Coop Eration

Writen by Theresa Cahill

An online advertiser has numerous options when it comes to getting the word out about their particular product or program or website, and the ezine co-op is an excellent resource.

The purpose of the co-op is very simple. For the advertiser, it is a one-stop spot to order advertising inside various ezines without having to do the manual labor for themselves. It's a time saver, a labor-saving tool only, and the selection of ezines is outstanding.

For the publisher, the co-op exists as a great method of advertising (or listing) their own ezine, it enhances the link popularity many search engines look for, and it's a great way to gain subscribers.

A publisher should join a co-op for two reasons:

1. To gain a subscriber in exchange for running a new ad.

Most ezines offer a first free ad and/or various ways to advertise for little or no money in their publications, so this doesn't create a big conflict - it's what a publisher is doing anyway.

The co-op assists by sending subscribers that have come via their website in the publishers direction. The publisher adds the new subscriber and runs the ad. The cost of advertising for that new subscriber is absorbed by the co-op, and the publisher benefits by having to advertise less to grow. It's a simple, win-win arrangement.

2. To be paid to perform a service over and above Item #1.

While almost every co-op has some sort of affiliate program available for anyone to join, the co-op/ publisher relationship should be such that the publisher does not have to rely upon selling in order to get paid for helping a co-op expand their services beyond Item #1.

With the increased number of solo advertising going on online, a publisher who agrees to get involved with additional solo mailings must weigh the value of taking on that additional service. They need to understand that they've agreed to add to their existing workload, and they've agreed to contact their subscribers more frequently. Neither should be taken lightly.

Every time a publisher does make contact with their list, they do lose some people - through bounced email or unsubscribes. How often a list is contacted is a critical component in keeping that list alive and well. Strain that resource, and a publisher and his or her readers feel the consequences.

A publishers purpose over and above providing good, useful information is to grow a list, a list that will ultimately make that publisher money. They work hard to establish a relationship of trust and confidence with their subscribers, they work on their own personal name branding. The publisher's hope is that by providing a quality service and good information their readers will follow their lead when good programs surface online and join with them or buy from them. It is a business, too.

But...

How many publishers finally give up and close down a list of loyal subscribers because the workload of maintaining that quality contact gets strained to the point of breaking, and the income they hoped to generate with their subscribers just isn't happening?

Many... and it's a shame - because even the subscriber and advertiser can see that the publisher also has the right to make money online.

A year or so ago, the sole purpose of a co-op was ezine advertising - the regular "classified" advertising listed in Item #1 above. Recently, including our service at My Wizard Ads, co-ops are adding additional ways for advertisers to get the word out - solo advertising, guaranteed hits, meta tag services, and more.

Yes these same additional services typically fall under the "make a sale, earn a fee" affiliate program. But the key difference a publisher should look at is the "make a sale" to get paid, particularly when it comes to solo ads - a primary source of income for the publisher who puts great effort into selling their own.

And, while it may not be a popular idea to express, I keep asking myself, "Why would anyone run solos for free?!?"

Back in October 2001 when My Wizard Ads opened it's doors my primary goal was, and remains to this day, to help publishers make money.

Why? Because I also publish and it's hard work! And over the course of several years online I've met many wonderful hardworking people who deserve to get paid for their efforts.

So I figured I could make a difference - expand upon the existing co-ops of the time, and put some cash back into the pockets of those working with me by paying them to help me grow.

And, if the cash wasn't readily available, I'd at least help them grow their list by sending them subscribers - because we all know "the money is in the list."

Sure, I've got the standard affiliate program (the first I believe to include PayPal), but I also understand the potential repercussions for a publisher every time they run a solo ad. To help offset this, I pay every publisher a fair market price, every time, regardless of who sold it.

And, what's more, I believe every co-op can, and should, do the same.

The sheer numbers of a co-op make it easier to allow advertisers less expensive methods of advertising. But, to this day, I believe that the co-op should not undermine the individual publisher.

As publishers we need to weigh the pros and cons and choose to participate wisely.

Common sense and good business practices can, and do, ensure that everyone has a fair shot at their online dreams.

Remember... Co-op...eration.

© Theresa Cahill - All Rights Reserved. Feel free to distribute this article. Please keep it intact and with the resource box included below.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Theresa Cahill, a two decade veteran of marketing, is the owner of http://www.mywizardads.com and invites you to take a look at the services of MWA and download fr.ee helpful information and more at http://www.mywizardads.com/sitemap.html

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Formulating Those Great New Ideas

Writen by Ken Mathie

The great thing about Ezines is that there are no hard and fast rules. The whole purpose of your Ezine is to be informative. People love information and don't really care how they get it as long as it's easily attainable and easy to read. So don't be afraid to be different with your Ezine. You don't want to be outrageous to the point where people think of your Ezine as a joke, unless of course it's an Ezine about humor, but there is nothing wrong with being a little out there.

So, how do you come up with all these great new ideas? What if you're not exactly the most creative person in the world? What if your artistic talent consists of drawing stick figures on napkins? What if you don't know a GIF from a JPEG? What if you think HTML means How To Make Lasagna? No problem. Want to get ideas for an Ezine look? Go right to the source.

Subscribe to some of the more popular ones. Take a look at what's included in them. Look at the design. Look at the layout. Is a simple one page email Ezine or is it something more complex like a PDF file or an HTML page with several sections? Read as many of these as you can. Get a feel for what's out there. The more popular Ezines probably got that way because of how they are put together. I'm not suggesting you copy a look exactly but there is nothing wrong with getting inspiration from these other Ezines.

It is probably best to view competing Ezines. These are the ones that focus on the same subject matter that you're going to focus on. The reason for this should be obvious. If you do a search for say, "Automotive Ezines" the ones that appear at the top of the search are probably going to be the most popular and they are for a reason. Examine them carefully. You'll probably find they are either PDF files or HTML based web pages. You'll probably also find that they contain lots of photos of autos. Take these Ezines apart and see what makes them tick.

And then, go one step further.

How?

Look to see what ISN'T there. This is where you become unique. This is where you give people something that other Ezines don't. If you're very familiar with a topic then you should know everything there is to know about it. Certainly there is something that you are personally familiar with that you're not finding in other Ezines. If it's an entire sub topic you may want to devote a whole section to it. This could end up meaning a huge subscriber base if it's something that a number of people want to know about.

Yes, coming up with those great new ideas is work. It's not going to just come to you. You're going to have to exert some brain power and it won't be easy. But after you've done it, you'll have an Ezine that you'll be able to have pride in and one that many people are going to want to read.

Learn more…

PMCezine" Internet Marketing Bulletins... Receive weekly up-to-date powerful marketing tips, strategies, and secrets to grow your online business. Money making tips and tricks you must use to save you massive amounts of profit & time, increase sales & ad responses. You don't want to miss this ezine... A must read! Receive 6 FREE gifts when you subscribe! mailto:PMCezine-13@smartprosystems.com http://www.promarketers-club.com

Copyright 2006 – Ken Mathie. Editor PMCezine... You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author's name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

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How To Write Sticky Features Articles

Writen by Claudine Williams

Are you trying to write sticky content for your website? People love to read features articles, particularly about other people who have succeeded or overcame challenges. Profiles are a great addition to your website. Your readers will be able to relate to the people you interview and empathize with them. They may even be inspired to succeed or learn from others' mistakes. You don't have to be a Pulitzer Prize winning author to write effective profiles. The following tips will help you choose good interviewees, formulate questions, and write a solid, thought-provoking profile.

1. Your first job is to select a good topic. Article topics are all around you, but you certainly want to choose a topic that is related to your website and newsletter. Visit bulletin boards; talk to people. Hear their stories. You are looking for people who have overcome challenges or have done something interesting or unique. For example, if you have a website related to internet marketing you may find someone who has increased her site's unique visitors from 25 to 100,000 visitors within a day using a new marketing tool. If you are running a work at home site, you may find a person who has become a millionaire by selling knitted blankets on eBay. The stories become even more interesting if the subjects have faced particularly difficult challenges to succeed.

2. Once you have found your subject, you need to politely ask if she is willing to be interviewed. Most people will be flattered and happy to receive the publicity, especially if you offer to include a link to their website or include a short blurb about their business in the article. Other people receive so many interview requests that you may not even get a response.

3. Now you need to come up with your questions. You need basic background information, their name, location (city or state is fine) and occupation. Now, what else would you like to know about this person? How did this person achieve her goal? When she begin? How hard did she work? Was it luck? What were some of the challenges she overcame to succeed? What advice would she give to others in the the same boat? Did she expect to succeed? If the person failed at something, what did the person learn? As you interview the person, you can always add other questions based on what your subject has said.

4. Interviews can be conducted in person, by telephone, instant messenger, e-mail, or faxed questions. Ask the person if you can contact her for additional questions if you think of something else while writing the profile.

5. Writing the lead, the first paragraph of the story, can be your most difficult challenge. Your lead should capture your reader's attention. The best leads have a twist or a surprise. Here is an example:

With more than a million hits a day, Joe Snoe has already made his first $1 million in advertising from his home-grown blog. So far, he has planned to buy his first mansion in St. Croix with his profits, as long as his parents agree. Joe is 10 years old.

See how the last sentence gave the readers a surprising twist in my made-up example?

6. Your second paragraph should tell the reader more about the subject. You can include a quote from the person you interviewed and weave in a little background information.Let's see how that works in my Joe Snoe example.

"I learned how to create blogs from my dad," said Joe, who created his video game blog when he was 9. "I told all of my friends at school about it, and they told their friends. Before I knew it, people were chatting about my blog on bulletin boards and advertisers were offering big money to place ads on my blog."

Each quote should appear in its own paragraph, followed by a paragraph that paraphrases information from the person you interviewed. Use transitions, like next, although, first, now, later, etc., to move your story along.

7. Your conclusion should wrap up your story with a final thought. Consider ending with a strong quote.

"Just last year, I was an ordinary kid who loved video games," Joe said. "Now, I am an ordinary kid who fulfilled an extraordinary, grown-up dream. If I can do it, you can too."

Claudine Williams is the published writer of hundreds of business and features articles. Get work at home job leads and business advice at http://www.KissDebtGoodbye.com .

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