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LET'S TALK
BUSINESS
10 Ways To Produce Better Ezine
Content
Tony L. Callahan
If you publish an ezine, you know the importance of producing
fresh content. As has been pointed out many times, the best way to
procure fresh content is to write original articles.
Most of the time you probably have many concepts for new articles,
but what about those times when the idea well is running dry? Next
time you find yourself short on content ideas and have a deadline
looming, try some of the ideas that have worked for me.
Write to your strengths
Think about the subjects you know
best, select one of these as the seed for an article. Even if you
have written extensively about a subject there are probably enough
new things happening to warrant an update article.
Check your client correspondence
Questions from clients is a great
way to produce ideas for content. If your clients are asking
questions related to a subject, chances are good your readers
would be interested in your answers. Email, guestbooks,
newsgroups, letters and one on one conversations are great places
to find the basis for article content.
Interview a recognized expert
Do you know who the experts in your
ezine's area of interest are? If not, you should. Find these
people and introduce yourself. Ask for an interview. These can be
conducted by phone or via email. Offer to give the expert a plug
for their business in exchange for the interview. Most people are
very willing to share their insights, you have only to ask.
Publish a Q&A feature
Encourage your readers to write in
with questions they have related to your ezines subject. Select
one question per edition and provide your answer to it. This is
great way to involve your readers in the newsletter and provides a
never ending source of fresh content.
Stay current
Keeping current on what is going on
in your ezine's area of interest will help with new ideas for
content. Newsgroups, industry publications, conferences and
seminars are all good ways to keep your finger on the pulse of
your subject area.
Profile a reader
Solicit profiles from the readers
of your ezines. Encourage them to provide their name, the name of
their business, where they are located, and how they use the
information obtained through reading your ezine. You can then
publish one or more profiles per edition of your ezine.
Review a book or product
Publish a review of a book or
product related to your ezine's subject. Use books you have read
recently or product you currently use every day. Ask the
publishers or producers of the product to provide a copy of their
work for the purposes of a review. You will be surprised how many
businesses are open to this avenue of advertising.
Give examples from your own
experience
Tell your readers about a real life
experience related to your subject matter. Tell a story about the
problems encountered helping your most recent client and how you
were able to resolve them. This can build your reputation as an
expert while providing content your readers can relate to.
Create a top 10 list
Your readers are busy people, they
would probably appreciate a concise list of tips. My experience is
that my Top 10 articles are among the most popular and requested
articles I publish.
Publish someone else's work
Don't be afraid to put someone
else's work into your ezine. It just is not possible for every
publisher to be able to cover the entire range of issues in a
subject area. Often, your readers will appreciate a fresh
perspective on an issue. There are many web based sources of
articles available for reprint. One of my favorites is Idea
Marketers at
http://www.ideamarketers.com
Copyright 2001, 2004 Tony L.
Callahan All Rights Reserved
Tony L. Callahan, is a successful Internet Promotions Consultant
with more than twenty years of industry experience and is
president of his own Internet marketing company, Link-Promote. He
also publishes Web-Links Monthly, a newsletter full of tips,
tricks, tools and techniques for successful web site promotions.
To subscribe, send e-mail to:
Web-Links-subscribe@topica.com. For an online archive of
Tony's articles available for reprint, visit:
http://www.link-promote.com/articles
RECIPES
Diabetic, Low-Fat Four Tomato Salad
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sun-dried
tomatoes
2 cups sliced field tomatoes
2 cups halved red or yellow cherry tomatoes
2 cups quartered plum tomatoes
1 cup sliced red onions
DRESSING;
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil (or 2 teaspoons dried basil)
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Method:
Pour boiling water over
sun-dried tomatoes.
Let rest for 15 minutes until softened.
Drain and slice.
Place sun-dried tomatoes, field tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, plum
tomatoes, red onions and fresh basil in serving bowl or on platter.
Whisk together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and pepper; pour
over tomatoes just before serving.
Makes 4 servings.
BEAUTY RECIPE
Sun Protection Cream
3 tbsp. unrefined sesame oil
1 tbsp. unrefined avocado oil
1 tbsp. unrefined jojoba oil
1 tbsp. walnut or almond oil
1 tbsp. shea butter
2 tbsp. cocoa butter
1 tsp. beeswax
1 tsp. soya-lecithin liquid
2 tbsp. aloe-vera gel
2 tbsp. rose or lavender water
tsp. borax powder
20 drops carrot-seed essential oil
3-5 drops coconut fragrance oil (optional)
Melt the first 4 oils, butters and beeswax in a double boiler over
medium
heat until just melted. Add the soya lecithin, and stir to blend.
Remove
from heat.
In a small saucepan, gently warm the aloe-vera gel and rose or
lavender
water, and stir in borax powder until dissolved. Remove from the
heat.
When the oil and water mixtures are still warm to the touch and
about the
same temperature, set the small saucepan into a bowl of ice.
Drizzle in the
oil mixture while mixing rapidly with a small whisk; a cream will
quickly
form.
Add carrot-seed essential oil and coconut fragrance oil if
desired; blend
thoroughly.
Store in a clean, airtight jar or bottle, and refrigerate.
HOMEMAKING
Vinegar and its uses
1. Kill grass on walks and
driveways.
2. Kill weeds. Spray full strength on growth until plants have
starved.
3. Increase soil acidity. In hard water: one gallon of tap water
for watering rhododendrons, gardenias, or azaleas.
4. Deter ants. Spray vinegar around doors, appliances, and along
other areas where ants are known.
5. Polish car chrome. Apply full strength.
6. Remove skunk odor from a dog. Rub fur with full strength
vinegar; rinse.
7. Keep cats away. Sprinkle vinegar on areas you don't want the
cat walking, sleeping, or scratching on.
8. Keep dogs from scratching his ears. Use a clean, soft cloth
dipped in diluted vinegar.
9. Keep chickens from pecking each other. Put a little in their
drinking water.
10. Tenderize meat. Soak in vinegar over night.
To be continued next week.
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-----------------------------------
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Sentimental Selections
Send a handmade greeting card that
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each card is a gift within itself.
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-----------------------------------
Baby Devine
Baby Devine offers unique ethinic
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