Owning an online business and publishing an ezine can be very frustrating, AND rewarding! There can be 100's or even 1000's of websites and/or ezines that are almost exactly like yours. What can you do to make your online business stand out from the rest?

The number one answer to this question is - add your own personality to your business and in your ezine.

I subscribe to probably over 100 ezines and most of these I do not even read. The ones that I like to read are the ones that contain some personality. I like to know that there is an actual person that I can identify with or get in touch with if I have any questions.

You are the main thing that makes your business unique! Use this to your advantage.

* Connect with your readers. This is the whole purpose of your ezine. By doing the following, you will make that very important connection.

* Let them get to know you. Have a section in your ezine where you talk to your readers and open up to them. I am not talking about pouring out all your personal problems to them, but share the part of yourself that makes you who you are. Share little tidbits of your life so they know that you are a real person and they can connect with you.

* Treat everyone with respect and courtesy. This is one that unfortunately some people forget these days. This one goes both ways for readers and publishers. You have to remember we are all in this together, so let us treat each other as we would want to be treated. Yes, the Golden Rule, which I believe in strongly!!

* Be as helpful as you can. Offer your expertise, advice and support whenever possible. Learn to understand what your readers/customers want and need. This will help form a strong bond.

* Let your passion and spirit come through. This is very important also. By letting your love for your work shine through, you will be "contagious"! Your readers will get caught up in it and they will become passionate as well.

* Include some original content. Always write some of your own content so there is a part of your ezine that is in no other ezine. If you write your own articles, (yes, you should) this will help give your ezine its own identity. Subscribers will look forward to reading each issue because of the original material. If you are not ready to write articles, even writing a short editorial or introduction to each issue will make a big difference in originality.

* Build Yourself to Build Your Business - In essence, you need to build yourself and your reputation in order to build your business. Show your readers that you are someone who knows what they are doing and that you can help them succeed as well. You want to prove that you are dependable, trustworthy, capable and definitely unique!

Publishing an ezine might be simple, but creating a unique, powerful, and personality-packed connection with your subscribers is a bit harder and much more effective!