Publish and Ezine and Monetize It
Ezines are newsletters that you send out periodically to subscribers. Subscriptions are typically obtained through sign-up forms at your (or third party) websites, and are re-confirmed to eliminate spam complaints. The reconfirmation is done because people can send email addresses of other people to you and the latter might then raise spam complaints when you send mail to them.
In this article we focus on the monetization opportunities provided by ezines. In the next article we look at the practical issues involved in publishing an ezine, including the all important issue of how to build a mailing list.
Mailing Lists are the Key to Monetization Opportunities
A targeted mailing list is the core requirement to tap the monetization potential of ezines. A list of email addresses is said to be targeted when the addressees are interested in a common topic, such as sailing. You can sell sailing supplies more easily to a list of sailing enthusiasts.
Whereas you might get a response of less than 1 percent if you send mails to a general list, you might be able to get a 10% response if the mailing is done to a targeted list. The mailing list also allows you to send follow up mails, and this increases response rates because many interested recipients might buy only after a number of contacts.
Promote Products through Ezines
A mailing list created using sign-up forms at your website will consist of people who have already indicated their interest in your topic. If that topic is related to your product, you thus have a list of people apparently interested in your product, and mailings to this group can generate better response rates.
If you don’t have a product of your own, you can select other products that are relevant to your theme. You can promote these products as an affiliate and earn commissions. For finding affiliates, you can join affiliate networks like LinkShare and ClickBank.
People do not always buy on the first contact. That does not mean they are not interested. They might be pre-occupied, or might not be immediately in need of the product. In such cases, follow up mailings can remind them about it (or reach them when they are ready to buy).
Earn Income from Advertisements
When you have achieved a subscriber base in thousands, you can start earning income by displaying advertisements on your newsletter. There are ezine ad brokers such as Ezine Ad Auctions and general ad networks such as Platform A that can help you find advertisers.
The amount you can earn from ads depends on both the number of subscribers for your ezine as well as the target group it reaches. Generally speaking, you can expect $20 for 1000 subscribers. If your publication reaches business decision makers, you can charge more.
Charging for Ezine Subscription
In theory, you can earn money by charging a subscription for your ezine. In practice, it is not only difficult, but might not even be worthwhile. Charging for subscription reduces number of subscribers drastically (by tens of times).
On the other hand, if you spend time and money on promoting a free ezine, you can probably get more by selling ads to be published on your high-circulation ezine.
To get paying subscribers, you must publish content that is not easily available free on the net. For example, secret tips on making money from the Internet can get many people interested. However, you will have to bridge the credibility gap as there are too many unworkable “secrets” offered by many.
The best option is to start with a free ezine, provide great content on that ezine to build subscriber trust, and then offer them a paid version that offers more than the free version.
In the next article, we will look at the practical issues of publishing an ezine, and also the requirements for its successful monetization.
