Hope you're having a great weekend!  I spent the day at a cyclocross event with my daughter.  For those of you not familiar with the sport, it is basically riding your bike through the mud, snow, and over and around obstacles.  The goal of any competition is to generally complete as many loops of the course as you can in the time allotted.  It's a crazy sport and my daughter is a crazy kid - fun though!

Anyway, onto the writing and marketing stuff….

Last week we talked a bit about 5 things you absolutely must have if you want your e-zine to be successful and I promised that there were a few more.  Here they are:

1.  Forward to a friend. 

This is a feature that publishers generally don't think much about but it can have great importance, especially if you offer an informative newsletter!  Don't just place your forward to a friend at the bottom of your newsletter as an afterthought, purposefully ask your readers to spread the word.  They like you and they'll do it. A simple message consistently included in each and every newsletter, preferably in the same place each time, that encourages recipients to  forward your newsletter to friends, family, and colleagues is all you need.  Word of mouth advertising is the best kind and any newsletter forwarded is great word of mouth advertising!

2.  Don't forget to link to your website, at least once. 

The reason for your newsletter is to sell your product or service.  If you don’t have at least one link to your website then you’re not giving the newsletter the chance to do its job.  Links to your website in your newsletter provide not only a tool to sell but they’re also great tools for testing the effectiveness of your newsletter articles, promotions, and clickthroughs -they’re measurable.

3.  An opt-out.

While an e-newsletter is a great source for building your opt-in database, you MUST provide your recipients an option to opt out.  No one likes to be trapped into receiving an unwanted e-mail.  A simple “Click here to unsubscribe” will generally suffice.  Be sure to make good on all opt out requests to avoid angering and alienating clients and prospects. 

4.  Your signature

An e-newsletter signature isn’t your signed name at the bottom of each publication, though it can be.  A signature is an opportunity to strengthen your brand.  My favorite newsletter signature comes from Dr. Joe Vitale who signs his newsletters with:

Dr. Joe Vitale
"Aude aliquid dignum"
Author of way too many books to mention…

Of course he goes on to list many of his books which is a great tool if you like the newsletter and are curious about his books - he's an information marketer.

Have a great week!