Chapter 1: What is Publishing & Why Should I Do It?
Most people think that "publishing" is a big secret.
They keep hearing that publishing an ezine is "the way" to
promote their business, but they have no clue what is involved
or where to start. I just want to start by saying that this
is NOT rocket science and it doesn't have to be time consuming!
Don't let the concept of publishing scare you!
So, what is publishing?
Simply stated, publishing is the act of distributing information.
The traditional sense of publishing involved a printed format, such
as a newspaper, a magazine, a newsletter, ad sheets and books.
The modern definition expands to include websites, email newsletters,
online newsletters and other forms of electronic information
delivery, including websites.

Why publish on the internet?
The answer to that question can range from simple sharing of craft
or club information to serious pursuit of customers or prospects.
Most of you are reading this ebook in search of a way to promote
an online business, so I'll continue with that thought in mind, but
these concepts and solutions can apply to anyone who wants to share
any type of (legal, family-friendly) information.
Many online businesses fail because they have no idea that you need
to advertise and promote your online business even more agressively
than a brick and mortar (traditional) business. The "build it and
they will come" theory simply does not apply to websites. You MUST
PROMOTE your site, service, product or organization in order to grow
your business. Search engines and other forms of online and print
advertising are fine, but the most widely recognized way to promote
online businesses and is "building a list".
"Building a List", simply means getting the email addresses of people
who are, in theory, interested in the type of product or service being
offered by the business owner.

The most well known and widely used method of list-building
is through ezine publication. A ezine is typically a compilation of
articles, advice, and other relevant information delivered via email.
Through the use of autoresponders, website-based subscription
links and list server utilities, from the technical side and use
of advertising in other ezines, on ad boards, FFA posts, search
engines and listing their publication in free and paid ezine
directories (a compilation of ezine information).
Another popular means of amassing subscribers was through advertising
cooperatives,in which publishers agreed to run advertisements at a
reduced rate, or even for free, in exchange for a subscriber sign-up.
This reduced the cost and effort required to build the list quickly.
Co-ops, especially the free advertising co-ops, are most effective
for FAST list building, but the subscribers tended not to stay
around after their ad ran and many would never read even one issue
of the ezine, so they offered no value to the list.

Enter the SPAM wars era of the internet. I'm sure you've seen the
smut mail and other unsolicited email offers in your inbox. I receive
literally hundreds of these emails per day! These messages, coupled
with the malicious, virus-laden messages, have spurred ISP's to
employ spam filters in an effort to reduce delivery of these messages.
Unfortunately, most of the filters are ineffective, filtering out
even messages to legitimate subscriber lists.
Many publishers, myself included, attempted to overcome the hurdle of
ISP filters by using creative wording and spam buster utilities to
get publications throught to as many subscribers as possible. I personally
moved to a format of creating my newsletter as webpages and just
sending an announcement email when each issue was ready. Even these
announcement emails would often be filtered.

So why bother publishing at all?
Because the theory of list building is still valid, but with the
degradation of email delivery and the threat of shutdown or
prosecution due to spam complaints, we need to find smarter ways
to distribute and promote our publications. The key to successful
online promotion is to build a relationship and build trust with
readers who are interested in topics related to your product or
service. These are the people who, once that trusting relationship
is established, will be your best customers. Make no mistake, it
takes time and effort to publish successfully. It's easy to build
a huge email list, but what good is a list if nobody is reading
what you send to that list?

One problem with publishing the traditional way is that advertising
got out of control. Subscribers would run screaming from their PC
never to return again!
I have to admit that I was guilty too. My initial
intention was just to cover expenses. Then the ad requests were rolling in so fast
and everyone wanted them out NOW! I acquiesced to the requests, always
eager to please, and that's where the trouble began. Honestly, my net
earnings were way below sub-minimum if I factored in the many hours I spent
plugging away formatting my ezine, my website, etc.
Hindsight being
20/20, I way undersold my ad services and bombarded my subscribers
with "canned solos" from clients pushing every program imaginable.
All were family-friendly, of course, but every single solo ad was
virtually the same as the last. I finally learned that content is
key. Instead of canned solos, I now encourage the use of articles
for business promotion. Writing articles and publishing them
yourself is good. It's even better if you can get someone else to
publish them for you too. But how do you do this without a list?
How do you do this without using email?

Well, there is a way to publish articles and get those articles noticed
without relying on traditional email. I'll discuss one of the
easiest and fastest ways to do this, in a manner that is publisher
friendly, subscriber friendly and extends beyond the bounds of
your known subscriber base. It's a mindset change for those of
you who are reading this after researching ezine publication or
already publishing an ezine.
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Cartoon graphics herein are produced by Cartoonist Ron Leishman at:
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