Today, it is relatively easy to start your own e-zine. There are lots of resources online regarding e-zine development and administration. Don’t make this decision without much thought, though, as you can damage your reputation if you don’t deliver consistent, valuable content.
There are a multitude of reasons that you should consider developing and distributing your own e-zine. E-zines can be an extremely effective online marketing tool for the following reasons:
- You become established as an “expert.” By providing your readers with valuable articles related to your area of expertise, you become, in their eyes, a valued and trusted expert.
- You establish trust. The first time someone visits your Web site, he or she has no idea who you are, how capable you are, or how professional you are. Sure, visitors get an impression from the look and feel and content of your site, but are they ready to do business with you? By providing them with free, valuable content over a period of time, you earn your visitors’ trust, and they are more likely to turn to you when they are ready to purchase.
- You generate significant traffic to your Web site. Your e-zine should always reference and provide a hyperlink to something available from your Web site. Once your visitor links through, there should be elements that encourage him or her to stay awhile and visit a number of pages on your site. The more often people visit your site, the more likely they are to do business with you.
- You build loyalty. Relationship marketing is what it’s all about on the Web. You want to build relationships over time, and your e-zine will help you do just that; if your subscribers receive something free from you every month, with whom are they going to do business when they have a need for your services or products? People prefer to spend their money with businesses they know and trust.
- You stay current with your customers and potential customers. When you are in front of your subscribers every month, you’re not too easy to forget. You can keep them up to date on what’s new with your company and your products, packages, and services, or what’s new in the industry.