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Step 1
First, you need to know your audience. Who are your readers? What do they want to know about? What interests them? Chances are you've already done this. You are probably targeting their interests with every article you write for your ezine. Nevertheless, this is a necessary first step.
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Step 2
Now, how about your advertisers? What products and services do they sell? What do you want to offer your readers? Better think about that. Make a list.
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Step 3
Next, decide how many ads you want to sell in each issue of your ezine.
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Step 4
Where do you want to place your ads in the ezine? On the side of the articles? At the bottom of the ezine? In the middle of the articles, with a separation, so that readers must jump over the ad? What about text ads, will you sell them or stick with HTML? You'll need to make that decision early on.
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Step 5
Research the competition. What are they doing? By the way, your competition is not just any ezine publisher but all of the ezine publishers who target the same audience that you target.
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Step 6
Establish an advertising rate. Some popular models include cost per thousand (CPM) and some just make it up. Seriously, some people just pull an ad rate out of thin air and become very successful. But you could also charge by ad size and number of issues. Exposure--that's what your advertisers want. You have to figure out how much it's worth--to you and to them. Here's a novel approach: ask the advertisers what they think.
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Step 7
Write your advertising policies and guidelines. Will you limit your advertisers to a certain number of ads in each issue? Will you sell only certain types of ads? How about discounts for multiple orders?
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Step 8
Figure out how you are going to track the advertising. This could be a simple spreadsheet or sophisticated tracking software. But you'll need to track it.
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Step 9
Decide on your payment options. You should take credit cards. Will you use Paypal or another online collection agency? How about checks and money orders? Remember, payments through the mail will take longer. Are you going to risk that?
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Step 10
Start notifying prospective advertisers. First, run notices in your ezine that you will sell advertising. Your first prospects are your readers. Second, run classifieds in other ezines and on Web sites, ezine directories and forums.
