Determining
Quality of an E-Zine
How do you determine
quality for an e-zine? If you look at a traditional "print" newsletter, you can
tell a lot about quality by the "look" of the newsletter --glossy paper, cool
photos, great graphics--all before you actually read any articles! Publishing an e-zine
and delivering it through e-mail eliminates many of the "look" elements.
There are four categories you
can use to define the elements of quality for an e-zine. These categories also define the
quality for "print" newsletters.
Content
Is your reader interested in what you put in your newsletter? Is your information
valuable? If you offer opinions, do you present supporting facts? Are your articles
presented clearly? Do the articles grab your readers so they continue reading. Are the
articles relevant to your audience?
Writing Style
Is your newsletter personal? Are you writing your newsletter to a reader? Are you using
active voice? Short sentences? Are you dealing directly with your reader?
Layout
Your layout is especially important with a text only e-zine. Layout is your only remaining
"look" element. Does your newsletter have lines that chop off and start in the
wrong place? Do you use a standard layout so that your readers know exactly where to find
their favorite column?
Delivery
Is your e-zine delivered professionally and consistently? Are you keeping current with
your mailing list? Are new subscribers added on a timely basis? Are you removing those
unsubscribe requests right away? Are you considering an automated service if you cannot
keep up with the manual maintenance tasks
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