Blog or newsletter?

Q:  A blog versus a newsletter? Which should I start?
Bob Deneen

A:  Hi Bob–

I actually still prefer both, although many people have given up on email newsletters.  Print newsletters, however, have risen in popularity. especially subscription-based ones.

The answer to your question depends on your target market.  Which do they prefer?  Personally, I know that I read newsletters before blogs, even though I've got 150+ blogs marked to follow in my blog reader.  Realistically, unless it shows up in front of my face via email, I usually don't read it.  So, I guess that makes me old school..LOL  However, asking your list of contacts is probably the only way to get real direction here.

The downsides to an ezine are that your open rate is probably going to hover around 30% (only 30 percent of your list will open any given email) and you must use an email marketing company with a proven high rate of deliverability.  I use www.GetMoreClientsAutoresponder.com.  The upside is that if the email gets through, there's a greater likelihood of it being read, especially if it has a compelling subject line that's personalized.

The downside to a blog is that if subscribers don't check their RSS readers, they may never see your posts.  The upside to a blog is that the search engines love them and will index posts much more rapidly than tradtional web pages.  So, if you optimize your post properly for keywords, there's a greater chance of finding new subscribers.

Whichever one you decide to start with, remember that you can repurpose one to the other.  Shorter blog posts can become more in-depth newsletter articles,   And, sections of your newsletter can be posted on your blog.

For more in-depth info on how to create both an email newsletter and a blog as well as access the 60-minute teleclass I held on repurposing your content, try a membership to OnlineBizU.com.

Got an Internet Marketing question?  Ask it here: AskDonnaGunter.com.