[epub] Re: Is this why ezine advertising will die out?

["Dr.Mani Sivasubramanian" <drmani@xxxxxxxx>]

Charlie, your post reminds me again why I spend time to follow
discussion lists like this one.  Where else can a participant
get such valuable ezine marketing advice in just one message,
easy to read within minutes - and at NO COST?!

Thanks a lot for sharing some fantastic insight and advice.

There are a few points I'd like to discuss in greater depth.
Not to argue with your views, but rather to learn from your
experience, Charlie.

> > >
2. Comparing your clicks against another publication's clicks is not 
an accurate comparison.
> > >

True, but a 0.03% response rate for ANYTHING is bad.  Very bad.
In earlier days, I too have run ads with similar (or worse - 0%)
response - but then I always refunded the advertiser's money!

Incidentally, I'd like to mention Merle of Ezine Ad Auction, who
of her own initiative, ran a repeat solo ad because I mentioned
(purely for feedback purposes) that the first one didn't do as
well as I expected.  What she did is over and above what was
required - but as a result, I'll definitely be going back to the
Ezine AdAuction site to place ads in the future - and tell other
folks about the professional and nice person behind the service.
The link is http://www.EzineAdAuction.com - thanks, Merle :)

> > >
to say, you have been developing a relationship with them and 
practicing what you preach in Ezine Anti-Marketing. Can you say with 
certainty that these publishers have been doing the same?
> > >

While my post might have sounded like I'm coming down hard on
ezine advertising itself, the real message is that it's time
ezine publishers begin concentrating on building even stronger
bonds with readers - to the extent that *anything* they recommend
will pull better than 2% response rates.

It's possible - though not easy :)

> > >
> 1.  Are we better off running Pay-Per-Click promotions
> than ezine advertising?

No. We are best off doing both.
> > >

In case some folks missed the wisdom in these few words, I'd like to
elaborate.  On the Internet Marketing Warriors board, there was heated
debate a few months back about whether or not blogs would replace ezines.

It took a few calm words from a wise man to reveal the wisdom of having
BOTH blogs and ezines (and no, the wise man wasn't me - or should it
be "I"? <g>)

Marketing is never "either or or", but rather "and".


> > >
thousand as any other advertising venue. Paying a search engine 50 
cents per click is the same as paying them $500 per thousand. Now 
that's a high CPM compared to ezines.
> > >

Charlie, is that a fair comparison?  PPC's deliver a visitor to a sales
page.  After that point, it's up to the page to convert the visitor - or
get him/her on a mailing list.  My ezine ad campaign (net-net) delivered far
fewer eyeballs to my page in the first place.  Unless there's evidence
to believe that archived ezine ads bring in a significant number of
clicks, the apparently higher price PPC delivered more value for money
than the lower priced ezine ad!


> > >
I know of no reasonable ezine publisher that will guarantee a 1% 
response rate. Nor should they.
> > >

Well, ok.  But should they (or not) have to be able to say, with numbers
to back them up, that their list is responsive to a certain kind of ad
or announcement?  I was quite surprised when many of the ezine owners I
first contacted were not able to say, with any kind of confidence, how
many of their readers responded to an ad, on average.  Yet these very
ezine owners had well crafted sales letters for their ezine ads!


> > >
Second, you know full well that the quality of the ad is a big factor 
in response. Should a publisher have to explain why a poorly written 
ad will pull less? Should publishers be saddled with having to teach 
advertising basics to advertisers?
> > >

I agree absolutely with your points.

In my learning phase, which has extended over several years, I have done
most of what you mention above, Charlie.  Though I'll agree no ezine
owner *should* have to do this.  It's up to the advertiser to get the
basics right.  However, it is in the epublishers best interests also
to participate in the process.  I have turned down ads from marketers
which I felt were either poorly constructed or about topics unrelated
to my reader's interests - and advertisers respected me for doing it.

So have my readers!


> > >
Perhaps this is where the problem lies. If you are out of practice 
buying ads, and have become dependant on the *type* of response an 
endorsed ad brings, the problem may have been in your expectations 
and your execution.
> > >

Yes, I realize this now, after reading what you've said.  I guess I
equated a *solo ad* with an endorsed mailing - not quite the same
thing, I now understand.

> > >
As an advertiser, you could have asked the publishers involved to 
provide an endorsement. I teach all DOE members to do that
> > >

Silly me hasn't been paying attention ;)

I've not exploited the full value of being a member of your fantastic
Directory of Ezines, and have paid the price!  And learned my lesson.

For those who aren't aware of the DOE, it is one of the best ezine
publishing and marketing resources, ranked in my book at the same
level of educational and time saving value as this discussion list.

And I hold Charlie in as high esteem as Janet Roberts, who moderates
this discussion group.  Thanks to both of you for everything I've
learned this year, and in years past!

> > >
Ezine advertising is alive and quite well. I buy ads every week from 
publishers in the Directory and those ads are profitable over 92% of 
the time.
> > >

Do you think that figure is related to your awesome copywriting skills?
And just how vital is the ad copy to the overall effectiveness?  Can
a well-written ad sent out to a lukewarm list pull better than a poor
ad to a better targeted readership?  Anyone else with numbers or
experience to back up either point of view?

> > >
 you are comparing apples and oranges here, and your skills as an 
advertiser may be just a little rusty.
> > >

I admit my skills as an advertiser are rusty - like muscles get weaker
without regular exercise.  You've just convinced me I need to exercise
them a little harder, correctly, than give them up as permanently
paralyzed.  Thanks again for an educational and instructive post.

Best wishes

Dr.Mani


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