Is It a Newsletter or Just One More Commercial?

When I purchased my very first computer, not too long ago, I signed up for many Internet Marketing Newsletters. Thoughit's been a few years, I still have them.

I've subscribed to at least 300 Newsletters and it affordsme a broad outlook. My idea was to track and compare them.The plan was to see how each one of them changed over timeand look for any discernible patterns, any nugget ofinformation.

Well, I've been able to spot changes and the view isn't apretty one!

The general trend is to give preference to sales instead ofcommunication with the subscriber base. Perhaps the firstfew issues are well balanced and in favor of the reader.However, as time goes by, the universal tendency is todisregard the needs of the reader.

The Newsletters I'm talking about are very easy to spot:they'll devote a single paragraph to the reader andimmediately insert a product hyperlink. It's gotten so bad,I've received Newsletters with a multitude of stingy 3 or 4line paragraphs, each leading to a sales link!

Try as I might, I can't understand the reason for suchNewsletters? Can you? What they are saying is this: Hi, thisis Joe Blow and let me tell you how this is going to work:I'm gonna send you this irrelevant, so-called Newsletter.I'm going to offer little content and a mountain of productlinks! To do your part, we expect you to click on the linksand buy, buy, buy!

Oh my! I can't wait a week for the next one!

They are insulting and a complete waste of time for thereader, as well as the author.Sadly, they keep pumping them out, week after week! Whywould anybody publish such utter rubbish? There must be agood reason eZine Publishers limit submitted articles to ahyperlink in the resource box!

I know we all have to make a living. Should it come at theexpense of insulting our readers? Why send out a Newsletteranybody with more than three brain cells would trash in asplit second? Little wonder all Internet resources are beingchoked with garbage!

What a sad state of affairs! It appears like priorities havegotten very confused, to say the least! We all need to takestock of the true reasons we write.

These are two questions every Newsletter or eZine Publishershould ask:

(a) Is the readership a byproduct of the marketing process or its reason for existence?

(b) Should product sales take precedence over communication with your readers?

I think Newsletter writers should keep the above questionsin mind when practicing their craft. Yes, the pressure tosell is great, no doubt. However, continue looking for theanswers and it will help keep you centered, time and again.

About the Author:

Francisco Aloy is the creator of The Newbie Business Guide.For more resources dealing with writing and copywriting,visit Mr. Aloy's Website.

http://www.newbie-business-guide.com/writing_and_copywriting.html