Give Your E-zine The X Factor Treatment

Every year the producers of the X Factor TV series receive a deluge of applications from hopeful candidates, all vying for attention and hoping to shine in front of the live audience.

Whether we end up cheering for them or disliking them, the ones that really capture our attention have large personalities, are quite often opinionated and usually have a story to tell… and the same is true of your e-zine.

Your community’s inbox suffers the same problem as those X Factor producers… it’s inundated every day, all those e-zines demanding attention and wanting their moment in the spotlight. The ones that get opened and enjoyed the most though, are like those X Factor candidates… full of personality and worth taking notice of.

So, how can you inject a bit of X Factor magic into your e-zine? Luckily for you, I’m going to share the top three ways you can do so in this post.

#1: Share Your Life

As the candidates on the X Factor know, nothing increases likeability as a good story. Take the time to share some of the things happening in your life with your readers. No matter how big or small, make a list of three things currently going on in your life to talk about.

Don’t keep it to work-related events, talk about your family, pets or hobbies. Share something funny or embarrassing that you either witnessed or experienced. Think of things to share that will make the reader smile, something that will brighten their day or give them encouragement and hope.

Make it a regular part of your “welcome message” or “At Home” section.

#2: A Picture Says A Thousand Words

Frequently on the X Factor there will be lots of chances to see what the contestant and their family look like, where they live etc… it increases likeability and allows the audience to feel closer to that contestant. So how does this tie in with your e-zine? Well, you can add photos to instantly increase the connection your reader feels with you.

They are more likely to read your e-zine, and look forward to receiving future ones, if they know who you are and what you look like. Always include a decent photo of you. Don’t be afraid to share photos of your family pets, business colleagues and of your work in progress.

Think of ways you can use a photo to either illustrate or enhance the message in your e-zine.

#3: Ask For Help

Contestants on the X Factor frequently get on the stage and beg for a chance, plead for help and urge the judges to give them the opportunity to change their lives. I’m not suggestion you use any of these tactics in your e-zine, but you will increase reader interaction by asking for help.

Whether you’re stuck on a name for your new dog or want their opinion on future newsletter articles, your readers will love it if you ask for their input.

You can make it easier for them to take part, by setting up a simple survey, inviting answers on your social media profiles or even inviting email replies.

Injecting personality into your e-zine will add to the reader experience, as well as making your e-zine more of a pleasure for you to produce.

Using the above three strategies will not only increase reader interaction, but will turn your e-zine into a personal interaction between friends; building on the “know, like and trust” factors that are so important in business relationships… and ensuring you and your products have their opportunity to shine!

What strategies have you used to inject personality into your e-zines? What was the funniest or happiest moment you’ve shared with your readers? Please leave your comments below and share those memories.