Article Library
eZines as a Marketing Tool
by
Brad Lessard
As compared to advertising in other forms,
advertisements placed in ezines, which can often be in the form of
newsletters that are sent online, not only allows the marketers to
communicate faster with their target audience, but also in a way that is
less expensive. The subscribers, whose number is in millions, read
thousands of ezines on the Internet. So, ezines are among the most
powerful marketing tools.
Ezines can be marketed very effectively, by making use
of viral marketing methodology. Tutorials, tips, news and other such
information that could be of value, if provided in the ezines, can lead
to subscribers forwarding these to friends, family members or even
business associates.
Graphics and other applications that technology has
made available, have helped transform ezines from their earlier,
text-only avatar, which was lack-luster. Publishing of ezines is,
therefore, much different from the years gone by, when these were mainly
published by amateurs. The quality of content has also undergone vast
improvements from the initial stages.
Ezines can, in this manner, advertise the companies'
products and services, potentially, to millions of readers, by
communicating their web-address to the readers, even if any text or
banner advertisements are not placed inside the ezine.
The following can assist in promoting the ezine
through viral advertisement and marketing:
1. After a topic has been selected, websites
containing information related to it can be located online through the
various search engines, as well as through appropriate offline
resources.
2. Along with information collection, any websites
offering resources for free, for assisting with locating useful data
related to the topic, should also be carefully made a note of and, later
on, the URLs or links to the URLs should be provided in the article.
3. Besides providing free resources, the content
should be written in a style that is interesting enough and the material
should be organized in a systematic manner. For this, as mentioned
before, carrying out thorough research, online as well as offline, is
vital. Additionally, care has to be taken while choosing a topic and it
should be of interest to the target audience.
4. Subtlety has to be applied while promoting services
or products through an ezine. The ezine should contain some genuine
information that is likely to be of value to the readers, instead of
being mainly comprised of material that can only be described as sales
copy. This kind of viral marketing and advertising is distinct from
trying to achieve similar purposes through marketing campaigns based on
email as the major tool.
5. The company's web address, as well as relevant
email addresses, should be provided in a resource box, pasted towards
the end of the ezine.
6. It is best not to publish material that has been
freshly written, but to have the writer re-edit it, some time after he
or she has finished writing, if an editor is not immediately available
for making the necessary improvements. Laying emphasis on quality can
dramatically improve the chances of an ezine being passed on repeatedly,
by the subscribers and to those whom they pass it on.
The ezines, if these have contents that include
information of value to the target audience, are passed on at a pace
that is much faster than 'word of mouth' publicity. Some have chosen to
term this as 'word of mouse' advertising, as the computer mouse is used
for forwarding the ezines. The geographical reach of this kind of
advertising can also be farther reaching, obviously, than many other
forms of advertising that have traditionally been in use.
Promotional tools and techniques that form part of
viral marketing have been made good use of by many marketers, through
ezines as well. These include securing referrals from subscribers, in
return for which they are offered incentives. Some companies conduct
contests, etc., wherein the chances of winning can often be improved by
providing the contact details of those who are likely to be interested
in the ezine or in the services or products offered to consumers by the
company. The details of the contest and means for participation are
often included in the ezines or on the companies' websites, on the page
where the subscription details for the ezine are provided.
If the company has an affiliate program, all
affiliates should also be provided with copies of the ezine.
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