What Is An Ezine?

An ezine or newsletter is an electronic magazine delivered via email to people who have signed up (opted-in) to receive it. Ezines are published on different schedules (some weekly, some monthly or bi-monthly) and they can feature extensive content or just anouncements (for example, when a website is updated or when a new article goes online).

The main advantage of ezines as advertising vehicles is that they are delivered to a very targeted group of readers. Usually, the quality of the subscribers will be higher in ezines that focus on a single, very narrow topic.

Types of Ezine Ads

Ezine ads generally falls into one of three categories:

Classified Ads: They are the cheapest (sometimes even free), but they are also the least effective. Usually, classified ads are buried at the bottom of the ezine and consist only of a few words. Free classified ads are sometimes given away as an incentive to subscribe. Usually the best results with classified ads are obtained in the largest ezines (fifty thousands of subscribers or higher), since response rates are usually very poor.

Sponsor Ads: They are priced higher than classified ads and are usually found at the top of the ezine, or in the middle (within the content). They allow for more words, and are more effective than classified ads. If you are promoting affiliate products with moderate profit margins, sponsor ads may be the way to go.

Solo Ads: A solo ad is an email that contains only your offer, and that is sent to everyone on the mailing list. No other content is included, so you get the reader's full attention. Since a solo ad is usually seen as an endorsement from the ezine publisher, your message will enjoy a great deal of credibility. Solo ads are expensive, though, and you should reserve them for your best products (those with an excellent profit margin and not a lot of competition).

What is a Joint Venture?

"Joint Venture" is one of the most common buzz phrases in the Internet marketing arena. However, there is nothing misterious about it. A joint venture is just a Solo Ad where instead of paying a fixed fee to run it you reach an agreement with the ezine publisher to split the profits 50%-50% (or any other mutually agreed percentage split). The beauty of joint ventures is that you can tap into somebody else's mailing list and pay only if you actually sell something. Joint ventures are a clear example of how email marketing can be utilized to create a win-win situation.

Before you spend money on ezine ads, it is a good idea to do some research: ask the publisher what is the typical conversion rate, or read the testimonials and contact those people to see what kind of conversion rate they enjoyed.

To estimate if an ad will be profitable, you must know what your gross profit per sale is and, based on the size of the subscriber base and the typical conversion rate, estimate what your total gross profit will be. If your total estimated gross profit is more than the cost of the ad, you may want to give it a shot. In summary:

Gross Profit per Sale x Number of Subscribers x Typical Conversion Rate - Cost of Ad = Total Profit/Loss

You must also pay attention to your headline, your ad copy, and the copy of your landing page, since they can all have a dramatic influence in your conversion rate.

Where do I find quality ezines that accept ads?

There are several good online directories that list ezines by topic and subscriber base size, and provide information on advertising options and costs. Probably the best ezine directory is the Directory of Ezines, where you can find relevant information on almost 1000 high-quality ezines, most of which accept articles, reaching around 39 million readers. The Directory of Ezines charges a small yearly subscription fee. However, if you are serious about email marketing it is well worth it.

Other ezine directories you can try are http://www.freezineweb.com, http://www.bestezines.com, http://www.go-ezines.com and http://www.jogena.com/ezine/ezinedata.htm, or go to Google and search for "ezine directories".


Mario Sanchez is a Miami based freelance writer who focuses on Internet marketing and web design topics. He publishes The Internet Digest ( http://www.theinternetdigest.net ), a growing collection of web design and Internet marketing articles, tips and resources.