How To Be Featured In the Indie Experience Online Newsletter!

Hi Everyone:

I receive this question a lot so I thought I'd post here so everyone could see how to be featured.

First, a little about my weekly newsletter. You can read this week's issue at this link. It features Indie Beauty Network member Nikki Rodriguez of Augisa Organics. Nikki shares her expeiences and offers tips for getting your product onto retail store shelves.

Next week's issue will feature artisan perfumer Liz Zorn of Liz Zorn Perfumes. You can buy her newest perfume here.

If you are not subscribed to my newsletter, you can subscribe here.

Short History

I launched the Indie Experience Online Newsletter as the Handmade Toiletries Network E-zine on January 16, 2000. You can read the first issue here.

Back then, I didn't know much about how to produce a newsletter. I think my college Journalism/PR major kicked in some instincts and I just knew I needed some kind of regular publication to help spread the word about the great things Indies are doing around the nation.

Back then, there were no pictures and not a lot of links. Heck! There was not a lot to link to!

With a few breaks, I have published a weekly newsletter for nearly 10 years. That's nearly 3,000 newsletters!!

The archives are here so even new subscribers can enjoy old issues.

Purpose

My newsletter is a fun and entertaining way to feature what Indie Beauty Network members are doing and how fantastic their products and services are. It provides fresh viewpoints and useful news, information and interviews for and about people who make, sell and enjoy health and beauty products and lifestyle accessories such as candles, soaps, cosmetics and aromatherapy products. Indie Experience departments include useful tips on growing a successful Indie business, IBN member features, picutes of Indies in action and more.

It is purposefully formated to encourage, inspire and entertain you.

The newsletter now has over 5,600 opt in subscribers. It also features graphics sent by companies that have generously sponsored it through the years. A few of the most frequent sponsors include Essential Wholesale, Brambleberry and Monave Minerals. Some of these companies also sponsor this site and other Indie sites which I maintain.

The newsletter is leveraged with my blog, Twitter page, FaceBook pages and LinkedIn profile to maximize exposure for the companies featured.

How To Be Featured

While I write about people from all walks of life in my newsletter, the heart of the publication is the Featured Indie section, which featured the accomplishments and tips of a member of the Indie Beauty Network.

To be featured, you must be a member in good standing of the Indie Beauty Network and have a Profile Page at this site. (You can learn about benefits and how to join here.)

You must have a website. It can be your own branded site, etsy, artfire or whatever. It must be nicely designed, easy to navigate with a shopping cart so my readers can buy your goodies without any hassle. The photos must be clear and high quality so that I can use them in my publication. I cannot link to websites with fuzzy photos or pictures that are so small that they don't really show off the beauty of the products featured.

The website cannot have broken links. I know how life is, and stuff breaks now and then, but if the About page says "Coming soon" or the blog link goes to a bunch of illegible code, I cannot feature you. I also require a current photo of you that I can use in the feature. People like to see the beautiful smiling faces of the people I feature in the publication.

While it's not required, it helps that you have a Twitter page, a FaceBook page and a blog. This makes it easy for my readers to connect with you and learn more about you.

If all of that is in order, I will send you the interview questions by email and you answer them. Once I receive the answers, I put you in the cue for feature. How easy it that?!

What To Do Next

If you would like to be featured, please send me an email to donnamaria at indiebeautynetwork.com and request the Interview Questions. Please include a link to your website so I can let you know if I can feature you, and if I can, once you answer the questions and send me a photo by email, you'll be in the cue for feature.

Can't Wait To Hear From You!

Publishing my newsletter is one of the most fun things I do for my members. It's also very fulfilling for me to have a platform to share all of the wonderful things Indie Beauty Network members are doing to provide products and services that make the world a better place.

I look forward to hearing from you!

dM