5 Ways To Make More Money With Your Ezine

11 Quick (and Good) E-zine Content Ideas
by Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen”

Publishing an e-zine is the ideal opportunity to showcase your business. By
sharing your knowledge and expertise, you build credibility as an expert, while
spreading the word about your services and products.

While sometimes you'll have dozens of content ideas, other times you'll find
yourself staring at a blank computer screen, grumbling that it’s publishing time
again. Well, have no fear! Here are 11 quick (and good) content ideas for when
you’re in a pinch.

1. Give real-life examples. Describe a problem you’ve solved for a
client/customer, and use that as a springboard to offer more general advice. Show
your readers how you’ve helped customers address challenges — “case studies”
if you will. This positions you as the expert in your readers” minds more than your
coming out and saying so.

2. Think of three areas in which you’d like your clients to think of you as a
resource. Now develop content in those areas. For example, as a professional
copywriter, I really enjoy working on Web sites. To help encourage my clients and
prospects to hire me for these projects, I published several articles on how to write
Web copy that sells.

3. Read industry publications for ideas. Are there any hot issues in your
field right now? The more controversial, the better. Don’t be afraid to offer your
own opinion — your readers want to know it. After all, YOU are the expert! ; )

4. Jot down 8 questions your clients have asked you in the past. You know,
the ones they ask you over and over. Answer each in a short article. If you publish
weekly, that’s two months' worth of content, right off the bat! And if you can’t think
of any questions, send all your current clients/customers a quick e-mail, asking
them what topics they’re most interested in learning more about.

5. Learn anything neat lately from an industry conference, workshop,
seminar, or insightful article? No one says you have to reinvent the wheel of
information! Pass on any gems of advice you’ve learned elsewhere — just give
them full attribution. Or give your opinion of the event or article itself — your
readers will appreciate your frankness.

6. Offer a list of your top 5 or 10 tips on a certain subject. It’s much easier
to bang out a list of tips than to put together a real article. Of course, the
tips can evolve into an article if you wish! Be sure to list your best tip first, or at
least close to the top. (If you “fire your biggest gun” last, you risk losing your
audience before they get to the good stuff.)

7. Interview associates whose expertise would interest your readers
(while not competing with yours). E-mail interviews are incredibly easy to do.
Just send your interviewee 3 to 5 questions via e-mail, edit their answers, and
have them approve the final version. Be sure to give them a short plug in your e-
zine as a thank you. (A one-sentence description of their business, phone
number, their Web site URL, and e-mail address should be fine.)

8. Recommend books and resources that you use, and offer full reviews
on them. In one issue of my first e-zine, “AKB MarCom Tips,” I featured reviews of
my favorite four copywriting resource books. I then later posted them at my Web
site.

9. Invite readers to write you with their own questions, and answer one in
each issue. Right after their question, publish the person’s name, business, e-
mail, and Web site address. They’ll enjoy the attention/publicity!

10. Invite readers to send in profiles. Ask them to tell you about themselves
— their names, businesses, locations, and how they use the information gained in
your e-zine. Feature one profile in each issue or one every few issues.

11. When all else fails, borrow an article! There are dozens of Web sites
offering hundreds of articles that you can use in your e-zine. The articles are free
and available for you to use immediately. The only catch is you’re required to
leave the entire article intact, including the author’s promotional information.

Here are three places to check out for free content:
Business Article Announce List — http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aabusiness
Marketing Seek — http://www.marketing-seek.com
World Wide Information Outlet — http://www.certificate.net/wwio/index.shtml

One last note: Keep in mind that if your e-zine’s main objective is to get you more
clients and customers, you should not feature other writers' articles more than
once in a blue moon. Showcasing other professionals on a regular basis
undermines the idea of establishing YOU as the expert in your readers' minds.

(c) 2002 Alexandria K. Brown

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alexandria K. Brown, “The E-zine Queen,” is author of the award-winning manual,
“Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.” To learn more about her book and sign
up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://www.ezinequeen.com.

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