So how do you use this technique to leverage and increase your subscription rate, and "word of mouse" publicity? It's simple, just "Tell-A-Friend" or "Tell-A-Friend about everything”! You can add Viral "Tell-A-Friend" forms to all of your web pages just below the subscription offer. This technique is simple and very effective.
Offer your ezines to all your customers, friends, relatives, and colleagues. Let them spread the word. Offer your ezine as a promotional tool to your affiliates if you have an affiliate program. These can drastically improve the subscriptions to your ezine.
2.4 Managing subscriber lists
Building a subscriber list requires some effort – managing it requires even more effort. You have to ensure that the whole process of adding new subscribers and administering your list should be quick and efficient. I would highly recommend automating this process with the help of ezine software discussed later in this chapter. Apart from this, there are a few other recommendations that may help you manage your subscribers well.
* Always acknowledge all requests sent by existing subscribers as well as prospective ones. This includes any queries a subscriber may have as well as un-subscribe requests.
* Greet new subscribers with a Thank You/Welcome message that once again lists all the benefits of your newsletter. This would build confidence amongst your readers that they chose the right newsletter.
* Offer multiple options to sign up. Two of the most popular ones are through a sign up page on your website and through Email.
* Update subscriber email addresses as often as possible. Many a times publishers are faced with bad email addresses that bounce back your ezine. You should try and keep such addresses to a minimum.
* Keep in mind that subscriber management is a never ending process.
* Always provide excellent and prompt customer service to your readers. Be polite even if the other person is rude.
* Automate most, if not all the processes.
2.4.1 Paid Servers vs. Free Servers
As you build up your subscriber list, you’re going to find yourself with a problem. Whichever mail program you’re using, whether it’s Outlook or Eudora or something else, it’s just not going to be set up to deal with the kind of mass mailing involved with newsletters.
If you have more than 50 people on your list—and that will probably take you less than a week—you’ll need to use a listserv. Don’t even try to do this by yourself!
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