------- Clearing Up the Confusion E-Zine ------- Vol 1, Issue 19 There's a chill to the air and the brisk Autumn wind is chasing the leaves up and down our street. The weatherman even said that we might see the first snow of the season tomorrow -- which always brings out the kid in me. So, you might as well stay inside and do something fun while trying to stay warm. I know! Let's work on our web presence! How about we focus on writing an e-zine this time? ---------------------------------------------------------------- In This Issue... ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Article: Stop the Presses! 2. Blog Posts 3. Shameless Self-Promotion 4. The Fine Print ---------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Article: Stop the Presses! ---------------------------------------------------------------- I've recommended starting an e-zine or electronic newsletter in the past, but it's a topic which bears repeating. Sending out a regular email newsletter to those who've requested it is just a great way to have those in your network view you as an expert. It keeps you "top of mind" and, if you are doing it properly, provides tham with valuable information. It's a win all around. People have many excuses for not starting e-zines. Believe it or not, all of these issues are relatively easy to overcome. Let's take a look at a few. * I can't write -- If someone asked you to send them a brief description of some small part of your business, could you do that? Then you can write. * No, really, I can't write -- If you decide that you simply cannot put fingers to keyboard, do a quick search on "ezine articles". You will find a plethora of services which provide free e-zine content. You are doing your readers a service by just filtering through those articles and forwarding along the best. * I don't have time -- How many individual emails do you send out each week? This will be just one more and will keep you "top of mind" with more people. After the first couple of times, you can probably create a new issue in about an hour. * I don't know how to set up an e-zine -- An e-zine is, at it's heart, just a formatted email message sent to a list of people. Your web hosting service probably has mailing list management software as a part of your account. If you don't want to do it yourself, check out one of the commercial services such as "Constant Contact" (http://constantcontact.com), "iContact" (http://icontact.com). * I'm no expert. What would I write about? -- No matter what business you are in, no one understands it like you do. If you sat down right now, you could easily jot down ten to twenty short topics about your business unknown to the general public. remember, you don't have to write a treatise. A quick paragraph about the proper way to plant a tree from a landscape architect, or a short piece on a specific regular computer practices from an IT support professional would be of great value to a number of people. Now, to avoid having your e-zine classified as SPAM, be sure to follow these guidelines: * Do not sign people up without their express permission. This is not only annoying, it might be illegal under the CAN-SPAM act. * Remember, you are teaching, not selling. If you are sending them ads, they will ignore you. * Give them a means to unsubscribe and take those requests seriously. Whether you educate your clients, networking partners, or employees, you give of yourself. Those who receive and value that gift will look upon you as an expert and industry leader. Isn't that worth taking a little time to prepare and share your knowledge? Copyright 2007, Greg Peters ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Blog Posts ---------------------------------------------------------------- Links to posts on the "Clearing Up the Confusion" Blog from the last year: Monday, November 05, 2007 -- Cool Tool: Light Keeper PRO http://clearing-confusion.blogspot.com/2007/11/cool-tool-light-keeper-pro.html Sunday, October 28, 2007 -- Building for a Reason http://clearing-confusion.blogspot.com/2007/10/building-for-reason.html ---------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Shameless Self-Promotion ---------------------------------------------------------------- The "Clearing Up the Confusion" E-Zine is a production of Greg Peters, owner, chief cook, and bottlewasher of Cyber Data Solutions. CDS has been helping website designers develop better web presence for their clients for more than a decade. Visit us on the Web at www.cyberdatasolns.com to see how we can help your webmaster. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 4. The Fine Print ---------------------------------------------------------------- Subscribe: You can subscribe to the "Clearing Up The Confusion" E-zine at: http://www.cyberdatasolns.com/ezine Questions: If you have any questions, concerns or comments regarding the Clearing Up the Confusion E-zine, please email Greg Peters at: gpeters@cyberdatasolns.com This content may be forwarded in full, with copyright and contact information intact, without specific permission, when used only in a not for-profit format. If any other use is desired, permission in writing from Greg Peters is required, with notification to the original author. We never send the "Clearing Up the Confusion" E-zine uninvited, and we NEVER share, sell or rent our mailing list to anyone. Your privacy is safe with us.