Schewanick Computer Services

An optin subscribers or customers database is a very powerful tool for any online business today. Discover 5 effective ways how to grow your list.
I must admit that creating a newsletter or ezine is a really powerful marketing tool. But "How do I get people to subscribe?" After all, you can write hundreds of newsletters, but if you only have a handful of subscribers, it can be a lot of work for little reward.
Simply posting a "subscribe today" box on your website -- and then forgetting about it -- isn't going to attract subscribers by the thousands. Even if your web site is highly trafficked, this is going to produce disappointing results.
You need to be prepared to actively promote your newsletter, much the same way you would promote any other product or service online.
(1) Write articles and get them published
Another effective way to get more subscribers is by writing articles and get them published. Your resource box or author bylines/bio at the end of the article can contain a small note about your ezine and how to subscribe. To learn more about article writing and how this can be beneficial to your business, check this link out: http://www.zineguru.com/ewriter
(2) Promote Your Newsletter On Your Web Site!
Yes. Definitely promote your newsletter on your web site. But the keyword here is "promote." How motivating is it for a visitor to give you his or her name and e-mail address when presented with a subscribe box titled, "Subscribe to my free newsletter"?
Why? Why should I subscribe? How will I benefit from subscribing? What am I going to get? Just because your newsletter is "free," doesn't mean I want it. There are plenty of free newsletters out there I could subscribe to. What makes yours different or special?
You really need to "sell" your free newsletter to potential subscribers. In one or two short, exciting sentences clearly state the benefits of subscribing to your newsletter. For example, if your web site was golf related, you might say something like,
"Subscribe to the Free 'Golf Tips' Newsletter and receive monthly tips and advice from Pro Golfers. Improve your swing, hear about world renowned golf courses, learn which clubs the experts prefer, plus much more!"
It sounds a lot more interesting than "Subscribe to my free newsletter," don't you think? Visitors to your web site will think so, too!
The other tip I'd like to share is about where you should place your newsletter subscription box on your web site. First of all, don't hide it. Your goal should be to make sure that everyone who visits your web site is offered the opportunity to subscribe to your newsletter at least once, if not twice.
Your newsletter subscription box should appear "above the fold" (i.e., it should be immediately visible on the first screen) of your homepage. This is where you'll get the best response -- and the most subscribers!
(3) Offer Existing Customers A Subscription
Have you offered your existing customers a subscription to your newsletter? If you haven't, you should e-mail them an offer like this as soon as possible! This is an easy way to get a flood of new subscriptions.
And be sure to add a subscription offer to your "thank you for ordering" page or e-mail. If someone is interested enough in your product or service to purchase it, you can be sure they'll want to subscribe to your newsletter. Don't miss this opportunity to maintain contact with existing customers!
If you've offered a free subscription to your customers but received a poor response, consider making things a little more interesting by offering them a "special gift" like a free article or eBook when they subscribe. This extra incentive should dramatically boost the number of new subscriptions you receive.
(4) Promote Your Newsletter In Your E-mail Signatures
An electronic signature also referred to as a "sig file" is a three to six line footer that you can attach to the bottom of your e-mail messages and public forum postings. And it's a prime spot to advertise your newsletter!
Unlike a lot of other blatant advertisements, a sig file is universally accepted, so take advantage of this perfect opportunity to plug your newsletter! Anyone who receives an e-mail from you will also receive your invitation to subscribe to your newsletter. Chances are, if you're e-mailing them, they already have a direct interest in your industry or niche, so take advantage of this and offer them a free subscription right at the bottom of any e-mail you send!
(5) Ad Swap With Other Newsletters & E-zines
A great trick for increasing your subscriber base involves contacting other newsletters that relate to your target market and offering to swap ads with them. Tell the newsletter owners that you'll promote their newsletter to your subscriber base if they'll return the favor. This is a great way for both of you to increase your readership!
Subscribers will appreciate the recommendation of another source of quality information, and as long as the sites you swap with are complementary and not competitive, it's not going to hurt your business at all.
Ultimately, growing an ezine takes much time, dedication and patience. But in the long run, it's well worth. Now having a growing ezine at hand, your goal should be to develop a relationship with your subscribers through quality articles in your newsletter before you even consider trying to sell them anything. Give them quality information that they will benefit from to establish your credibility and develop a rapport with them.
Remember that the true value lies in the relationship that you develop with the person who owns the e-mail address not in the e-mail address itself. It will be the relationship that you develop with your subscribers that will result in big sales both now and in the future -- an important point to keep in mind no matter how many new subscribers you attract.
2003 by Jean Lam
About the Author
Jean Lam is the webmaster of http://www.zineguru.com Visit his site for Free Internet Marketing and Web Site Promotion articles with cutting edge tips, tricks, techniques, strategies and tools to promote your web site effectively.