The Promise
As a genuine software tool it had great appeal. Many similarly promoted programs are
often little more than a list of submission directories together with instructions that need
following. Ezine Announcer's main promise was that it actually takes the hard work out of
the necessary actions. A one or two click solution, if you like. Also, the comprehensive
nature of the program had great appeal. Submitting to directories on the web by form entries
is only part of the program. It also boasts quite impressive emailing capabilities, where
this is necessary, including the use of templates and personalization of messages. As a
database oriented program it can also be used to record everything, such as what actions
were taken and when, what actions are pending etc. Compared to many comprehensive software
tools it is quite inexpensive too, at less than $70 including a money back guarantee and
lifetime upgrades as the product is improved and updated. Database additions and amendments
are available from its home website. Last but not least, for me, is that it can be on-sold
by recommendation through an affiliate (reseller) program.
The Real World
Well, those are the promises! But how does it stack up in the real world? Before I answer
this, let me make one thing clear. This article only includes my first impressions and first
impressions tend to be shallower than when one has enjoyed a more prolonged period of
familiarization. Further reviews of this software will follow and I fully expect them to be
more positive. Having said that though, first impressions do affect one's approach to
something and in the case of tasks coming under the heading 'work', have a bearing on
whether the task is looked forward to or avoided at all costs! In the case of Ezine
Announcer I have to admit to approaching each session with some degree of trepidation!
Investing Time
The main reason for this is that it's not, in my opinion, a very intuitive piece of
software. This, admittedly, is a difficult thing to quantify. However, suffice to say that I
am a fairly experienced user of a large number of applications and my experience goes right
back to the old days of DOS as an operating system. The main advance in the evolution of
software has been in the area of intuitiveness. Intuitive software allows common procedures
to produce expected outcomes, such as right-clicking an object resulting in a pop-up menu
and so on. Non-intuitive software produces unexpected outcomes or no outcome at all. Ezine
Announcer seems to need further development in this respect. This doesn't imply that it's a
bad program but it definitely affects the incline of the learning curve, which is a pity if
your main reason for investing in it was to save time.
Help Files
To make matters worse the Help files don't always seem to help much. It seemed that the
majority of things I tried to look up didn't even get a mention. There's no detailed
explanation of menus either or shortcut buttons (though, to be fair, all buttons feature
hover captions, which is an important intuitive feature). There are, however, a number of
other assistance files available as separate downloads, such as PDF files and tutorials on
video as well as a 2 Part 'Getting Started' course by email. These are all excellent,
especially the video files, which I believe are indispensable to a newcomer to this program.
Unfortunately the videos only scratch the surface when it comes to teaching the full range
of what it can do which, I suppose, is a compliment to its comprehensiveness. I believe that
more video tutorials are planned though, so I don't want to sound too negative in regard to
their coverage.
Specifics
There are a number of specific points I could raise as shortcomings but, since they would
mean nothing except to people who have a passing knowledge of the program, there is not much
point in mentioning them here. The most significant point I can report is that the creator
of the software, Jason Potash, seems a very amenable character who listens enthusiastically
to criticisms, takes them on board, and seems willing to put things right. Time will tell to
what extent this proves the case.
Wrap-Up
All in all I think Ezine Announcer will prove a valuable addition to any ezine (or
mailing list) publisher's arsenal of marketing tools. It may even prove to be the only one
necessary. I will update this report in due course to let you know how I've found it with
the passage of time and subsequent to the free upgrades. In the meantime, should you want to
try it, there is a 30-day trial version available. Simply click here
to take advantage of it.
© Mike Alexander 2002
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