In Defense of eNewsletters

eNewsletters get a bum rap these days. As blogs have become more popular, I see more and more on the internet about how much better blogs are than eNewsletters. I hear things like “Anyone can add a blog post and you don’t have to know HTML to do it.” and “You can add a blog post whenever inspiration strikes.” But just because adding to a blog is easier than sending a eNewsletter doesn’t make them better. Here’s why I think the predicted demise of the eNewsletter is greatly exaggerated.

It all Boils Down to Your Target Market(s)
The debate between eNewsletters and blogs boils down to knowing your target market and what they are comfortable with. For example, my clients and prospects are corporate executives and small business owners. They tend to be service providers such as coaches, accountants and lawyers. Since it’s my job to help them connect with their clients via the internet, I have to know just as much about their target markets as they do.

One thing I can safely say about my clients and their clients is that they tend to use the internet in similar ways. They do not consider themselves to be “technology savvy.” They are not early adopters of technologies and don’t care to be. They’re too busy running their business to spend time diddling around on the internet. In general, they prefer to stick with what is currently working for them and email works for them. Signing up for an eNewsletter is a process they are comfortable with. They only have to make that decision one time and they are on your list until they unsubscribe.

Most of my clients find their clients by face-to-face networking, speaking engagements and professional conferences. It is a rare case when they get a client from the internet. The main benefit to them of having a website, blog and eNewsletter is to stay in front of prospects and build the perception of being an expert in their industry. As a result, I advise my clients when networking face-to-face to ask the person they are talking to if they would like to receive their eNewsletter. If they are asking the prospect questions about the issues they are facing instead of babbling on about what they do, it can seem very natural. I have several clients who have gotten the majority of their subscribers from doing this. Somehow, asking people to sign up for an RSS feed of your blog doesn’t seem like it would work nearly as well.

Multiple Target Markets
Another benefit of eNewsletters is that you can control who gets what content. For instance, I have a client who hosts local networking events in addition to selling informational products and teleclasses on her website. Obviously people outside her geographic area are not going to be interested in information about her face-to-face networking events. So, she has two lists on her eNewsletter sign up form to accommodate these different groups. She sends to networking events to the local people and her informational eNewsletter to everybody. You can’t break down content this way with a blog.

Push vs. Pull Technologies
The main difference between eNewsletters and blogs is how the recipient receives the information. An eNewsletters is a “push technology” while a blog is most commonly used as a “pull technology.” With an eNewsletter, you are in charge of when they receive it; while with a blog, they are in charge of when they read it. Yes, people can easily delete your newsletter email but it’s even easier not to visit your blog. Personally, I prefer to send people content than wait for them to find it

Sure, a blog can be a push technology too if your readers sign up for the blog’s RSS feed. However, few people know what an RSS feed is, how to sign up for it, how to use a blog aggregator and then remember to check the aggregator regularly. For my clients and their clients, it’s just too high a bar to jump over. It’s far easier to sign up for a eNewsletter. (I know. It is now possible to sign up to receive blog posts via email but in my experience far fewer choose this option than signing up for an eNewsletter.)

Internet User Does Not Equal Blogger
The proponents of blogs over eNewsletters tend to assume that everyone else is on the “Blog Bandwagon” too. They seem to think that everyone loves to spend hours poking around on the internet to see what others are saying. They don’t realize that while there are millions (if not billions) of people on the internet, only a fraction of those people care about blogs at all.

So What if Anyone Can write a Blog?
The #1 claim to fame for blogs is that anyone can set one up and add posts to it. So what? If all you do is write blog posts, you quickly realize that you’re talking to yourself. If the purpose of your blog is to make connections and ultimately get clients, this is a huge waste of time. What the Blog Gurus don’t tell you is that writing content is only half the battle. You also have to put just as much effort into attracting readers. Since most people have no idea how to do that, they have to hire someone to help them publicize their blog and build readership which kind of negates the benefit of being able to do it yourself. (Plus, how many of us have time to write a blog post twice a week?)

Beyond Information Overload
Another argument I see against eNewsletters is the claim that subscription rates are down. The Blog Bandwagon assumption is that as blogs become more popular, eNewsletters become less popular. This is an erroneous assumption about cause and effect. I think the decrease in subscription rates has more to do with the quality of eNewsletter content.

For the first time in human history we live in an age of too much information. Where the challenge used to be in finding information, today’s challenge is to sort through it all, figure out what’s important and what to do with it. In my experience, popular eNewsletters not only provide pertinent information, they also tell the reader why they should care and what to do with it. General trends about subscription rates are not your problem and should not deter you from having an eNewsletter. If you provide quality information, you will get more subscribers.

It’s Not an Either/Or Situation
I realize I sound like I’m coming down on blogs but I’m not. I really enjoy working on my blog and it has made me a better writer. Because of my blog, I have made professional connections I wouldn’t have made otherwise. I also find that writing for my blog generates ideas for eNewsletter articles and articles I can submit to other publications.

My purpose in writing this article is to help you make the decision that’s right for you when deciding whether to have an eNewsletter, blog or both. The most important criteria in this decision has to be who is your reader and what are they willing to do to get your content.