Writing on the Web from Patsi Krakoff, The Blog Squad

Ezine Success: No, the ezine is not dead

Ever since blogs became such a powerful marketing tool for communicating, people have been asking about newsletters:

• Should I keep doing my ezine?
• How should the content that I email be different from my blog content?
• If I'm new to online marketing, which is more important, a blog or an ezine?

I've been asked to contribute to a book about networking tactics for business success, in particular for a chapter on newsletters. The author, Liz Lynch asked me for some examples of ezine success. So I asked people on my list.

Wow, did I get a barrage of emails from colleagues and clients who claim huge successes due to sending out a newsletter. I think we can clearly state:

Ezines are alive and thriving!

Here's how a few people answered my question, "Have you had success with your newsletter?"

Top Ten Reasons to Do an Ezine AND a Blog

Yesterday I wrote about this article published in 2005. I'm republishing it here for you to consider whether these reasons are still valid today in 2008. Hit the comment link and let me know what you think.

Top Ten Reasons to Publish an Ezine AND a Blog
By Patsi Krakoff and Denise Wakeman, The Blog Squad (c) 2005

Blogs are the hottest thing going these days when it comes to marketing on the Internet. A blog is a way of delivering your messages and articles to clients. They are a like personal web sites, easy to create and far less expensive than traditional web sites.

Just when you thought you were mastering the tasks of ezines and newsletters, along comes blogging, and you have to ask yourself:

• Do I really need a blog?
• Isn't an email ezine or newsletter doing the same thing?
• Should I do both?
• Are these two marketing tools going to eat up all my time, energy and money?
• What's the best way to spend my resources here so that I can get clients and results out of my marketing efforts?

Here are ten reasons why you should pay attention to this new blogging revolution and do both an ezine and a blog.

Newsletters & Blogs: Marriage or Divorce?

Several clients asked me the same question this week: If I start a business blog, do I still need an emailed newsletter?

This is a good question you should be asking yourself if you have a business online and want to use the Internet to get new leads, create relationships with prospects and sell your services or products.

In the past, Denise and I always said, Yes, you should do both. We even wrote a special report in 2005, Top Ten Reasons to Do an Ezine AND a Blog. You can get it when you subscribe to Newsletter Nuggets over at my site Customized Newsletter Services.

Since things change rapidly in online marketing, I reviewed those top ten reasons to see what's changed about this issue since 2005.

Surprisingly, these are still ten very good reasons to do both an ezine and a blog for your business.

I would add that if one is taking up too much time and you must discontinue one in favor of the other, my vote is to keep on blogging and dump the ezine.

Blog Banners: Looking good is everything...

It's all about Blink and Trust, according to an article I wrote earlier this year.

Blink means the impression you make in the first few seconds; Trust is everything else that is consistent and builds up the impression that you know what you're talking about and can be relied on to do what you say.

So it's worth every penny to invest in getting a professionally designed banner for your blog. Denise and I use Heidi Frieder of ArtHead.com to create all our Blog Squad banners, graphic images, and other design work.

We recommend her highly. Denise tells me she works almost exclusively by word-of-mouth referrals, so please tell her we sent you.

Patsi Got a Brand New Blog... and a vicious virus

Well, it looks like a brand new blog, doesn't it? I have to say, it's all due to an extraordinary graphic designer we use occasionally to do banner and graphic image work. I'm going to tell you about Heidi as soon as she gives me permission.

After our recent teleseminar about the importance of good blog design, we had to walk our talk and get this blog a makeover. Our students with our Better Business Blogging course are learning and so are we.
(Info about this sold-out class, in case you want to join our next one: www.boostyourbusinessblog.com.)

Is this why I haven't posted in 5 days? No. I was attacked by a vicious virus. No, not my computer, it's safe! That would also be really painful...

I've been sick with Shingles! So painful, I was not able to work, or even write. If any of you have had a bout of this Chicken Pox virus, let me know what to expect...

I considered chewing my right leg off to get rid of the pain, it got that bad. Thank goodness for pain meds... it took 3 doctors, 8 needle pricks, a cat scan, an xray, and 10 days until finally getting the right diagnosis and treatment.

Denise, my wonderful partner was ready to sell me off on eBay, I've been totally non-responsive and foggy-brained. But she didn't think she could get much for me...

Social Media: Paradise for Introverts and Writers...

Like most writers, I consider myself a card-carrying introvert. When they invented work-at-home from your computer, I felt like I'd gone to Heaven.

Now along comes "Social Media" ... and to tell the truth, it's still an introvert's paradise! What a great way to network. Besides the fact there are no breakfasts to eat and business cards to exchange with insurance agents and car salesmen, it's really a fun way to connect with other people and get your business known.

Quite frankly, I was a big smirker when people talked about Facebook. But I've come to love it... here's why...

Social Media and Social Networking are no longer considered fads. To have a successful business in this day and age, you must be willing and able to leverage online tools like blogs, video, podcasting, and social networking sites like Facebook and Myspace.

If this feels a tad overwhelming, I don't blame you. There's a lot of information to keep up with. How do you make an intelligent decision about what tools to use for YOUR business?

That's why the Social Media Telesummit is going to be an important event to attend on your telephone.

Writing Rituals: 5 Ways to Be More Productive

Do you ever get ebook envy? Have you ever had this great idea for an ebook, only you didn't write it down, you just thought about it, and put it off until "one day?"

Well, it's too late!  Nick Usborne just brought out the best writing productivity tips you can download and read immediately:

Writing Rituals: A productivity guide for commercial writers and copywriters.
5 Rituals to help you write faster and smarter – and make more money.

This is a great book on how to write faster, better, and be more focused. Anyone using their creativity to make a living recognizes how hard it is to write for deadlines. And how easy it is to allow distraction to take over the brain. Find out the anti-dote and banish distractions. You won't want to miss out on this gem.

Valentine's Day: Gimme some love...no? Okay then, show me the money!

It's amazing how many Valentine's Day email promotions I've been getting this week. I guess the marketers must really love me.

Not that they're copying The Blog Squad, but we are having our 3rd annual V-Day sale... and this time Denise really went a little nuts, offering 81% off our library of 8 teleseminars.

And if that weren't enough, she said just in case some people already had the teleseminars or attended them already, then let's throw in some bonuses that are too good to pass up!

If you remember last year, we had the same fight...she wanted to offer 50% off our products and I accused her of giving away the store. She won out. In the end, everybody won 'cuz people got some incredible deals and we got a little extra cash.

So we're offering to show you a little love AND save you some money with this one day only sale:
Get 8 Teleseminars with Online Marketing Experts, 2 Bonuses, 2 Chances to Win plus $568 in savings

P.S. You get a chance to win a free blog makeover too!

Are You Famous Yet?

Are you the only one doing business in your niche? I didn't think so. So how do you get the attention of your ideal clients and the media?

If you're in a niche that is crowded -- for example, life coaches, health and wellness experts, or financial advisors -- it's getting harder to differentiate yourself.

The solution? Get "slightly" famous!

Wednesday, February 13, 2008 we're interviewing Steven Van Yoder, author of Get Slightly Famous, for our Blogging and Beyond Mentor Program. The program has a ton of learning materials for small businesses and professionals who want to use the Internet to get known and make money.

Each month we present experts who reveal things you need to know to grow your business.

This program is about how to create and manage your online reputation and is for members only: anyone can join and attend this important class with our $9.95 30-day trial.

Biz Blog Writing: 6 Questions you should answer before you write a word...

Many of The Blog Squad's clients are enthusiastic to get started blogging. But we tell them to slow down and think before they write.

Just because you've got a new pair of shoes doesn't mean you can go out on the dance floor and hip-hop with the Stars...

Before you write a word on your blog, sit down and write out your answers to these questions:

Be really clear about why you’re blogging, who your ideal reader is, and what your core message and/or theme is. This will help you stay on target and not meander off topic.

1. Why are you blogging?
2. Who is your ideal reader?
3. What is your core message/theme/philosophy?