Comments on: Should You Stop Sending Newsletters and Focus on Blogging?

By: Sophie Martin

Sophie Martin — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 16:14:05 +0000

Yay! Great topic!

I think the answer to this question is the same one we give for more traditional marketing — it depends on the target and how they consume media and marketing messages.

It goes beyond that, tho, into product type: a person will buy, say, furniture via email (trust is high when the brand is known, etc), but the same person will be alarmed by banking offers via email (because of the well-known spam and phishing issues).

The lovely thing about email marketing is that your target will typically tell you, through opt-out or click-through, whether he or she is an email buyer. Unlike marketing in print, TV, radio, etc, where effectiveness is less clear.

By: Stephanie Booth

Stephanie Booth — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 15:43:34 +0000

Feedburner allows you to invite readers to subscribe to your blog content by e-mail, and then send each post to them. I think it’s a really great way to “marry” blog and newsletter (though you lose the difference in writing style, I have to admit). If you want to see what it looks like there is a little “subscribe by e-mail” form in my sidebar.

By: Jon Frank

Jon Frank — Thu, 11 Oct 2007 07:37:49 +0000

Coming from an intirely different market niche, agriculture and gardening, I would have to say that email still needs to play a prominent role. In fact many companies don’t even go after email addresses to build up a list. I can’t imagine more than 1 in 100 of our customers even knowing what an RSS reader is much less using one.

On the other hand I am beginning to see the power of Web 2.0 and how change is upon us. Therefor I am commited to getting our websites set up as a place to build community so blogs are in as well.

Jon

By: Marketing Lens - Today’s Top Blog Posts on Marketing - Powered by SocialRank

Mon, 01 Oct 2007 09:37:25 +0000

[...] Should You Stop Sending Newsletters and Focus on Blogging? [...]

By: Tamar Weinberg

Tamar Weinberg — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:04:27 +0000

I’m probably one of the few people who actually ignore traditional email advertising (I have opted out from all but 5-6 newsletters of over hundreds in the past few years), but not everyone is like me. In fact, most people are afraid to embrace change and we shouldn’t leave them behind. Otherwise, they may seek out new avenues to obtain the same information you may be providing, and you’d lose a substantial user base.

I am hoping that people take the social route; it is my kind of technology. But I don’t see it happening that soon.

By: Dawud Miracle

Dawud Miracle — Thu, 06 Sep 2007 13:00:25 +0000

This is such an interesting question. My own feelings is that e-newsletters are outdated because there’s much more efficient and effective methods for delivering information now – especially with RSS. Yet, it’s necessary to still have and use a newsletter list because many folks haven’t caught up with technology yet.

I feel we depend on email way too much. But that’s going to change in the coming years. New devises, new technologies and adoptions of current ones will help people get out of their inbox and into more social, consumer controlled methods of finding information. Ultimately this should lead to a great change in how marketing takes place.

By: Jon Kelly

Jon Kelly — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:00:52 +0000

Hey, Tamar. Very timely post as this is a question we’ve been debating lately at SureHits. I’ve actually been on the other side, essentially arguing that the newsletter feels outdated and archaic. I’ve also had a tough time writing for it. But, I can see the point — many of our customers do not have the time or inclination to read blogs but they might read our newsletter since they know us.

On the other hand, I hate being wrong about this!