| There are lots of ezines (newsletters) out there | | | | of your ad for each one. |
| that offer free classified ads to new subscribers | | | | STEP 5. Submit your ad to each ezine editor. Be |
| (and many even offer free ads on an ongoing | | | | sure to double-check that you've complied fully |
| basis). | | | | with their submission guidelines. |
| This can be a nice little source of free traffic and | | | | STEP 6. For those ezines which give you a |
| exposure for your website/ebook/ezine but, if | | | | one-off ad, it's time to re-assess their value to |
| not handled properly it can have its downside. | | | | you. If you don't find the content useful or |
| The biggest problem is that, by joining a whole | | | | interesting, you should unsubscribe rather than let |
| plethora of ezines your mail box risks becoming | | | | it clog up your 'free_ezine_ads' folder. |
| very crowded very quickly, and it's easy to | | | | Remember, though, if the ad in that ezine drew a |
| become overwhelmed with it all. | | | | good response from its readers, you can always |
| This is especially true if some of those ezines | | | | check out their advertising rates and see if it's |
| send out messages every single day -- as many | | | | worth paying a few dollars to place your ad again |
| do. | | | | (or, if you're sneaky, you could try re-subscribing |
| To get around this, and to keep your free ezine | | | | at a later date and doing it again, making some |
| advertising campaign under control, follow these | | | | changes to disguise your wicked deception:-) |
| steps: | | | | STEP 7. For those ezines that allow free ads on a |
| STEP 1. Create a separate e-mail address for | | | | regular basis, make a list of all the submission |
| your ezine subscriptions (e.g. my_ezines@.....). | | | | deadlines and make it part of your regular |
| STEP 2. In your email software (e.g. Outlook | | | | marketing routine to check that list and see if |
| Express) create a folder (directory) called | | | | you're due to place an ad. |
| 'free_ezine_ads'. | | | | Finally, as you continue placing regular ads with |
| STEP 3. Using your e-mail software set up a rule | | | | those ezines, be sure to continue measuring their |
| that sends all mails that arrive to your e-mail | | | | effectiveness. In many cases you'll appear in the |
| address 'my_ezines@....' to the folder called | | | | middle of 20 other ads, so it may not bring in |
| 'free_ezine_ads'. | | | | much of a response rate. |
| STEP 4. Prepare the free ad you want to place in | | | | Likewise, the response rate from each ezine is |
| the ezines and keep a copy of it handy in a text | | | | likely to drop off over time -- especially if you |
| file. | | | | don't vary your ads. |
| Different ezines have different rules about the | | | | Decide for yourself whether it's worth your while |
| size of ad they will accept. Study each one | | | | continuing and be sure to try out different ads to |
| carefully and be sure to comply with all their | | | | see which ones work best with that readership. |
| submission guidelines. | | | | And there you have it, a pretty straightforward |
| You may also want to consider the mood and | | | | approach to keeping on top of things when it |
| tone of each ezine, and create different versions | | | | comes to free ezine advertising. |