An ezine is like what the name sounds like – an email magazine, also known as an email newsletter. The idea is that people subscribe via email and get regular content that they are interested in. For example, if somebody wanted to know good restaurant choices in their hometown, they could potentially subscribe to an ezine and get a regular email telling them about new eating places in their town.
The possibilities of subjects for ezines are endless. Ezines really got their start in the early days of the internet, before the web became ubiquitous, where people could get information they needed in the emailed newsletters without doing anything else.
How does an ezine work?
Here is a little more information on what an ezine (also spelled as E-Zine) is, courtesy of Email University.“The key to the success of the E-Zine is the delivery method,” the site says, with the ezine taking a “combination of the best traditional smarketing tactics with the best of Internet communication tools. E-Zines are your very own Push Technology. By publishing an E-Zine, you deliver YOUR news directly to your customers and prospects.” Email University also notes that “once your E-Zine is delivered, your readers can take action, at any time, by visiting your Website, or responding to your ads online.”
Here’s how it works. You find an ezine that you are interested in, and subscribe to it, either online via a web page, or by sending an email. Most reputable ezines have a double opt-in procedure, in which after you subscribe, you have to click a link or send a second email in order to confirm your subscription.
This way, you cannot be subscribed to an email you do not want to receive. In addition, the reputable ezine owners will list an easy way to unsubscribe to the ezine at the bottom of each one.
What are some of the popular ezines?
The Dear Webby humor newsletter has been in existence since 1994, and combines g-rated humor along with facts and figures for the day, famous quotes, interesting photos, and tech tips. Another popular ezine is the This Is True weekly ezine, which has also been publishing since 1994, and features strange but true news stories.
The newsletter also publishes a more extensive one for paid subscribers, with more stories. Those are just two of the many ezines out there.
How ezine advertising can work for you
Most of the ezines out there accept advertising – it is how the publications can afford to send out the newsletters. So if you are looking for a place to run low-cost, high-impact newsletters, sites like LiveIntent, among others, can find you ezines to place your ads in where your ads will be targeted to the types of customers you are looking for. So when it comes to finding a cost-effective way to advertise, ezine advertising may be the way to go.
Lisa SwanAbout the Author:
Lisa Swan writes for a variety of business and computing site. She lives in New York City.