All newsletters are not created equal. In that same vein, neither are newsletter editors. Some have apparently forgotten the 'news' aspect of a newsletter. Instead, they bombard their poor, unsuspecting subscribers with a non-stop barrage of sales pitches, affiliate promotions and the next big product launch.



As a newsletter editor, you have a responsibility to those people on your list. In many cases, your newsletter is the only contact you have with them. You owe it to your subscribers to provide them with actual news, real advice, and helpful tips they can use.

When you come across something that you genuinely believe will benefit them or their business, of course it's reasonable to expect that you would want to share it. But that needs to be the exception, not the rule.

I know, as a newsletter editor, you want your subscribers not only to read your newsletter, but to actually look forward to receiving it. And they will, if your newsletter is conversational, easy to read and you've shown them that not every issue is a thinly disguised sales pitch.

Getting newsletter subscribers is not as easy task. Keeping them is even more difficult and that's the true measure of how successful you are as a newsletter editor.

One of the most recommended ways of assuring that your subscribers remain on your list is to write as though you were talking directly to each individual, instead of a list of thousands.

Let your personality show through and allow your words to flow across the screen just like they would if you were sitting across the table from a friend.

Another way to insure that your list stays loyal is to frequently put yourself in their place as you proofread your final draft. Do you find it interesting reading? If you do, chances are they will too. Don't be afraid to share personal stories from time to time. It will make you seem more like a 'real person' to someone who's never met you.

Writing your newsletter doesn't have to be a dreaded chore. There are many tools available to make the job of a newsletter editor a little easier. One such tool, Ziney Pro, actually helps make the creation of your newsletter more time efficient by providing a data base of ready-made headlines and push-button formatting. Using software tools designed with newsletter editors in mind can shave hours off your preparation time.

Take your role as a newsletter editor seriously and treat your subscribers the way you would want to be treated. Your list will grow, your readers will always be eager to hear from you, and your unsubscribes will be few. As a newsletter editor, isn't that exactly what you want?