Here at Informatix, we help businesses upgrade to the 21st century every day, and that often means starting from scratch with a new website and all the features that go along with it. When it comes to online marketing approaches, however, many of our clients who are new to the web ask us which we recommend: a blog or an e-newsletter.
The short answer is simple: both! Both of these online marketing tools can give your business a boost, and neither is necessarily better than the other. They each have pros and cons, though, and figuring out which one is right for you will depend on your preferred marketing approach and the needs of your customers.
Corporate Blogs: Easy to Find, Easy to Forget
Whereas an e-newsletter will reach your target audience – anyone who has signed up to receive it – a blog is easily accessible to everyone using the web who might be searching for your expertise. Anyone could stumble across your blog and become a new customer! A well-written, keyword-optimized blog can also boost the SEO of your website, bringing you higher in overall search engine rankings and driving more visitors to your site.On the downside, a blog is only easy to find if it’s well optimized for search engine traffic, and it’s easy for even the most loyal readers to forget about a blog and miss a great article or discount.
Newsletters: In Your Inbox, Come Spam or High Costs
Newsletters are a powerful way to deliver targeted news to those who want it, and to reach hundreds (or thousands, or hundreds of thousands) of customers with training, promotions, and limited-time offers. But despite the accuracy and efficiency of email, it’s all too easy for an e-newsletter to get lost in an inbox, sorted into a spam folder, or accidentally deleted.
The price of sending e-newsletters is significantly above the free blogging software that’s available to anyone with an Internet connection, but a firm setting up a professional website can wind up paying more for a customized blog than an e-newsletter would cost.
Making the Decision: Blog or Newsletter?
Each of these marketing approaches has its own strengths and weaknesses, and the decision often comes down to what’s best for the individual business. Is your average customer looking for an ongoing source of information in the form of a blog, or a regular newsletter providing them with education, details on your business, and special discounts? The choice is up to your marketplace and, ultimately, up to you.