Published: February 24, 2005

How to Make Your Newsletter/E-zine Profitable
By Yuwanda Black of EthnicVendors.com

If you recently started a newsletter/e-zine, or have been publishing one all along, here are two things you can do generate profits from it almost immediately.

1. Upsell Customers: If your list is small (less than 1,000 subscribers), this is a great way to generate additional revenue for your business until it is larger and you can implement the second suggestion.

Do you have products and services that are slow sellers, or you just want to get rid of? What about new products you want to introduce, special deals you want to package, or sales for particular holidays/events?

All of these can be introduced via special sections in your newsletter/e-zine. By using it to introduce sales, discounts, special deals, etc., you give customers a reason to look forward to receiving it because they know that there will be something in it for them (a sale, discount, new product, etc.).

Tip: Get in the habit of making all your special announcements via your newsletter/e-zine and watch your subscriber list grow that much faster.

2. Sell Ads: Most experts advise that you not sell ad space in your e-zine until you have at least 1,000 subscribers. Lists smaller than this tend not to pull well. You can sell ad space in a variety of ways; two are:

a) Dedicated Ads: This is when you charge an advertiser to send out their ad alone, with no other ads to accompany it. The copy could read something like:

[Your Company Name] presents: XYZ African Clothing Designs

OR

This issue of [Your E-zine's Name] brought to you by XYZ African Clothing Designs

This ad program works well for large lists and for those who have really built a rapport with their customers because you are in essence saying, "We recommend this product/service and think you should try it." It's, in essence, an endorsement.

FYI, experts disagree on what a "large" list is, but I would not advise doing dedicated ads if you don't have at least 5,000 subscribers.

Note: So much depends on your business model, your niche and how much your clients are accustomed to spending for advertising, that it's impossible to say what/how to charge in general terms. My advice: do some research on your industry before setting ad rates.

b) Co-op Ads: Sending ads from various different companies out at the same time. This usually works best until your list is large.

Obviously, you would charge more for dedicated ads than co-op ads.

Tip: Integrate ads into the overall concept of your newsletter/e-zine for maximum effect. What I mean by this is, don't just send out "sales announcements."

Most people hate "advertising." BUT, they don't mind info on relevant products / services if it's integrated into a well-designed publication that has their best interests at heart (ie, informative articles that speak to their wants, needs and desires).

Final Tip: Don't get so caught up in ad dollars that your forget your customer's needs. Keep their best interests at heart and over time, your newsletter/e-zine will become another steady revenue stream for your business.

Yuwanda Black is available for radio, magazine, television and online interviews. Contact her at 646-279-0833, or info@EthnicVendors.com. Log on to EthnicVendors.com for advertising your product/service with us, and be sure to visit our parent site, EthnicHomeDecor.com, for soft home furnishings with ethnic themes.