9 Ideas for E-zine Content
Publishing a weekly or monthly e-zine is crucial to successful online marketing. The trouble many marketers face is determining what type of content to include in their e-zine.
When publishing an e-zine you need to achieve a balance between providing useful information and soft-sell. You can and should use your e-zine to promote yourself. But this should not be the focus. If all you do is talk about yourself and your products, people will get board and unsubscribe.
Readers do not mind a little soft-sell. In fact, they expect it. But that is not why they are subscribing to your e-zine. They want useful, helpful information. And if you do not provide that, they will unsubscribe.
Many marketers make the mistake of focusing solely on their company or products. Their e-zines read more like infomercials than helpful newsletters. Don’t make this same mistake. A good rule to follow is this: 80% of your e-zine should provide solid, useful information, 20% should focus on your company.
So what should you include in your e-zine? Below are 9 ideas.
1. Articles On A New Product
Let’s say your company has just developed a new product. Instead of including a blatant advertisement in your e-zine, write a feature article on the product. Explain why the product was developed and how much research was involved. Include information on the benefits the product offers and how it solves a particular problem. Make your article read like a feature story, not an advertisement.
2. Case Studies
When writing a case study tell readers about a particular problem someone had and how you or your firm helped him solve it. Include specifics. Keep it lively, informative and interesting. Case studies are effective for several reasons.
First of all, they captivate people’s interest. People are interested in other people. They like to read about someone who had a problem similar to their own. And they want to know how that problem was solved.
Second, case studies help promote your products or services indirectly. Your readers will see that your product or service really does work. And they will be tempted to try it themselves.
3. Useful Information
This should be the heart and soul of your newsletter. People are always on the lookout for practical information they can immediately put to use.
Include articles that tell your readers how to prevent a problem or achieve a goal. If your e-zine is directed towards business people, provide them with useful information that will help them do their jobs better.
The information you include in your e-zine should be practical, relevant and helpful. And it should be in your area of expertise. If you are a marketing consultant, your e-zine should include helpful articles on marketing. If you are a pet food manufacturer, you should write articles related to pet health and nutrition.
These how-to informative articles will position you and your company as an expert in your industry. Which is exactly what you want. By positioning yourself as an expert, you will gain your readers trust. If one of your readers ever has a need for your type of product or service, you will be the first vendor that comes to mind.
In your zeal to provide useful content, be sure it is relevant to you industry and area of expertise. If you are a pet food manufacturer, don’t include articles on horticulture, no matter how interesting and informative they may be.
4. Reader Resources
As mentioned earlier, people want lots of practical information. You can add tremendous value to your e-zine by including helpful resources.
If you come across an interesting book related to your industry, let your readers know about it. Write a book review and include a link to Amazon where readers can purchase the book. You may even want to join Amazon’s affiliate program so you get a commission on products sold. Suggest blogs or websites that are a clearinghouse of information or just plain helpful.
Here’s a list of resources you can include in your e-zine:
· Internet groups related to your industry
· Online bulletin boards or chat groups
· Magazines or trade journals related to your industry
· Websites
· Blogs
· Internet classes.
· Books
· Special reports
· Associations
· E-books
This list is by no means exhaustive. Use your imagination. If you come across an interesting article on the internet, include a brief overview and link in your e-zine. These types of resources can be a gold mine to your readers.
5. Include a Question and Answer Section
Everyone has questions they want answered. Your subscribers want to hear your suggestions, advice or opinions on certain issues.
So include a question and answer section in your e-zine. Encourage your readers to send you questions. Then, with their permission reprint their question and your answer in the next issue. Most reader’s find the question and answer section of any publication extremely interesting and informative. They are curious to know what types of questions other people have. They like to see if other people’s questions mirror their own. But most important of all, they want to read your answers. People want to hear from the experts or from someone who really knows their stuff, which in this case is you.
Including a question and answer section gives readers a chance to interact with you. And it provides you with an outstanding opportunity to build a stronger relationship with your subscribers. Before long, your readers will begin see you as a knowledgeable expert and helpful problem-solver.
So how do you get people to send you questions? Ask for them. Some people may need a lot of prodding to send in their questions or comments. Encourage readers to send questions by providing a link in your e-zine that says something like, “to send a question, click here.”
Once your subscribers see other people’s questions in print, they will begin to send in their own.
By taking the time to answer people’s questions, you are showing subscribers you care about them and their problems. This can go a long ways in gaining their respect, trust and friendship. Loyal subscribers can be your best customers.
6. Include Fascinating Tidbits of Information
This could be a statistic….an interesting piece of news related to your industry…the results of a survey…or a helpful tip.
One e-zine directed towards healthcare marketers includes a “Did You Know” section in each issue. These are usually very brief pieces of information, sometimes just a line or two. One issue’s “Did You Know?” section simply stated (I am paraphrasing here): “Did you know doctors have learned 50,000 new words by the time they graduate from medical school?” If you work in the healthcare field, information like that is fascinating.
Everyone wants to learn something new. And providing a small section that is packed with succinct pieces of information related to your industry is a good way to ensure reader satisfaction. Keep this section concise and to the point. Make your sentences short and snappy.
These “golden nuggets” of information are fun to know and easy to remember. Many people enjoy passing this type of information on to friends, family members, and co-workers.
A pet store may publish an e-zine directed towards pet owners. They could include interesting facts related to pet health and care. For example, “It would take 250 pounds of white chocolate to poison a 20 pound dog. But only 1-2 ounces of baking chocolate can harm your pet.” Brief. To the point, but extremely interesting, useful and relevant. If you’re a conscientious pet owner, this is just the type of information you want.
Small, fascinating chunks of information are extremely pleasant to read. It only takes a minute or two and you walk away with a helpful tip or a piece of knowledge you didn’t have before.
7. Industry News and Trends
People want to know what’s going on in their industry or area of interest. Stock brokers want to know how the stock market is fairing. Pet lovers want to know about what’s new in the pet industry. Veterinarians want to know about the latest breakthroughs in veterinary medicine.
Publishing industry news in your e-zine can make it an invaluable resource to your subscribers.
The key is to keep these sections brief and to the point. Don’t go on and on or debate every side of the issue. Let the trade journals and magazines do that. Your news section, on the other hand, should give readers a concise overview of your topic. If you want to cover the topic in more detail include a link to your website or another webpage where your readers can receive more thorough coverage.
Your e-zine can include articles on interesting trends in your industry…pending legislation…technological breakthroughs…the results of research findings…or the opinions of prominent industry figures. You can also include quotes from industry trade journals or other respected publications.
The “news” section of any e-zine or magazine usually gets the highest readership. Including news in your e-zine can make it well worth reading. In fact, it may be the very thing that attracts readers to your e-zine and keeps them coming back for more.
8. Company Information And Achievements
Your newsletter is basically a tool to help you build a strong relationship with your customers. You want them to trust you and feel like they know you on a first name basis.
Although you do not want the whole focus of your e-zine to be on you, it is acceptable to include some company information. If done correctly, including company information in your e-zine will help you build a stronger relationship with your customers.
Show your readers that your employees are extremely efficient and reliable by including employee profiles. List their industry activities or include quotes from their speeches. Demonstrate how your employees contribute to your company and the outstanding service your customers enjoy.
For example, if your company is known for it’s fast, reliable shipping, profile the person who heads up the shipping department. Show readers how his commitment and dedication to the job enables customers to receive their orders quickly and efficiently.
Keep these employee blurbs interesting and brief. Don’t include boring details like how long Jane has been with your company, how many children she has or what educational classes she took this spring.
You e-zine can also report on a recent award your company won. Since reading about rewards can be extremely boring, make sure the award is a very important one and that it signifies a major milestone.
Tell readers about any recent achievements your company has made. Make them feel that they are “in” on what’s going on with your company.
9. Free or Special Offers
One of the benefits of having an e-zine is the ability to present your readers with special offers specifically designed for them. This can build you an army of loyal fans.
Offer your readers a free special report or booklet. If you are in the business of selling merchandise run a short sale specifically for your e-zine subscribers. Be sure to inform your readers that this offer is exclusively designed for them and them alone. This will flatter your readers and make them feel like they are receiving special treatment.
Thank your subscribers for reading your e-zine from time to time. Give them a free gift or a discount off certain products. There is no faster way to gain loyal customers than to save them money or provide them with something of value for free.
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