So... what does "targeted ezine advertising" mean? It means
placing your ads in ezines that are related to the product or
service you are promoting. The readers of these ezines should
potentially be more interested in your offer.
Let's get started!
Step 1 CHOOSING THE RIGHT EZINES A good place to start is by
looking in ezine directories. Most directories either have
search capabilities or the ezines are listed in specific
categories. I like to use a directory that gives information
such as when the listing was updated, the number of subscribers,
first issue date, if the publisher accepts free ads, and rates
for paid ads.
Two directories you could use to start your search are:
http://www.ezinelocater.com/
http://www.freezineweb.com/index.html
The freezineweb listing gives all of the above information and
much more such as ad rules, ads per issue, articles excepted, ad
swaps, etc.
You can also enter a search directly into a search engine such
as Google - http://www.google.com For example, if your product
were vitamins, you could search the term "health ezines". If the
vitamins were distributed by an MLM program, you could also
search "MLM ezines" or "Network Marketing ezines".
Look at sample issues, if possible, and subscribe to those
ezines you think will be best for your ad. Read a few issues to
get the feel of the kind of content the ezine covers.
At this point, you should be able to make a list of targeted
ezines that contain quality content. Content that you feel many
of the subscribers are reading. Include the number of
subscribers for each ezine.
Step 2 PICKING THE EZINES There are a couple of other things
you could look at to narrow down the field. First, what sort of
ads does the publisher sell? Top sponsor? Bottom sponsor? Solo?
Classified? Where are the ads placed? Classified ads placed in a
separate ad sheet are nearly worthless. No content, no readers.
How many ads are in each issue? Is there a blank line after the
headline to draw attention? Do the ads look appealing to you?
If you want to check even further, you could contact the
publisher and find out how the subscribers were obtained.
Purchased subscribers tend to be less responsive than those that
have readily signed up at the publisher's website. If the
publisher has automatically subscribed people that have posted
an ad at a classified site, don't EVEN go there!
Most publishers use multiple means of obtaining subscribers,
which will yield a subscriber base that is hard to judge.
Another good question to ask - Is the list cleaned on a regular
basis? Are the addresses that have bounced several times
removed? My list may be smaller because of it, but 3 times in a
row and they're OUT!
You should now be able to narrow your list down to your favorite
3-5 ezines. The marketing "gurus" would give you a formula for
determining if the cost is within reason.
My formula? I like to place top sponsor ads or solo ads. (and
free classified ads - but those I'll place in any targeted
ezine! Hey, they only cost a little time!)
So... I look at all of my favorite targeted ezines, and discard
any that are out of my price range. Then I look at those left to
see which offers the best price per subscriber for a top sponsor
or solo ad. I'll try that one first.
Oh, and... don't forget to track your results!
About the author:
Marla Bland, Editor of Dynamic Marketing Newsletter Free ezine
Ads for subscribers. Low cost and no cost advertising methods to
build a profitable online business.
http://www.nettraffictools.com
