When I first started my e-zine I wanted more
subscribers.
I didn't want to pay a dime for new e-zine subscribers and I
had seen a thing or two about e-zine ad swaps,
so I set out
to see which e-zine owners would swap ads with
me.
I contacted some e-zine owners and while some
turned me
down, some e-zine owners wanted to swap and so
I was off
starting with my first ad swaps.
Most of the e-zines I swapped with in the beginning
had
anywhere from 2-4 times the subscribers I had,
so I had to
run their ad a total of 2-4 times in my e-zine.
(This
didn't matter to me, I just wanted more subscribers.)
Well, after about 3 issues of my e-zine, it got
a bit
tedious for me to remember who I had placed ads
for month
after month, who I had finished my deal with,
what the ad
was that I was supposed to run for a particular
e-zine,
etc. A real pain in the neck.
I needed to automate, so I designed a piece of
software
(that you too can download and use for free)
that allowed
me to keep track of the above mentioned problems.
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Use tools as much as possible to automate
your ad
swaps.
------------------------------------------------------------
-
Set up and autoresponder to give information on your
ad swaps and how to contact you to set up an ad swap deal.
-
Use Ezine Ad Swap Tracker Pro to manage your swaps.
http://www.HomeBasedProfit.com/east
-
Use Ezine Ad Swap List to find others to swap with.
http://www.HomeBasedProfit.com/east/swaplists.shtml
Is swapping ads the end-all to getting new
subscribers?
I found that some of the swaps didn't bring me
any new
subscribers and the other swaps did. (Some of
the
subscribers I have gained are still subscribers
to this
day, 2 years later.) But like anything, not all
swaps
produce. It may have been your ad or it may have
been the
e-zine you swapped with.
Ad swapping is another tool in your belt, not
the end-all
answer to subscriber acquisition.
------------------------------------------------------------
Test ad swap copy to see what pulls the best.
------------------------------------------------------------
Find an ad that brings in new subscribers and
use that ad
in future ad swaps. Once you find an ad that
works well,
use it over and over.
I have found that giving something away to new
subscribers
works best. Giving people a "bonus" for subscribing
to your
e-zine.
------------------------------------------------------------
Never leave an ad spot empty, just because
you don't
have an ad to run.
------------------------------------------------------------
If you sell ad space in your e-zine and you have
a vacant
spot in a particular issue, NEVER LEAVE IT BLANK,
go for a
swap and increase your subscriber base.
------------------------------------------------------------
Find others that reach your target market
and want to
swap ads.
------------------------------------------------------------
In order to find people to swap ads with, I started
out by
surfing around, but like I said before, I like
to automate
things as much as possible. I started a listserve
of e-zine
owners that want to swap ads with other e-zine
owners. It
has worked well for those who use it. To see
how well it
works and to join for free, visit here
http://www.HomeBasedProfit.com/east/swaplists.shtml
------------------------------------------------------------
Treat your new subscribers well or you'll
cut your own
throat.
------------------------------------------------------------
Make sure you deliver your "bonus" to your new
subscribers
(automate it if possible). Some people will join
your
e-zine just for the bonus. If you don't deliver
it, you can
bet they won't stay around for long and they
will
unsubscribe from your e-zine.
=========================================
Troy McDonald is the publisher of "Take No
Prisoners - Internet
Marketing Letter". Visit http://www.HomeBasedProfit.com
for
subscription information or send an e-mail to
mailto:subscribe@HomeBasedProfit.com
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