We all get ezines, we all read *some* of them -- I just went through a "decluttering" process where I unsubscribed from about 10 ezines. All because they failed to meet my expectations. Unsubscribes typically occur as a result of one of the below; these are easy to correct and well worth the time involved.



1. Not providing useful information.

You want to insure that you include great information for your readers. You don't need to tell them everything or give away any secrets, but you do need to give them chunks of information.

A relationship coach, for example, may wish to provide tips on maintaining a successful marriage; while a virtual assistant may wish to provide her readers with tips on how to get the most from her services.

In both cases, the ezine showcases your skills while allowing prospective clients to get a feel for your style before hiring you.

2. Making it harder than it has to be.

I was talking to a new client the other day and he mentioned that he is sending out a monthly email newsletter. "That's great", I said and asked him to tell me a little more about it. He started talking about all the work that goes into it and the number of hours he spends formatting it so it looks "just right" and what a pain it is when someone unsubscribes, etc.

Turns out he has been sending his ezine manually -- using his email program (Microsoft Outlook). If you are doing this, it's time to stop. Forgetting the sheer pain in the butt that this is, most ISPs will block you if you try to simultaneously send to more than 15 email addresses and, further, you could be labeled as a spammer.

Let me recommend two different programs for publishing your ezine: Constant Contact is great for those who do not know html as it has hundreds of professional templates that you can select from and KickStart Cart allows you to combine an ezine publisher with your shopping cart in order to accept credit cards, create autoresponders as well as manage an affiliate program.

The easier it is for you, the more likely you are to keep up with it. Which leads to my third point. . . 3. Sending your ezine "occasionally".

You're giving good information and you've made it easy on yourself to publish, now set your publishing schedule and STICK TO IT!

There is nothing worse than a lack of consistency in sending out your ezine. Your readers will come to know you through your newsletter -- you don't want to come through as haphazard or "occasional".

If you're not yet comfortable committing to sending out a weekly ezine, don't. Send it out biweekly or monthly. Whatever schedule you select however, you must stay with it unless you decide to step up the frequency. If you choose to go from monthly to biweekly, let your readers know and then stick with that new schedule.

Regardless of what you do or how perfect your ezine is, not everyone will read it and you need to get over it.

While that sounds harsh, consider it some "tough love". It's true. You can write the absolute best articles on the most incredible topics and know that not everyone who receives your ezine will read it. Fact is, if you get around 50% readership, you are doing very well.

Don't get discouraged however. When deciding to send out an ezine, it's your responsibility to provide good information in a readable format and know that those who resonate with you will read and look forward to receiving the information.