Mailing lists & special-interest groups: Unless copied and redistributed, articles published on limited-circulation lists will only be read by registered users. The information is often only of temporary relevance and therefore inappropriate for a print publication with a long lead time. In general, you can assume that most subscribers to the list share your interests, so relative informality is fine. The main thing to aim for is to be brief and informative or entertaining. Not everyone will share your exact view point, though, so you should be wary of offending people unintentionally. Websites, web pages, blogs & online forums: Most of these texts are available to the general public and will be archived semi-permanently. Although you have a lot of control over what you publish (and “unpublish”) on your blog, and you can cancel your own messages on the Google groups, for example, once information has appeared anywhere online, however briefly, it is likely to have been copied and saved away somewhere.

As well as all the standard offline considerations of readers’ interests, logical construction, coherence, proof-reading etc., when it comes to web-writing style, there are certain guidelines to bear in mind. In general, readers don’t usually spend as long reading online as they do reading printed publications. You might leave a magazine open half-way through an article and pick it up again at your next coffee break. But once an online reader moves on, he probably won’t come back. So the writer needs to get the message across as quickly as possible. If you summarise the most important information at the beginning, the reader can see immediately if he’s in the right place; if he is, he’ll read on to where you expand your ideas.

People scan web pages rather than reading sequentially. Sub-headings, lists and bold texts are useful as they help readers find the information they are looking for. Do be careful, though, not to make your texts too “busy”. In the same way that long texts are off-putting, pages with lots of different type-faces and links look difficult and most readers just won’t bother. Web writing tends to use a more informal style than print. But remember that the readership is international: if you use puns and “clever” humour, they may misunderstand. Or they may be offended. This explains the popularity of emoticons: they are an attempt to clarify subtleties of tone which may not be understood by the reader in a hurry. Of course, emoticons aren’t always appropriate, so you need to craft your writing to avoid potential ambiguity.

The bottom line is that e-zines are an opportunity to get your name in front of customers on a regular basis. Don’t let them forget how good your company is at what it provides. Select a different aspect to highlight in each issue. Instead of simply being another form of sales letter, though your e-zine can help clients feel a sense of belonging within your network. It also never hurts to give away free items or exclusive discounts to e-zine readers.

This also means that you should only deliver your e-zine to those who have requested it. Dumping unwanted mail in people’s inboxes can result in a bad business reputation. One way to widen your readership is to make sure your e-zine is part of a larger network of e-zines available through a directory service.There are many ways to allow people to sign up for your e-zine. You can also list your publication with a directories specifically created for e-zines. These directories are also valuable tools when you are researching competitor’s newsletters.

Their format varies from flashy graphics and well-designed ads to text only conversational style letters. Choose the right design based on the specific demographic you target. Aside from a clean, visually appealing design, avoid grammar errors and spelling mistakes. You may even want to enlist the services of an experienced writer. To make sure they are noticed and read give them eye-catching titles. The first few sentences should also be as unique and interesting as possible. Keep the tone of email newsletters informal and connect with readers in a friendly, but professional manner.

To keep people interested and to recruit new subscribers, build a reputation for providing timely and relevant information to your readers. Be concise and creative, as busy people will not take the time to read every word. Include quick tips and several short subsections that can be quickly skimmed. Above all, strive to include useful content in every issue.