Monday, April 26, 2010

The Three-Step Newsletter Creation Process

A newsletter is a very good way of promoting your business. It helps you connect with your prospects on a regular basis and build a stronger relationship with them. But so many people find the whole process tiresome and uninteresting. Well, it does not have to.

Every time you send your newsletter to your subscribers, you further strengthen the bond between you and them. The subscribers will receive quality information which is sent to their inboxes on a regular basis ; they will subsequently appreciate your efforts and regard you as an authoritative figure in your niche.

The Web has become overfilled with people selling nothing but junk to their unquestioning customers. This made people very wary of buying anything from anyone with whom they are not well acquainted. To avoid being in such unfortunate position, you can start a newsletter. Your primary goal will be getting people to opt in to the newsletter rather than buy directly. Research has shown that only few people would buy on their first visit.

These steps are intended to help you kickstart your newsletter success :

Find a good title. Finding a good title for your newsletter is an important stage in its creation. What your prospects are going to see first is your newsletter title, not its content. So, if they get intrigued and tempted by the title, they will opt in. Otherwise, they will simply dismiss it. Pick a title that is enticing and descriptive of your newsletter content as well.

Choose a suitable format. I used the word suitable intentionally because there are three newsletter formats and each format is suitable for one purpose and not for another. In order to find the format that serves you the best, you need to consider your needs and the features you want included in your newsletter. Then you try to find which format provides for those needs.

Generate content. Probably the most difficult task newsletter publishers face is generating good content on a regular basis. Some publishers may feel that they have run out of things to tell their subscribers about or just feel uninspired to write about anything. One way to avoid such a situation is by turning back to article directories where you can grab some free content that is of decent quality.

Stop by John Khon's site tips for newsletters where you can find out all about creating html newsletters.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Tips For Choosing Newsletter Titles

Choosing a newsletter name is a very crucial stage in the creation of a newsletter.

When checking books in a library, what is it that first attracts to a particular book, or for example when thumbing through a newspaper what drives you to check a particular title ? It is certainly its title.

An important point to consider when crafting your title is to make it relevant to your targeted audience. No matter how catchy your title is, prospects are going to overlook it unless it addresses some of their needs.

Here are a few things to consider when choosing a newsletter title :

Before creating a newsletter, you need to select a topic for it. The topic you opt for is the starting point for creating your newsletter title.

It is always good to embed the name of your niche within your newsletter title. There are several ways for doing this. For example, if your niche is 'Garden Decoration', you may entitle your newsletter 'Garden Decoration Tips'.

A catchy but vague or generic title will be of no use to you. You should always try to keep your newsletter title specific and relevant to your targeted audience. Title relevancy is a very powerful way of converting prospects into actual subscribers. People will naturally subscribe to a newsletter when they see that it treats topics and issues of interest to them.

Another way of achieving relevancy is by incorporating the name of your target audience into the newsletter title.

Suppose you are publishing a newsletter which is aimed at people who have been to Hawaii or who intend to go there. You can name your newsletter ' Hawaii Lovers'. Those people will readily recognize that your newsletter is meant for them, and instantly subscribe to it.

Learn more about newsletter names. Stop by John Khon's site newsletter writing tips.

Newsletter Format Tips

Newsletter publishers today use any one or more of the 3 most commonly used newsletter formats which I am about to describe to you in this article.

None of the formats is perfect. They all have some good points and bad ones as well. Having a clear idea of the features and inconveniences of each format will ultimately help to choose the right one.

The text newsletter is the most commonly published. The advantage of this format is that other than writing, you do not require any special skill to use a Word or Notepad program. In addition to the easiness with which they are created, text newsletters are also compatible with all email clients and applications unlike HTML newsletters which sometimes get screwed up by some email clients.

In order to create an HTML newsletter, you must be adequately familiar with HTML. If you are not, then you had better use readymade HTML templates for your newsletter issues. This disadvantage is made up for by the different features HTML newsletters offer.

You can decorate your newsletter, change your fonts, include pictures, and more. However, the drawback often faced by HTML newsletters is that they often get trapped into spam filters before they reach their subscribers' inboxes.

The third and least used among the 3 formats is the PDF newsletter. Publishing your newsletter in PDF format can consume a lot of time and effort on your part but often make up in quality readership.

Due to the commitment, PDF newsletters are usually published on a monthly basis. The great part, though, is that you can put in your affiliate links in your PDF newsletter issue and allow your subscribers to pass the newsletter issue around.

Given the choices, however, you do not have to necessarily choose strictly one newsletter format, as some newsletter publishers today do publish in more than one newsletter form.

To get more information about newsletters formats. Stop by John Khon's site email newsletter programs tips.

Making An Online Newsletter

A newsletter is a very good way of promoting your business. It helps you connect with your prospects on a regular basis and build a stronger relationship with them. But so many people find the whole process tiresome and uninteresting. Well, it does not have to.

A newsletter is meant to impart information. So when you start sending your readers free quality information on a regular basis, they will start to respect you more and regard as an expert in your field. Overtime, they will unquestioningly trust anything you say or recommend, and will be happy to buy anything from you.

People are very wary about buying anything from strangers ; they want from people whom they trust. This is due to the fact that the Web has been flooded with people selling junk products to unsuspecting customers. By nurturing a relationship with your prospects, you assure them that you are safe to deal with and thus stand out from the crowd.

A newsletter can be made in three simple easy steps :

Select a title. The title of your newsletter is very important because it is what your prospects see first. It can either attract or put off subscribers. Therefore, crafting a good newsletter title is quite crucial for its success. The title should be neither too long nor too short. It should be easy to memorize and adequately indicative of the newsletter content.

Pick a format. Newsletters are published in three main formats, text, HTML and PDF. Each format has its advantages and disadvantages. In order to opt for one format or another, you need to know the features each one offers and select accordingly. Plain text newsletters are quite popular, although they seem to be on the way of being replaced by HTML newsletters. PDF newsletters are the least common of all three formats due to the amount of effort and time required for creating them.

Generate content. Content is the backbone of your newsletter ; after all, that is why people are subscribing to it. Many newsletter publishers find creating content regularly a tiresome chore. In fact, there are several shortcuts to creating quality newsletter content. One can use articles from article directories and rewrite them to suit their audience. We can also make use of forum posts that appear to be interesting. Another way of generating content is by interviewing authorities in your niche. Try to be creative.

Looking to find the best information on how to make newsletters, then visit John Khon's site newsletter help.

How To Create HTML Newsletter Templates

Newsletter formats can be grouped into three chief types : text, HTML and PDF newsletters. Each type has its pros and cons. By checking the features each newsletter format offer, i twill be much easier for you to choose the right format.

HTML newsletters are all the rage these days. The reason behind this trend is quite obvious ; the HTML format gives the publisher more formatting features and design flexibility.

On the other hand, text newsletters are the most basic of all the three formats. They make use of the least amount of design flexibility ; no hyperlinks, no images, and no colors ; just plain text.

Here are a few tips to help you design a more effective HTML layout for your newsletter :

1. Keep its width within 600 Pixels. If you set your newsletter wider than the email application's preview pane, your readers will have trouble displaying it. To avoid such inconveniences, keep it narrower than 600 pixels. This way you ensure that it is compatible with most email clients.

2.Use plain HTML coding. The more complex your HTML is, the more incompatibility issues you will have. Email applications do not fully support HTML in the same way web browsers do. Most of them do support the basic HTML features such as hyperlinks, font color, images, and background colors.

If you use advanced and overly sophisticated HTML features, you run the risk of getting your HTML layout jumbled up by some email applications. It is always wise to stick to simple coding and avoid getting dazzled by the flashy elaborately designed templates.

3.Avoid using multimedia files. If you have a video that you think is of some interest to your list, you can simply redirect them to it with an in-content link. Several email clients do not support multimedia files such as video, flash and audio.There are several reasons for this ; they are slow to load, and they take too much room.

4.Do not overuse CSS. CSS is a nice complement to HTML in designing websites. But when it comes to newsletters, the case could be different. There is no guarantee that email clients will execute your CSS code. So if you rely mainly on it for designing your newsletter layout, then the odds are your newsletter content will get completely messed up by some email clients.

The above tips are oriented to webmasters who are familiar with HTML and CSS. If you are not that sort of person, you can simply use readymade HTML templates.

Learn more about how to send html newsletter. Stop by John Khon's site Electronic Newsletter Tips where you can find out all about html email newsletter software.

Where To Find Good Newsletter Samples

Why reinvent the wheel, just use it. Instead of trying to create your own newsletter from scratch, you can go and find one that is readily made. You may just use it as it is or use it as a model for creating your own. The question is where to find these newsletter samples.

Your emailbox. If you have been online for a while, you have probably subscribed to a number of newsletters. You may be reading some of them or just neglecting all of them. Some of these are just worthless that you may wish to block them or just delete them for good. In spite of their poor quality, these newsletters can be an outstanding source for ideas and inspiration for your newsletter.

Ezine directories. Another place to check for samples is ezine directories. These directories list newsletters according to the topic they treat or discuss. You can simply head to the category of your interest to find similar newsletters. These newsletters are more beneficial to you because of their relevancy. Find some good samples that you can use as a model.

Offline magazines. Since online magazines can be seen as an extension to offline magazines, there are so many similarities between them. You can check successful real world magazines and use them as a model for your online newsletter.

Newsletter templates. If you google the keyword 'newsletter templates', you will find plenty of templates that are readymade for you to use. It is possible to use these templates as they are if you know no HTML. However, if you have at least some basic mastery of HTML, you can adjust these templates to suit your needs or just to give them a unique look. This will help you stand out from the crowd.

This list of ideas is by no means exhaustive of all sources of newsletter sample ideas. There are other sources of inspiration, just do some brainstorming to generate them.

Learn more about free sample newsletters. Stop by John Khon's site email newsletter service tips.

Saturday, April 24, 2010

A Few Tips To Make Attractive Newsletter Layouts

One of the points that newsletter publishers neglect and are inclined to overlook is perfecting the structure of their newsletter layout. They are so occupied with finding and creating content for the newsletter. However, like the content, the newsletter layout can have a great impact on its readership.

By creating an attractive, reader-friendly layout for your newsletter, you can get your readers more engaged in reading it ; they will also get accustomed to it and will be always looking forward to the next issue.

On the other hand, if you create a newsletter that is roughly and awkwardly laid out, it is most likely that your readers will get put off by its scruffy look. It is not just the information that matters, even the way in which it is presented matters.

Use multiple columns to enhance readability. When it comes to laying out a newsletter, columns come as a great help. They help you effectively organize your content in a way that is appealing to the reader. A line that stretches across the entire screen is hard to follow. Reading from a screen is quite different from reading in a book. The former is quite tiresome to the eyes. Columns make it easier for the reader to skim through your content and thus save their eyes much of the strain.

How to use columns. The two column layout is believed to the best. You can modify the size of the two columns so that the left hand column takes one third of the entire newsletter width. This way it acts like the menu of a website. There you can place your table of content. The right hand column should be left for your main content.

The right hand column. The right hand column is the area in which you can inject your main body of content. This could include text, pictures, and links. It is advisable not to use too many graphics in your newsletter because this usually adversely affects its performance and makes it slow to load.

There you have it ; a few effective tips to give your newsletter an eye catching and reader-friendly look and layout.

To get more information about how to layout a newsletter. Stop by John Khon's site newsletter design tips.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Newsletter Content Ideas - How To Easily Create Unique Newsletter Content

Creating your own newsletter content can be a challenge if you publish your own online newsletter or eZine on a regular basis. This is the reason why so many Internet marketers are not comfortable with the idea of running a newsletter.

Nevertheless, no matter what topic your newsletter is about, there are four main types of content which are : factual content, brief tips, short stories, and case studies.

If you do not feel like creating your own newsletter content, you may wish to arrange an interview with an authority in your niche. This way you get quality unique content for your newsletter without much effort.

Most of the time, the interviewee will not charge you anything ; they are getting some free publicity after all. All you have to do is prompt him or her with questions, and they will write most of the content for you when answering your questions.

Now if you are willing to spend money, you can get a ghostwriter to create quality unique content for you. The cost is relative to the length of the article. The following are a few good places where you can seek professional ghostwriters :

http://www.elance.com/
http://www.textbroker.com/
http://www.rentacoder.com/

Public domains are a great source of free newsletter content. Public domain is used to refer to anything that is not covered by the US copyright law.

All publications that took place prior to 1923 can be regarded as public domain content. Publications is used here to refer to written materials such as articles, reports and books.

Republishing and repackaging public domain information can help you save time and effort from creating new ideas and content as they are readily available. On top of that, you do not have to pay royalties or copyright fees on that work.

If you are not the sort of person who prefers writing newsletter content and articles, then these methods should be of good use for you.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

6 Red Hot Tips To Get Your Newsletter Read

Writing a newsletter article does not have to be difficult, but unfortunately not many people share this view. The bulk of people find creating newsletter content too hard. Some may even think that it's not worth the effort especially if nobody is going to take the trouble of reading it. Readers are justified in not reading newsletter articles that have been roughly put together. This type of articles are just a big time and effort drainer.

But all the same, newsletters have to be written to be read. It's just a matter of making them good. Making a good newsletter doesn't have to be strenuous and straining. There are just some points needed to be reminded of, and some guides to follow. Once you get the hang of it, writing newsletters could be fun, as well as profitable for you and your business.

Certainly, it is much easier to write a newsletter article about something that you know than about a topic where you have no experience. So if you are starting a newsletter about the same topic of your website, you will have no difficulty writing content for it. The reason is that you already know what it is and what it's about. Just try to be creative.

To make sure that your newsletter articles get read and enjoyed, here are six red hot tips to get your newsletter read. These tips will make your newsletter articles readable and interesting.

1) Use short paragraphs. When the paragraph are very long, the words get jumbled in the mind of the reader just looking at it It can get quite confusing and too much of a hard work to read. The reader will just quickly disregard the paragraph and move on to much easier reading newsletter articles that are good to look at as well as read. Paragraphs can be a single sentence, sometimes even a single word!

2) Make use of numbers or bullets. As each point is stressed out, numbers and bullets can quickly make the point easy to  remember and digest. As each point, tip, guide or method is started with a bullet or point, readers will know that this is where the tips start and getting stressed. Format you bullets and numbers with indentations so that your article won't look like a single block of square paragraphs. Add a little bit of flair and pizzazz to your articles shape.

3) Incorporate subheadings. This is one more great way for making your content scannable. Readers may not be interested in reading the whole article; they might be looking for a specific point which is dealt with somewhere within the article. By using subheadings, you make their search much easier. They can smoothly jump to that point.

4) Provide a good attention-grabbing newsletter title or header.
If your newsletter title can entice a person's curiosity you're already halfway in getting a person to read your newsletter article. Use statements and questions that utilize keywords that people are looking for. Provide newsletter titles or headers that describe your articles content but should also be short and concise.

A good newsletter title should be relevant to your readers. It should also give them an indication of what to expect. Do not use a flashy title merely because it is striking. The title should describe the content of the newsletter briefly and should be inviting as well. You can use "10 tips.... How to.....Easy Steps,etc".

5) Keep them interested from the start to the finish.
From your opening paragraph, use real life situations that can be adopted by the reader. Use good descriptions and metaphors to drive in your point, just don't over do it. Driving your examples with graphic metaphors and similes would make it easy for them to imagine what you are talking about. Making the experience pleasurable and enjoyable for them.

6) Utilize figures when necessary and not just ordinary and insipid statements. Using specific facts and figures can heighten your newsletter article because it makes it authoritative. But do not make it too formal, it should be light and easy in them and flow. Like a friendly teacher having a little chat with an eager student.