Creative Keys for an Internet Presence - How to Use E-mail to Establish a Presence on the Internet

Designing
Web
Usability
Written by
the best-known guru
of usability.

Secrets of
Successful
Web Sites
Siegel gives
a perfect blueprint of ways to
plan, develop and design websites
that work.

Creating
Killer
Web Sites
Another enlightening book by
Siegel, which (in my opinion) counts as the "creme de la creme" of website development books.

Don't Make
Me Think
If you read
this book
along with Nielsen's books, and follow their advice,
visitors will
love visiting your
websites.

How to Use E-mail to Establish a Presence on the Internet

Volume I, Issue 5
October 2003

Chris King, Editor
By subscription only, this monthly e-newsletter will be loaded with short, "down and dirty" tips to help you with solving the everchanging and growing puzzle of the Internet. This e-zine will also serve as a place to ask your questions and find the answers.

This month I decided to take a break from working on your website to sharing tips on one of the most successful additional ways to establish an Internet presence. Whether or not you have a website – one may be in the works as we speak – making use of the power of e-mail can establish your Internet Presence more quickly than you can imagine.

Here are some of the methods that have worked for me:

Set up and use signatures. Practically every e-mail program offers this feature. The great news is that you can set up more than one, be able to add the signature of your choice to new messages and another signature to replies, or pick a different one depending upon the recipient (s) of your e-mail.
What should I use in my signature? As with so many marketing ideas, it depends. When I am replying to one of the lists or groups I belong to, I include a signature that relates to the others who are part of the list or group. I always include my name, business name, address, phone number and URL(s). Of course, I want to direct readers to my website(s), but I also include the other information for credibility to indicate that I am a legitimate business person.
Alternate signatures can direct recipients to a site that advertises and sells a book you have written, a product you sell, or how to subscribe to your free e-zine/e-newsletter.
Speaking of e-zines and e-newsletters (they are the same, jut go by different names), I feel that even if they take planning, time and energy, they produce the quickest route to establishing a professional presence on the Internet – that is if they are loaded with useful content and are published at least quarterly. I plan to dedicate several upcoming issues to the ins and outs of e-publishing. Just start to notice what you like and don’t like about the e-newsletters you receive. Which ones do you read and/or print out to keep? Why? Which ones do you skim, but sometimes read completely? Why? And which ones do you delete without reading. Why?
Another quick and sure way to establish a presence on the Internet is to write some punchy articles about your area of expertise and submit them to websites and/or e-newsletters that include articles by visiting writers. The written word is one of the surest ways to gain credibility – but just like e-newsletters the content of your article must be helpful, easy to read and to the point.
And, finally, take part and share your thoughts and helpful information on lists and in the groups to which you belong. It is easy to lurk – I know that if I am extremely busy, that’s what I do – but it really doesn’t take a lot of extra effort to respond regularly with a short idea that others in the group or on the list can use. They will appreciate it, become interested and visit your website(s) and even be willing to write a short article for you to use on your site(s) or in your newsletter.

So, get started. Figure out how you can make use of e-mail to establish your professional presence, and look for next month’s issue about the use of graphics. Where to find them, how to create them, what differences occur when using graphics on a website.

Remember, send your comments and questions to me at chris@creativekeys.biz. I love to receive feedback and will answer your questions in future e-zines.

If you would like to subscribe to this e-zine and receive five free Internet tips, send an e-mail to subscribe@creativekeys.biz with subscribe in the subject line. If you ever wish to be removed from the mailing list, just send an e-mail to unsubscribe@creativekeys.biz with unsubscribe in the subject line.

Chris King
P.O. Box 221255
Beachwood, Ohio 44122
(216) 991-8428
http://www.creativekeys.biz

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			Designing Web Usability Written by the best-known guru of usability. Secrets of Successful Web Sites Siegel gives a perfect blueprint of ways to plan, develop and design websites that work. Creating Killer Web Sites Another enlightening book by Siegel, which (in my opinion) counts as the "creme de la creme" of website development books. Don't Make Me Think If you read this book along with Nielsen's books, and follow their advice, visitors will love visiting your websites.
		How to Use E-mail to Establish a Presence on the Internet
	Volume I, Issue 5 October 2003 Chris King, Editor By subscription only, this monthly e-newsletter will be loaded with short, "down and dirty" tips to help you with solving the everchanging and growing puzzle of the Internet. This e-zine will also serve as a place to ask your questions and find the answers. This month I decided to take a break from working on your website to sharing tips on one of the most successful additional ways to establish an Internet presence. Whether or not you have a website – one may be in the works as we speak – making use of the power of e-mail can establish your Internet Presence more quickly than you can imagine. Here are some of the methods that have worked for me: Set up and use signatures. Practically every e-mail program offers this feature. The great news is that you can set up more than one, be able to add the signature of your choice to new messages and another signature to replies, or pick a different one depending upon the recipient (s) of your e-mail. What should I use in my signature? As with so many marketing ideas, it depends. When I am replying to one of the lists or groups I belong to, I include a signature that relates to the others who are part of the list or group. I always include my name, business name, address, phone number and URL(s). Of course, I want to direct readers to my website(s), but I also include the other information for credibility to indicate that I am a legitimate business person. Alternate signatures can direct recipients to a site that advertises and sells a book you have written, a product you sell, or how to subscribe to your free e-zine/e-newsletter. Speaking of e-zines and e-newsletters (they are the same, jut go by different names), I feel that even if they take planning, time and energy, they produce the quickest route to establishing a professional presence on the Internet – that is if they are loaded with useful content and are published at least quarterly. I plan to dedicate several upcoming issues to the ins and outs of e-publishing. Just start to notice what you like and don’t like about the e-newsletters you receive. Which ones do you read and/or print out to keep? Why? Which ones do you skim, but sometimes read completely? Why? And which ones do you delete without reading. Why? Another quick and sure way to establish a presence on the Internet is to write some punchy articles about your area of expertise and submit them to websites and/or e-newsletters that include articles by visiting writers. The written word is one of the surest ways to gain credibility – but just like e-newsletters the content of your article must be helpful, easy to read and to the point. And, finally, take part and share your thoughts and helpful information on lists and in the groups to which you belong. It is easy to lurk – I know that if I am extremely busy, that’s what I do – but it really doesn’t take a lot of extra effort to respond regularly with a short idea that others in the group or on the list can use. They will appreciate it, become interested and visit your website(s) and even be willing to write a short article for you to use on your site(s) or in your newsletter. So, get started. Figure out how you can make use of e-mail to establish your professional presence, and look for next month’s issue about the use of graphics. Where to find them, how to create them, what differences occur when using graphics on a website. Remember, send your comments and questions to me at chris@creativekeys.biz. I love to receive feedback and will answer your questions in future e-zines. If you would like to subscribe to this e-zine and receive five free Internet tips, send an e-mail to subscribe@creativekeys.biz with subscribe in the subject line. If you ever wish to be removed from the mailing list, just send an e-mail to unsubscribe@creativekeys.biz with unsubscribe in the subject line. Chris King P.O. Box 221255 Beachwood, Ohio 44122 (216) 991-8428 http://www.creativekeys.biz


HOME / SERVICES / PROCESS / PORTFOLIO / CASE STUDIES / FREE TIPS E-ZINE PROGRAMS / ARTICLES /ASK A QUESTION / ABOUT US / RESOURCES