Blogs vs. Newsletters.

I do both, but use them differently.

The blog is for short posts, news and updates, and there's no guarantee on when I'll post. The newsletter is monthly and it's always a new essay or new writing of some kind.

As much as it seems everyone has moved to blogs and RSS/newsreaders, there are many folks who prefer to read e-mail, or who like to have something to read when offline and commuting to/from work.

If you're looking for a blog site, or blog software, I highly recommend wordpress. You can host a blog for free at wordpress.com, or install wordpress on your site. I've been using it for years, know the founder of the company and recommend it.

I plan to have both soon, the blog will be pretty constant while the newsletter will be monthly.

They both serve different needs but I think if you can spread your content and reuse it as much as possible why not? (re-use for different audiences I mean)

Like the others, I also use both differently.

My newsletter offers some cool business tips that aren't on the website to entice subscribers, as well as articles that are coming up that month.

My blog is more of a news, updates, and general info thing. I also use my blog to post podcasts now! (At least on Mommy's Company!)

I also recommend Wordpress. Mommy's Company is entirely a Wordpress site, and it's SO flippin' easy to maintain. I have a separate Wordpress template for the blog, but it looks just like the site. Not sure why the original designer did it thi way, but it does give the main site a more stationary "magazine" feel, while the blog is an actual blog. I also use a plugin called Podpress to host my podcasts. It works perfectly!

I try to post to our blog at least weekly...doesnt always happen... I post articles, highlight other products/services that I like... Sales, Promotions etc anything having to do with our business or something that I think our readers would be interested in. I get approx. 4,000 (sometimes more, sometimes less) hits on our blog monthly.

I send out newsletters to let our subscribers know of upcoming sales, out of stock products etc. As an incentive to get more newsletter subscribers I will do a 'newsletter subcriber only' sale or promotion.

I use wordpress but I did not set it up. My previous web person did. I find it very easy to use although there are a couple of 'extras' I would like installed!

I've used newsletters as a way to build my communities. Have been running the Seattle Dance monthly event newsletter for over 4 years and am starting a new monthly event newsletter for the Seattle YOGA community. "YogaBlaze"! First newsletter due out Oct 1. Check it out at www.YogaBlaze.com. (The site is still under construction - but now you're the first to know of it!) The Seattle yoga studios are excited & ready to have a vehicle to get their info out.
Blog will come later - once the teachers are on board & available to write content. (Not something I want to do.) Right now I'm having the community connect through another vehicle - collectivex.com.
Thanks for the info about wordprss and all - will check that out today!

Hi Joy,

Blogs are really a place to post journal entries or your thoughts on a particular subject or event. Newsletter are used for keeping a mailing list together. The newsletter I post every week. But I am going to every 2 weeks. Through newsletters you can keep a relationship with your following, such as customers, friends and family. Newsletter allows you to keep your groups updated as to what you are doing, sending them information or new developments in your products or services. It is a great tool to keep people informed about your activities.

I use both blogs and newsletters (blogger.com for the blog, although I've also heard great things about Wordpress).

Although newsletters and blogs are both ways of communicating to an audience, there are definitely some key distinctions, biggest ones being:

• Blogs are capable of being syndicated
• Blogs are capable of reaching far more people than your finite email list of opted-in subscribers. People can find your blog when browsing the web, so the potential audience is much larger typically and can include many anonymous visitors (who aren't necessarily subscribers to your email list or your blog)
• When you blog, people can potentially view your content without ever visiting your actual blog or site (through RSS syndication and reader clients). This means that you have a lot less control over how things appear graphically -- the content can be separate from the presentation. With an email newsletter you have a bit more control over presentation -- so, an email may be more suitable for certain types of communication, like special offers/marketing.

I think they both have their place, but recognizing the key distinctions is important to getting the maximum impact out of either medium.

Okay, I rambled enough. ;-)

I blog, and then promote my blog as a newsletter. I use Feedblitz to email out my blog posts to subscribers. To me, it's the best of both worlds--I keep people on my mailing list AND I don't have to write for two different mediums.

I also blog and send out monthly eNewsletters. It's a good way to promote yourself without sounding like you're a salesman. I try to blog at least once a week about design, marketing, business and promotion. My newsletter consist of my completed projects, awards and a mini-article/tips. It keeps you on peoples minds, even though you may not hear from them right away.

Writing articles/tips on a blog will bring a lot of traffic to your site. At first, I was only blogging once a month and received about 5000 hits to my site. Since I started writing more often. I've been receiving about 18,000 unique hits.

• Cal

I use blogging only at this time. However, as soon as my new site launches I will send monthly newsletters to my customers and anyone else who wants to read them.

For me they serve two distinct purposes.

The blogs, while they are great ways to get a message across, are great ways to gain search engine ranking if you do it right. I use my blog as an entry point to my main site just like a pay per click campaign would work.

The newsletter is a cultivation tool. This is a way for me to give something of value to my clients and create the relationship beyond the sale. It is a great way to improve customer satisfaction. I plan on offering a monthly Q and A in my newsletter that will answer questions folks may have and improve me general service.

Just my thoughts...