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I LOVED your golfing
story. Read every word. You're a wonderful writer.
(Peter Bowerman, the Well-Fed Writer)
Big Things rule! ... and the video
of the Airbus is great. (Jim McDonald,
Birmingham, UK)
Having enjoyed reading your
biographical, They
can't take that away from me... I
would love to post your article (for my) course for
seniors entitled Autobiography and Journaling ... and
let them read your article as a good example of what
I call the reader's writer, clearly expressed and easy
to read. (Howell)
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The French language has
always appealed to me ... so I enjoyed Lavinia's
experiences en
France! (Di Sullivan, Perth, Australia)
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expat here since 1990. I have been a subscriber to Writing
Tip for a few years now and look forward to the Friday
editions. I archive by creating topics of the tips
relevant to me and often refer. (Mary, Lagos, Nigeria)
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Who said Aussies would
bet on two flies crawling up a wall? Now I know
better! (Bill Denham, Chicago, USA)
I enjoy reading your page
every week, Jennifer, it's never boring and there's always
something to bring a smile to my face! (Kenny Dima,
Tenerife, Spain)
Thanks for pitching in to
help clarify
the English Language for and with us. (Paul, Portland,
USA)
Your story about the evil
glasses made my day :) (Edith, Derbyshire, UK)
I enjoy your
letter and use it in my advanced writing class here in
China. (Bugs, Shenzhen, CHINA)
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your Latin
quote of the week. (Paul, Mexico City, Mexico)
Aah! Those evil
marionettes are everywhere! Thanks for another great
laugh! (Jim Fraser, Vancouver, Canada)
Your remarks regarding the alien
contact had me in stitches, figuratively speaking, of
course. (Dave Wagner, Sacramento, US)
The best part of the
missive is the introduction to Australian
humour and expressions. (Chaska, Prince Edward
County, CANADA)
Like your
site...very inspirational when you get writer's
block like me! (Peter, Seoul, South Korea)
Nice letter, I
was using google for once, twice, thrice
and quince, and found this page, great ;) (Marv, Zwolle,
NETHERLANDS)
One of the most
amusing and erudite newsletters that makes my day.
Keep going. (David Vasnaik, Bangalore, INDIA)
Read
more testimonials ...
Great newsletter -
originally found this site after searching for
clarification on a contentious
point amongst work colleagues. Just had to look at old
issues and now look forward to Fridays (Juliet Wallace,
Manchester, ENGLAND)
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"11
Quick (and Good) Content Ideas for Your Ezine or Website"
by
Alexandria K. Brown
Publishing articles, especially via 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 I'm sure that sometimes you have dozens of content ideas, I bet other
times you 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 success stories
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, in my past life as a
professional copywriter, I really enjoyed writing for 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 in their eyes.
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- or two-sentence description of their business and their Web
address should be fine.)
8. Recommend
books and resources that you use, and offer full reviews on them
In one issue of my old e-zine, "AKB MarCom Tips," I featured
reviews of my favorite four copywriting resource books. I'm glad I also gave my
Amazon.com associate links, because I ended up making some nice commission, to
boot!
9. Invite
clients or readers to write you with their own questions, and answer one in each
issue
Right after their question, publish the person's name, business, and Web
address, with their permission. They'll enjoy the attention and free 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. One of my favorite places to search for
articles is www.ezinearticles.com.
© 2001-2006 Alexandria K. Brown
Online entrepreneur Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," publishes
the award-winning 'Straight Shooter Marketing' weekly ezine with 22,000+
subscribers. If you're ready to jump-start your marketing, make more money, and
have more fun in your small business, get your FREE tips now at www.EzineQueen.com
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