading time lt 1 minute per story
• lt 5 minutes per issue
• No click links to stories

Always Attribute Sources
Give Contact Info
Only 11 of E-Zines are opened and read!
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8 More Tips for Writing an E-Zine People Might
Actually Open and Read

• Write for surfers and scanners.
• Provide information quickly and easily.
• Think both verbally and visually.
• Cut copy in half.

• Use lots of lists and bullets.
• Write in chunks.
• Use hyperlinks.
• Give readers a chance to talk back (feedback).

Source Don Ranly, www.ranly.com, presented at
NEPA, 3/3/03
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14 Things I Liketo Put in My E-Zine
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14 Things
1
How To Tips
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14 Things
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Dialogue With the Reader Soliciting Feedback and
Participation
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14 Things
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Tips from Friends and Colleagues
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14 Things
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Plugs for Friends and Clients books, e-books,
reports, products and services
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14 Things
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Reader Feedback and Contributions
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14 Things
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Upcoming Speaking Engagements, Seminars, and
Tele-conferences
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14 Things
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What Ive Done Lately
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14 Things
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Recommendations for Vendors I Like
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14 Things
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Useful and Relevant Web Sites
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14 Things
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Mini Book Reviews
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14 Things
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News Nuggets of Interest
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14 Things
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News About My New Books
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14 Things
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Plugs for My Own Products
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14 Things
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Quotations
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More Topics for E-Zine Stories
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More Topics for E-Zine Stories
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More Topics for E-Zine Stories
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Designing aText E-Zine

• Set left margin at 20
• Set right margin at 80
• 60-character column width
• Hard carriage return after every line
• Dashed lines separate items
• Titles in all caps, centered, or asterisks

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The E-Zine Header
From familiar source
Subject line arouses curiosity or generates
interest
Benefit
Name of publication
Identifying tag line
Issue date
Opt out copy
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The E-Zine Close
Soft Sell sales pitch generates leads and
business
Masthead with all contact information
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The Agora Model
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E-Zine Swaps
Benefits of Swaps

• Free Names
• Free Editorial
• Free gift for your subscribers

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Make Sign-Up Box Prominent on Your Web Site
E-Zine title
The less info you ask for, the more sign-ups you
get!
If you dont rent or swap your names, say so!
Post an archive of all back issues
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A PremiumBoosts Sign-Ups

• Uses existing content
• Design cost 75
• My labor 20 minutes
• Downloadable PDF

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Send out an e-mail like this to get new
subscribers
Premiums
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Distributing Your E-ZineEarly Morning
Tuesday-Thursday
Peter DeCaro Globaltrafficpros http//www.globaltr
afficpros.com Toll free [phone]
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To Generate Business,Ask For The Order (AFTO)
in Every Issue
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Increase Response with a Special Offer
12 readers asked to take advantage, and we did 3.
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To Generate Tons of Leads,Put Free Offers in
Your E-Zines
This Generated 200 Leads in 48 Hours!
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Thank you.

• Subscribe to Bob Blys Direct Response Letter
  at www.bly.com