Read Parts Two, and  Three, and Four 

Starting An Ezine Part One: Gathering The Ingredients
By Donesia Muhammad

Internet Marketing is a vast, huge world. There are many aspects of marketing but one of the cheapest and most effective basics of marketing besides having a professional website and your own domain name is to have your own ezine (Newsletter)

To create an ezine is a great way to keep in touch with your website customers. Your ezine can keep your customers updated on what's new with your products and services.

You can also create a profit from your ezine in the form of selling advertising space in your ezine which will be discussed in later articles.

First there are three basic questions you need to ask yourself .

What Is The General Purpose Of Your Ezine?

Who Do You Want To Reach With Your Ezine?

What Are The Basic Elements That Need To Be Included In Each Issue?


General Purpose

Now we are all in the business to make money but starting an ezine has to be something that you want to do. Your words can tell another story altogether. Your subscribers can always tell whether or not you care about your ezine.

So you have to focus your goals and examine the different ways you can use to start an ezine

You can use your ezine to announced any new products and services. This helps your customers remember you so when they are in the market for new products, they remember your name first.

You can always help and teach others in your area of expertise. You can entertain your readers with inspirational messages, jokes, informative articles, and instructional tutorials. 

Don't ever assume that you don't have anything to say. You will be surprised. Remember your ezine is online, therefore global so there is a vast array of people who would benefit from your knowledge.

Who Do You Want To Reach With Your Ezine?

Once you've decided what your ezine is about, who do you want to read it? Decide who will benefit the most from your expertise and products. 

If your product is baby clothes you would not market to Senior Citizens...Unless you are trying to target Grandparents, then you are narrowing down your specifics and that would make sense.

Write down the characteristics of the people you would like to market your ezine to. What are their ages, gender, geographic location, spending habits, and possibly income level. Again these are just examples to help you narrow down your demographics.

Get out a pen and paper and write down your long term goals for your business, this will help determine the money you plan on making from your ezine.

Gather all your work, research, so you will know how you want to help your readers.

Make sure you know which products and services you choose to promote in your ezine. Remember 9 out of 10 times, if something goes wrong, your readers will contact you with a complaint before they contact anyone else.

What Are The Basic Elements That Need To Be Included In Each Issue?

Ezine Header.

There should always be a header with your ezine's name, date, and volume number. You should also include further down, any subscribe and unsubscribe instructions, name of the publisher, and website name, and copyright information.

Always place unsubscribe instructions at the top and bottom of your ezine. You do not want to be accused of holding customers hostage to your list. Always make your issue easy to subscribe and unsubscribe.


For example:
--------------------------------------
MY IBIZ WEEKLY
--------------------------------
March 22, 2002 Vol.5, Issue 7

Editor: Donesia Muhammad
Owner, KDM Publishing
http://MyIBizHelper.com 
http://EzineAdHelper.com 

If this issue was forwarded to you, then you can subscribe here
Send a blank email to mailto:myibizweekly@aweber.com 



Table of Contents

Let your readers know what they have to look forward to in each issue. Saves time on having to guess what your content is about. Looks professional and keeps your issues organized.

Example:
>Daily Quote
>Note from the Editor
>Main Article
>Unsubscribe Information

Last but not Least

Signature or Footer

This is just a basic business card at the end of each email. Your customers will always know how to reach you and you can include any common information such as advertising rates and contact information.

Example:

Copyright(c)2002 Donesia Muhammad
Owner, KDM Publishing


Contact me at either:
mailto:donesia@ezineadhelper.com  or
mailto:webmaster@ezineadhelper.com 


Now that we have figured out the purpose, demographics, and
basics of your ezine, next week, we will discuss:

How To Format Your Ezine
What Software Can You Use To Help With The Creation Where To Find Content For Your Ezine

Part Two 
Part Three
Part Four Conclusion


Copyright (c) 2002 Donesia Muhammad
Donesia Muhammad is an aspiring Netpreneur. Visit her site http://EzineAdHelper.com  for help
with your internet business and ezine advertising.
Sign up for her newsletter and receive a free gift.


This article may be freely distributed as long as the above byline is included