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If you've ever wanted to publish a print newsletter, but didn't want to be concerned about things like layout... type of paper you're going to use... whether you'll use first or third class postage... envelopes or self-mailers... you've come to the right place.
If you're the publisher of a free e-zine, and your advertising profits are dismal for the amount of work you put into creating your publication, again, you've come to the right place.
I'm going to show you a delivery and creation method that's just as effective, but far less expensive. It's one that I've been using for almost a year and a half. And each month we easily gross more than $20,000 using this particular method.
It's called a subscription Web site - (but I'll refer to it as an 'SS' throughout this article).
Definition of a Subscription Site
A SS is basically a compilation of data and information that's placed behind a password protected Web site. You may often see it referred to as a Webzine, online newsletter, private site, or members-only site. Its main purpose is to deliver high-quality, well-organized, specialized information to its subscribers.
- You create an ongoing revenue stream. Month after month, year after year there's steady capital coming in.
- Gives you the opportunity to mold the minds of those in a specific industry. (People pay significantly more attention to what's being said in a fee-based online publication, than they do with a free e-zine.)
- Allows constant contact with a group of hardcore customers.
- Enables strong backend sales.
- Increases advertiser interest. Paying customers are much more responsive than those from a typical opt-in list. This gives you the power to charge your advertisers more.
- Subscription sites are no more expensive to set-up than a typical content-based site.
- You can sell a subscription site more easily and for significantly more profit than a traditional content-based site. Paying subscribers give you more clout than those who offer a few bits of demographic information.
Typical Costs Associated With Starting and Running a SS
- Web site design and hosting
- Content research and development
Will you do all of the research and writing yourself, or outsource this task?
- Tracking mechanism
A tracking mechanism should be placed on each page of the SS, so you can tell which pages are most and least frequently viewed. Content can be tailored according to your findings.
- Subscribers should have a help desk section where they can gain access to lost passwords automatically.
- Marketing and promotional efforts
- Membership management
The ideal management system should allow users to:
- choose their own passwords
- automatically re-bill the customer upon access expiration
- if re-billing fails due to non sufficient funds it is automatically tried again in set intervals
- allow users to cancel subscriptions
- automatically disables subscriber accounts once it expires
- offers protection against password theft.
Here's a listing of popular membership management systems on the market...
- Membergate - http://www.membergate.com
An all-in-one program that helps to both create and manage your content and members. I consider Membergate to be the Cadillac of membership management systems.
- Supergate - http://www.superscripts.com/scripts/supergate.html
A CGI script that handles real-time payment processing and manages members. It can also be used in conjunction with affiliate management software.
- AccountManager - http://cgi.elitehost.com/acctman
A very simple CGI script that can interface with major real-time processing gateway providers, and manage members. Good for smaller operations.
- Plug'n Pay Membership and Subscription Management - http://power2sell.com/content_direct/membership.html
For smaller operations that don't have merchant credit card processing capabilities. They provide the merchant account, membership management software, affiliate software, etc.
- Ibill - http://www. ibill.com
A service for vendors who don't have credit card processing capabilities, and want a third-party to handle the payment and processing.
How To Choose a Profitable Topic For Your SS
To make sure your SS has strong sales potential, there are three things you should examine before beginning the actual creation process. Make sure the industry you're entering has:
- Low or no competition, in regards to other publications or sites, which distribute similar information.
I don't advise you to enter a market with a SS if there are already a number of free Web sites and e-zines that thoroughly - (that's the key word here) -explore your chosen topic. If any of the existing online properties don't give complete coverage to you chosen topic, there's still room for you to make a splash.
Prior to launching Digital Publishing & Promotion, I looked to see if there were any other sites or e-zines - (free or fee-based) - that were similar to my concept. After doing a quick search, I discovered there were 2 print newsletters. Both of them come out bi-weekly. One cost $229 a year, the other $197.
However, neither offered the depth of online marketing resources that my newsletter does. They have a mix of some online resources, and some offline.
As far as competing e-zines, there was really no competition to speak of. And yet, there are tens of thousands of authors and publishers around the world who want to promote their information products online. It was a niche just waiting to be conquered!
- At least 100,000 potential subscribers.
The minimum number of subscribers you want is 1,000. So if your niche has 100,000 prospects, grabbing 1,000 represents a mere 1% of the market. That's not a death-defying feat at all!
In regards to my own prospect base, there are no less than 60,000 books published in the US every year. And that doesn't include audiotape authors and publishers, special interest video publishers, newsletter publishers, booklet publishers, and the rapidly growing list of e-book authors and publishers. (And did I mention book promoters and publicists?)
- Be sure your topic has strong influential power.
You want to create a SS that shows people how to either gain a serious pleasure, or avoid a serious loss. And if the information does both, that's even better for you.
Digital Publishing & Promotion helps publishers and authors make more money selling their products online. Increasing ones revenue... that's quite a serious pleasure. In addition it helps them avoid spending hours online, trying to figure out which promotional resources are the best, how to use them, etc. They're avoiding a loss of time.
Figure out what your customers will gain - and avoid the pain of - as subscribers to your newsletter. This double whammy will prove to be powerful ammo in your sales copy.
3 Perennial Money Making Niches
- Business
Making money is always a strong motivator. In regards to a SS, I recommend that you find a niche, which helps a specific group of people make more money. (This is exactly what I've done with Digital Publishing & Promotion.)
A couple of examples...
- Investing- There are many different types of investment strategies. And even more styles from individual investors themselves.
People who are serious about investing never tire of reading about it. After all, research is an integral part of winning the game.
- Marketing- No business can survive without some type of promotions. Even the biggest companies in the world continue to spend billions of dollars a year on marketing.
And just like investment strategies, there are all types of marketing avenues one can take. There's online marketing, database marketing, publicity, and so on. Plus there are an infinite number of niches that will always need new marketing ideas.
For instance, actors need online marketing strategies... consultants can do database marketing, and undertake publicity campaigns... dentists need direct marketing, and so on. This is wide-open segment. And the examples I just offered show you just how many different directions you can take this
- Computers and Technology
Technology is always a good topic for a SS. It's one of the only things in the world that is constantly changing, AND it has become an integral part of everyday life.
You can build a newsletter around new wireless devices... or what about one for high-tech trade show exhibitors... or even one for leaders of user groups.
- Extreme Lifestyles
These types of sites are for people with either expensive hobbies/lifestyles, or extremely cheap hobbies/lifestyles.
For example, the Cheapskate Monthly Online http://www.cheapsk8.com/index.html, features tips galore for frugal folks. The editor, Mary Hunt, charges $18 a year, and has over 16,000 subscribers.
On the other end of the scale, the Porsche Market Letter http://www.pmletter.com/ provides articles, tech tips, racing news, equipment reviews, etc., for Porsche car lovers. The subscription rate is $95 a year.
The #1 Method For Getting Paying Subscribers
The easiest way to entice prospects to subscribe to your SS is to continuously give them small bites of your work.
For example, every Monday and Thursday when I update Digital Publishing & Promotion (http://www.sellyourbrainfood.com), I also distribute a 'lite' version to a group of 4,000+ free subscribers.
The lite version gives prospects a small taste of the actual for-pay site. It should be e-mailed to your prospects each time you update the paid site, or if that's too time consuming, on a weekly/bi-weekly basis.
Each time you send out the lite version, it should include the most recent table of contents and description of what can be found in the for-pay version.
In the lite version of Digital Publishing & Promotion we feature 1-2 headlines from the paid site - (out of 10-12) - as well as the table of contents from the most recent issue.
Get a free subscription to my lite version to see how it works. To subscribe, send an e-mail to digipub-request@go.listdelivery.com, with the word 'subscribe' in the message body - (without the quotes).
By offering a lite version you establish a separate opt-in list of hot prospects... those who are just on the brink of paying for access, but still need a little coaxing. Using this tactic we have been able to convert approximately 25% of the lite subscribers to paying.
Examples of Successful Subscription Sites
Digital Publishing & Promotion
http://www.sellyourbrainfood.com
Sound Mind Investing
http://www.soundmindinvesting.com
Ancestry.com
http://www.ancestry.com
Style Made Simple
http://www.fashionforrealwomen.com
Softletter
http://www.softletter.com
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Monique Harris doesn't just report on subscription Web site trends and opportunities, she's also been a driving force in creating them.
Since January 2000 she's been promoting, selling and writing about subscription sites.
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Today more than 1,200 authors, publishers, promoters and key executives subscribe to her Digital Publishing & Promotion subscription site, which features inside information on creating and selling electronic content.
Monique is the author of Selling Subscriptions to Digital Content, a report on the how-to's of running a subscription site. She's also the editor of Pay For Access, a monthly Webzine for owners, operators and marketers of subscription Web sites
 work at home
get paid to shop
write articles for traffic
free content
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