With all of that potential, the Government, as usual, is unable to see the value and drops the ball. The last post on the Tech-ade blog was on Wednesday 29 November 2006! I feel bad when a week goes by without an update, it’s a good thing I don’t work for the FTC. What’s going on, doesn’t the FTC have any internet savvy blogging geeks on the payroll?

Hey Jon Leibowitz [Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission], I hereby offer my geeky services and will fill that position of Tech-ade blog administrator. Set me up with remote access to my home office here in Michigan with a decent Government salary and we’re in business and your blog isn’t an embarrassment any more. Have your people get in touch with my people: http://help.csc4u.com/

The fact that many large lists are ineffective is no surprise here. Have you ever placed an ezine ad or even a solo ad with a list of over thirty thousand with little to no results? I have. It’s amazing to buy a two hundred dollar ad package on a list of over 38,000 ezine subscribers and not make a single sale. I know what you’re thinking, either the product sucks or the sales copy does. The same day I purchased ezine ads on two smaller lists using the exact same sales page with much better results.

It’s important to keep your list clean. It is hard for some ezine publishers to delete old and outdated contacts because they give far too much weight to list size. It is impressive to see big numbers on a site describing an ezine’s subscriber list. Impressive, that is, until you see the actual advertising results. Ask about open and click through rates. What about bounce rates – are bounced emails part of the count? Some sites can’t let go of the numbers.

Another sad fact is some ezine publishers out there that will flat out lie about their subscriber base. The whole ‘fake it until you make it‘ concept. The problem with both of these scenarios is you will not get repeat customers. No one is going to keep throwing money at a lost cause – no matter how many lame testimonials your sales page has.

Bottom line

I recommend you subscribe to ezines that interest you and appeal to your target market. Pay close attention to the content. Content is king and if it seems sub-standard or full of ads simply unsubscribe and move on. When you find yourself looking forward to opening the next issue of a newsletter then it is time to inquire about advertising. Send an email asking about the subscriber count, open and click through rates if it is not already included on the site. Don’t be afraid to ask for references of actual customers if the investment is going to be a large one. Be sure to track the results using either your own or a third party tracking method. I recommend YourAdTracker.com but I may be a little biased since I own it

Personal solo ad recommendation that has worked for me: Solo-Ads.com

Are there any rules?

Everyone plays from their own rulebook – including the subscriber. How do you rate those daily emails from the greedy marketer that jumps on every bandwagon hoping for a little success to rub off? You know who I’m talking about. You get those constant offers without a single bit of content. You subscribed to some joker’s newsletter just to get bombarded with Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunities, Last Chance offers, Just Launched Products, Mega Launch Bonuses and Hurry Before The Sky Falls Junk. Each offer promisees wealth beyond measure. This is the end all, be all offer of a lifetime – until tomorrow’s new offer that is.

On My Soap Box Again

As an established ezine publisher and internet marketer I feel the need to resist the quick payday and do my best to provide valuable content to my subscribers. I made that promise over five years ago to our subscribers and it has paid off many times over. That’s why we don’t allow solo ads, ezine advertising or even submitted articles. There’s money to be made without pimping every affiliate program or product launch that hits your inbox. Developing a real relationship with your list and establishing yourself as an expert is my advice. Sprinkle in the occasional offer that you truly believe in and you will find that your word will actually mean something.