Posts Tagged ‘newsletter’
The Importance of Learning Content Writing
March 9th, 2010 | 
Author: A number of the most effective marketing strategies for online businesses demand a lot of writing. How could a small-time business succeed if the owner is not at tune with writing? Is there a way for them to market their products or services with just a shoestring budget?
Marketing requires a lot of communication. Hence, you will need a lot of writing to do to get yourself across.
So what do you do if you don’t write very well? You have two choices. You can hire someone else to write for you. Or you can learn how to write.
The best option would be for you to learn the art of writing. This is a skill that could be developed. It is not an inborn characteristic. So, you have a high chance to actually improve in this arena. It would be much better if you are the one who disseminates the information to your clients.
Browse through the Internet and check out some writing classes in your area. Most probably, a nearby college or university offers a short course. You will be taught of the basics, grammar, and different styles of writing. Aside from this, practice on your own. Write on a journal or start a personal blog.
Sign-up for free newsletters, e-zines, and special reports from other businesses. This tactic will provides suggestions on how to make your own newsletters and eBooks. The best part is, the information is for free.
Until you perfect your writing skills, always have someone else proofread and edit what you have written. They will catch things that you miss. They will tell you if something is unclear or confusing.
A proofreader can always be of use despite the fact that you have greatly improved in your writing. A new set of eyes can give the lift that your article needs.
Only hire a writer during the course of your learning process. I strongly suggest that you develop this skill. It will be highly advantageous for your business if you could write. Most of all, you will save from the extra costs you have to pay by hiring a content writer.
Find the best tools to help you improve your sales and profits at Virtual Smart Agent. Then visit fastvideoreviews.com to watch Nate Volk’s Fast Video Reviews.
How to Get That Number One Google Position.
If you haven’t yet automated your article submission, it can only be for one of three reasons:
1. You don’t want or need any additional free visitors to your website, because you cannot handle them,
2. You have not read my previous articles, or
3. You still haven’t appreciated the power and incredible value of this system. i.e. how this will dramatically boost your profits.
If you fall into the first category, then please move on to the next article, this one just doesn’t apply to you.
Otherwise please take a moment to read this article carefully, as it really could make the difference between success and failure to your online business this year. You see, people love to make things complicated, but making money online is actually really simple. Whether you are selling your own product, promoting affiliate links, or making money from Adsense or “click flipping”, it all boils down to just two things:
Conversion and Traffic.
Conversion must come first of all. You need to have an offer that people actually want. That offer could be a product, or an attractive advert (e.g. Google Adsense) that people are compelled to click on. And you need some kind of presentation (such as a sales letter) that encourages them to take the action you require such as to buy the product or to click on the advert.
In many ways this is the easiest part. Most people can put together a half decent website or sales letter that will make at least some money from their visitors.
But then, of course, you need ‘traffic’. Shed-loads of it. The more people that come to your site, the more money you will make – especially if that traffic is highly targeted. But, given the number of websites on the Internet – all competing for the same traffic, just how do you get more visitors to your site?
Well, there are just three ways that visitors come to your site:
1. Visitors type your URL straight into their browser. That results from some sort of off-line promotion: it might be your business card, a radio advert, an article in a magazine or a conversation with a friend.
2. People click on a link. The hyperlink may be in an email they received (eg from a friend or from an ezine they subscribed to) or it may be on another website they have visited.
3. Or they do a search in the search engines, see your site in the listings, and click to visit you.
And that is it. There is no other way for them to get to your website.
So, knowing that, how do we get more traffic? Easy:
1. Promote your Internet presence in all your offline promotional materials.
2. Get lots of people to place a link to you, and lots of people to send out emails with your link in it.
3. Get a top position in the search engines.
Yes.., sounds simple doesn’t it, but maybe it is not so easy in practice? Just how do you achieve steps 2 and 3 without spending bucketsful of cash or getting your site banned by the search engines?
To understand this, we need to think about how the search engines work. Again, it is much simpler than people say.
Search engines want lots of people to use them. To achieve that, they strive to deliver relevant and up-to-date content to people who do a search through them. But how do they determine what is relevant to your search?
There are only two ways they can do that:
1. They scan your website and, using very sophisticated algorithms, they work out what the subject matter of your website is. The also look at how new or old it is, how recently it has been updated and so on. These are all known as on-page or on-site factors. You have direct control over many of these factors when you set up your site.
2. They look at what other people write about your website. In doing so, they look at two factors: how many people have links to your site (and what those links say) and also how important is the site that links to your site. An important ‘authority’ site that points to you is worth more than a whole list of unimportant sites. They also consider how old the links that point to you are, and a number of other factors about the link and the context in which it is found.
At the same time, the search engines are constantly looking out for sites that try to fool them into thinking that they are more relevant or more popular than they really are. Which is why the so-called “black-hat” techniques quickly lose their effectiveness.
Therefore, to get to the top of the search engine lists you need to do two things:
1. You can optimize your on-page factors: there is plenty of information on- and off-line it about how to do that. It is not difficult but, on its own, it is also not enough.
2. Get lots of high-quality, one-way, relevant links to your site from as many other ‘important’ sites as you can.
How do you get people to link to you?
1. Create a fantastic website so that others just honestly want to tell others about your site.
2. Pay them to link to you – buy a text link, or offer an affiliate program.
3. Swap links with other websites – but reciprocal links are clearly not worth as much as one-way back-links and it is a lot of work to do this effectively anyway.
4. Provide them with fresh, unique content that adds value to their site in return for which they agree to post a back-link to you. Many sites are constantly looking for fresh, unique content. They get this content by traipsing through the article directories or by subscribing to article submission services.
So, if you send out articles to such directories, your articles will end up both on the directories themselves, AND on the niche sites that pick up and use our articles. AND some of these are likely to be valuable “authority”-type sites. Of course it depends on the quality of your article who picks it up.
As you can see, this last method is the simplest and most powerful. It gives you hundreds or thousands of one way links, from niche, relevant sites, all for free. All you need is some way to get a different, unique, article to each of those directories and ezine publishers. Which is, of course, what our software does.
But wait a minute! It doesn’t stop there. The real power behind this method comes when you use it regularly. Preferably at least once a week. Imagine getting 200 to 1800 new permanent one way links every week! By the end of a year, you could easily have 50,000 or more relevant, quality, one-way links to your site! And you can connect the submission process to a timer to put everything on autopilot!
That is the real power of this system’s software and that is why it beats every other traffic generation and seo system out there.
So, unless you don’t have an online presence at all, isn’t it time you harnessed this power for your own business? Click on our link below now to get the early-bird discount and get a fantastic bunch of bonuses:
How To Create An Effective Newsletter
The typical form of newsletter is a one-way communication where you provide information to customers, such as product updates and announcements. Creating a successful newsletter can be extremely rewarding. Subscribers and customers respond with glowing feedback, online sales jump and your customer relationships and brand loyalty deepens. Here are some useful tips that might help in creating a successful newsletter.
Define Success
Ask yourself “What is the purpose of your newsletter?” A newsletter is a substantial investment of company resources in terms of time and energy, and you need to define in as tangible terms as possible the purpose of your Newsletter.
Voice and Personality
Establish a voice or editorial personality-whether newsy, serious, gossipy or funny-that is synergistic with the image you want to portray and connects with your audience. Remember that e-mail newsletters aren’t e-mail promotions designed to stimulate immediate action. Sales and promotional copy don’t suit e-newsletters. Nor does the traditional tone of broadcast corporate communications. Think of your newsletter as a one-on-one conversation. Just imagine sitting in a coffee shop talking informally with a customer. That’s the starting point for your approach-a more personable and appropriate “human” voice will come naturally. Drop the jargon, drop the sales pitch, be as honest as you can, and talk like a human being. You can have as much or as little personality as is appropriate. Consider adding a brief editorial, a comment or two, an editor’s note, a couple of lines of commentary, a touch of opinion; adding a little human element here and there. Sign editorials, give authors a byline, or list some names down in the administrative section of each issue to which your readers can relate to.
“From” Line
Whether it’s a person’s name, name of the newsletter or company name, determine what will resonate best with your readers and stay with it.
“Subject” Line
“Vol. 1, Issue #8″ or “Company News” are not enticing subject lines. They are certainly consistent and simple, but they don’t tell your readers anything that will motivate them to open your e-mail. Your subject line is your calling card-entice your readers with the most interesting or intriguing information in your Newsletter. Use attractive headlines as a means to summarize a section of content.
Style/Format
Establish a format and layout of your Newsletter that is clean and simple, with elements of the Newsletter (table of contents, “Tips”, subscription information, etc. located in the same spot each issue).
Content and Relevancy
Figure out what your readers want and give it to them. Seek continuous improvement by obtaining reader feedback and monitoring click-through rates to determine what types of articles are most popular. Another dilemma that we all confront is too much information and too little time. The newsletter’s job is to keep readers on top of trends and the latest developments in the industry. Aim for articles and feature stories to meet one of the following criteria by including either: major industry occurrences, forward thinking industry ideas, education on issues or new techniques, or business opportunities.
Whether your customers work out of a corporate or home office, or employees need answers to questions and tips for improving business activities, e-newsletters provide you with an opportunity to point out work inefficiencies, and share relevant best practice. When you create a newsletter, try changing your focus from selling products and services to solving your customers’ problems. Think about what they need and give options they don’t know exist.
The greatest thing about the electronic medium is that you can quickly add new hyperlinks and include updates on old material should new information surface without incurring another round of cost for a new issue (that happens in the real world).
Don’t Wait Till the Last Minute
Begin compiling newsletter information in advance. Ask fellow marketers to contribute articles. One great source of information is none other than your inbox where you can quickly search for worthy nuggets from the past week and relay the same essence in your own words.
Quality Sources
Where can you get quality content for your newsletter?
1. Article directories like ezinearticles.com or findarticles.com. Also get articles from yahoogroups. The downside to this is that you need to include the author’s signature or resource box.
2. Forums. One of the most dynamic and updated places on the Internet is where people write off the cuff and in real-time. Thread after thread, reply after reply of the latest information comes off the minds of forum participants. Combine interesting topics and reword them into an original article.
3. Again, your own inbox right under your nose. Whatever other marketers are writing or selling about, use them to your own advantage and recreate them as your own.
4. Your own insights are really your best resources. When you have passion, you will never stop talking about what you know. Be consistent at no. 4 and soon enough you will find a way to mold yourself into an expert. Continue to expand your knowledge database and add value to it.
Graphics
Use graphics that print well on your printer. Using a good mix of photographs and art work makes for interesting copy. Too many graphics can leave the newsletter looking cluttered.
Frequency
Determine how frequently your readers want to hear from you/receive your newsletter-and what you can commit to. As a rule, a weekly newsletter is ideal. However, don’t launch a weekly newsletter if you are not absolutely certain that you can distribute a quality Newsletter every week. A fortnightly newsletter is a good option too.
Length
A newsletter should be a quick read. Readers expect to finish reading it in 4 to 5 minutes. Short articles increase the probability that your reader will find something of interest to them.
Timing
Test and pick a day and time that works best…and stick to it. Readers should almost be able to set their watches by the receipt time of your Newsletter.
Penetration
You have the option of formatting your e-mail by including colorized text and a variety of fonts, but not all e-mail software supports HTML mail. Consider writing your newsletter in plain text or offer two mailing lists-one for plain text mailings and the other for HTML e-mail.
Make it Viral
Provide information readers can act on or that stimulates reaction-forwarding it to friends and peers, stimulating purchases or requests for additional information. Make it easy for readers to forward articles and information to peers and friends. Provide a “Tell a Friend” link that enables readers to forward the Newsletter with a personalized note.
Search
Make it easy to find articles of interest and back issues. Provide a table of contents and links to articles within the newsletter and to resources and past articles on your site.
Printability
If you want to give readers an option to print, consider providing “printer-friendly formats” on your website. Make sure your newsletter is physically readable. Avoid anything less than 12 point fonts for the article text. Fancy fonts may look good but can be hard to read when printed. Heading and text fonts should be consistent throughout the newsletter.
If you lack experience in print media, seek out assistance if you know someone in the field. If not, don’t worry-the abovementioned basic principles apply. Plan to research your material thoroughly and avoid factual or editing errors, as they will make you seem less credible.
Personalize
At the very least, address the reader by name. The most successful newsletters have a human being associated with them…and a personality. If possible, your Newsletter should be “written by a person” at your company…not the company.
Language
Not everyone has the range and depth of vocabulary as teachers and linguists do. Use words that are easy to understand, and if you do use technical terms, provide a definition that people can relate to. There is nothing more frustrating then a definition that makes less sense than the word itself. Just write in layman terms and keep it short, simple and straightforward.
Spelling and Grammar Check
Sending out copy with numerous errors creates a negative image to your readers. Aside from using a spell checker, have an outsider edit your final copy for readability, grammar and content.
Test and Track
Test the Newsletter on few e-mail addresses to check for errors and other issues before sending to the entire distribution list. Keep track of results and reactions to your newsletter to come to an understanding for further tweaks and corrections.
Lastly, to summarize the key fundamental features of an e-newsletter, make sure you include:
* Table of Contents * Hyperlinks for customers who want more information for a featured topic * Exciting secrets or tips related to your product or service * Contact information
E-newsletters can take up a good amount of time if not managed correctly. The use of a list server (a piece of software that runs on your Internet provider’s computer or on your own web server) is a good option. It will automatically manage a list of e-mail addresses. Once you send your newsletter to the list server, it distributes the letter to the stored addresses. For more information on list servers, contact your Internet service provider. If you opt to use another method, make sure you have a plan for handling incoming and outgoing mail when your customer base increases.
In conclusion, your newsletter can serve as an extension of your business that will reach out to your customers. It will allow you to maintain regular contact with them and serve as an effective and rewarding addition to your marketing arsenal. These tips should help you put it all together and help you create an exceptional newsletter.
15 Creative and Profitable Ways to Use Autoresponders
An interested visitor who has been strolling through your site has finally come to just what she is looking for and is about to make a purchase. It’s a sunny afternoon, and her cat, who happens to be sitting on the moss under the visitor’s large fifty-year-old snow-rose bonsai tree, suddenly jumps down, and the priceless tree topples over.
In the blink of an eye, your visitor exits your site, and your sale is dust – unless you have had the foresight to utilize an autoresponder that has captured her email address. If you have installed an autoresponder, you can then follow-up with her, and in all probability, make the sale when the poor woman has finished repotting her precious bonsai.
Autoresponders are remarkable, versatile programs that do so much more than just automatically answer your email. Here are a few ideas that will help you to creatively and productively use your autoresponder to transform the casual visitor into a profitable customer. Use your autoresponder to:
1. Publish a newsletter. Certain quality autoresponders will manage subscriptions and follow-up with interested prospects. Your newsletter can keep your visitors informed about your services or products, while building your reputation as a credible expert in your particular business.
2. Publish a newsletter only for your affiliates. Inform them of current sales you are running and of promotional material that your affiliates can use themselves to increase their commissions. Include tips, advice, and techniques that your affiliates can use to successfully go out and promote your business.
3. Write reviews. Cover books, software, music, e-books, movies, etc., and put each review in an autoresponder. Review your affiliate programs, using a link to your affiliate’s page in your autoresponder.
4. Distribute your articles. Writing and distributing targeted articles is a powerful tool to build your business credibility, bring traffic to your site, and increase your sales potential. If your articles contain valuable information, many editors will print what is known as a resource box for you. A resource box contains your bio and a brief description of your service or product. It can also contain your autoresponder address. Let’s say you’ve written fifty articles. Put them on separate autoresponder accounts and create a master list that contains the titles of each article, the autoresponder address, and a brief abstract. Then promote your master list. Additionally, include your publishing guidelines so your affiliates can add their articles to your list, increasing the number of writers who are represented in your article list.
5. Create mailing lists. Inform subscribers to your articles when you’ve written new ones that they may want to publish in their own newsletter or website.
6. Automate your sales process. Use an ad to insure repeated exposure of your message, which has been proven to effectively increase sales. In your ad, put your autoresponder address where a visitor will be exposed to numerous marketing materials. This multiplies the chances of converting visitors into customers. For example, if you’re selling a particular product, put testimonials about how spectacular it is on your autoresponder, and add a detailed, enticing description of your product.
7. Distribute advertising. Let’s say you sell advertising on your website or in your newsletter or e-zine. Set your autoresponder to send the information about rates and how to place an ad automatically to all prospects’ email addresses. Then have your autoresponder follow-up. It can also send notification of any special deals you are currently offering.
8. Distribute an email course. Each day, have your autoresponder send out another lesson. Just be sure that each lesson has quality content – not a sales pitch. Your content will do the selling for you, and will do it much more effectively. You can include tips centered on a different topic for each lesson, illustrating how your product will benefit the reader. Include the tangible benefits the visitor will reap by purchasing your product. Make sure to include a paragraph or two at the end of each lesson enticing your prospect to consider making a purchase.
9. Automate a reminder about your service or product after a visitor has completed your course. This will increase the possibility of sales from visitors who have taken your course but are dragging their feet about actually making a purchase. You can also use these reminders to promote new products or services, and the products and services of your affiliate programs.
10. Distribute free reports. This gives your visitor an idea of the type of information you can provide and the quality of your product or service. Make sure these reports are not sales letters or you will more than likely lose a potential customer than gain a sale.
11. Create trivia quizzes on your site and place the answers in an autoresponder. Your visitor will then be motivated to request your autoresponder, and you will have a record of the visitors’ email addresses who took your quiz. Or create a contest and have any visitors that enter send their responses to your autoresponder. Your autoresponder can be set-up to send them a confirmation of their entry.
12. Offer a trial version of your product. Give your prospects a sample of your ebook, course, software, membership, etc. People who are exposed to a little taste often end up wanting the whole pie. You can also capture their email addresses when you offer them a free trial from your website. Set up your autoresponder to give instructions on how to obtain their free trial, and then make sure to follow-up to try and close the sale.
13. Link to hidden pages on your autoresponder. For example, a hidden page could be your affiliate page that contains graphics, promotional articles, and text links that interested affiliates can make use of. Inform visitors that they may have free access to your affiliate page by simply requesting your autoresponder. You will then gather a list of visitors who may be interested in becoming your affiliates.
14. Use an autoresponder on your order page. Post a request form for visitors to be notified of special offers or discounts in the future. This creates a very effective mailing list that contains the names of people who are already your customers.
15. Put your links page on your autoresponder. It should contain up to fifty links that would be of particular interest to your visitors. Make sure to add your own promotional copy at the top or bottom of this page.
Now that you have proof that autoresponders can be used creatively, see if you can come up with some brilliant ideas of your own!
Tags: a, advertising, affiliate program, auto responders, b, business, business promotion, E, i, internet marketing, m, market, marketing, n, network marketing, newsletter, o, online business, publishing guidelines, s, small business, u | 
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