Hello Everyone

I was just wondering for those of you that send out newsletters and also have a Blog, do you focus both of these on the same topics? Or do you use one for clients and one for something else? I'm just curious, trying to get an idea of how to go about this.


Any suggestions ?

Thanks,

~ Sue

I have a newsletter that goes out once or twice per month and a blog. I've found that I really don't enjoy blogging, and it shows in my writing! I've chosen to post to my fan page instead of keeping my blog updated as much as I should.

You need to find what will work best for you and your business, and most important, be consistent with it.

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April Sullivan
The REVA Academy

Thanks April :0)

What is a "Fan Page"?

I enjoy writing, but it's difficult when I'm stuck at what to write about or to whom I'm addressing. LoL

In your Newsletter do you have others advertise, for example sell a spot in your newsletter for other companies to advertise there? I had read that somewhere and wondered if people did that, and how well it worked.

Thanks again

~ Sue

Hi Sue,

I have a newsletter that goes out every other Tuesday and a blog that's scheduled for every Wednesday, but my blogging has been a bit off lately. I talk about different things in my newsletter and blog (in other words, I don't duplicate content between the two, but I don't necessarily think you have to do it that way...if it's easier for you, you can use the same article for both your newsletter and your blog), but they both cover the same general topics: marketing and copywriting (my specialty).

I do offer advertising in my newsletter, but I don't really push it and so far I haven't had any takers. Which is fine, because I just use that space to advertise my own products and services!

To get inspiration on potential topics, you can try seeking out other blogs written by professionals in your area of specialty. That way, you might find some "hot" industry topics that you can put your own spin on for your blog posts/newsletter.

PS: You can create a Fan Page on Facebook for your business and post updates to your wall. You start with creating a personal profile, and then you can create your Fan Page. I'm no expert on this area, but there are threads fluttering around the forums on how to do this if you're not sure.

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Tammi Metzler ~ The Write Associate
Free call: "How to Write Email Subject Lines That Grab Attention!"

Thanks Tammi !

That was a big help Is it necessary to have both the newsletter and the blog? For us newbies ...just to get in the swing of things, I'm thinking starting with one and going with that for a little while then adding the other so not to be to overwhelmed.

Thanks for the Facebook tip, I will look into that as well.

~ Sue

I personally do not use either a newsletter or a blog. I do not see the point. I keep in regular contact with my clients and they really do not care about a newsletter. It is just one more thing to clutter up their desk or email folder. If there is pressing information I need to send to all my clients, I will send an email.

Now, if you are using a newletter to keep in contact with potential clients, I just send out regular promotional material (i.e., letters, brochures, flyers, postcards, etc).

Just my opinion.

Julie

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Julie | Virtual Resource Services, Inc (VRSI)
http://www.vrsioffice.com

PS - Sue, nice Avitar.

Julie

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Julie | Virtual Resource Services, Inc (VRSI)
http://www.vrsioffice.com

Thanks Julie ! I thought it was a perfect avatar ...you did too I see! lol

You know I was wondering about that point as well as to the importance of the blogs and newsletters ...There are people who are not the slightest bit interested in nor have the time to sit and read Blogs and newsletters and I would hate to feel like I had an obligation to provide information that no one was going to read. Not that I would send it unless requested of course, but the blog is always available. I'm not sure ...still thinking through this process.

Thanks for a different perspective on the newsletters and blogs

~ Sue

This is a timely topic for me to revise. I currently have a blog added to my website, but find topics difficult to come up with. Writing is not my forte'. So my thoughts are that I will do a newletter, probably monthly. I have a twitter and facebook page as well as a fan page for my business. I am also on linkedin and have all of these linked together through HootSuite so that each update I add to my fan page, crosses to all. Much easier than updated 3 or 4 separate sites. I think this is a better option for me than a blog.

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Samurai Office Services - Cutting your office time in half.
www.samuraiofficeservices.com. au

Thanks Fiona!

I had not heard of HootSuite before, I just checked it out and boy that does make things easier ! Thanks for the tip :0)

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One tip I heard for e-newsletters is to use them to remind potential clients that you are out there. Even if they don't open and read the newsletter, just seeing your business' name in their inbox may trigger a reminder that they need to call!

As for what to write for your newsletter or blog, write to your target market. Who is your ideal client? Write to them. They do not have to be long posts/articles, and in fact it would be better if they weren't. If you have a topic that lends itself to a long post, then break it into 2 or more different posts and schedule them to go out every few days.

I would definitely use different content for each, but you can reference it on the other, such as providing links to recent blog posts in your newsletter.

Good luck!

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Gladys Strickland
GS Business Resources

You don't have to have either of these - a blog or a newsletter. I believe it's best not to have them than to put out something that has absolutely no value to anyone, including yourself. Or something that takes so much of your time that your business (or your health) starts suffering.

It's easier to have a blog and newsletter content synchronized. It doesn't have to be the same exact word-for-word stuff (that'd be boring and off-putting), but something in the same theme. For example, you can put a short 5 Must-Have Twitter Tools article in your newsletter and add that a longer list, broken down by function/goal, is available on your blog.

An editorial calendar (a list of topics and article styles (how-to, list, Q&A, review, etc) you intend on covering on particular dates) can be very helpful, especially if you're just starting out.

A blog can also help your website get listed in the search engines if you keep the content updated. But if you're doing most of your business offline, then maybe just a newsletter each month would be enough to stay in touch with clients.

I get all of my business online, so even though my blog needs updating, getting found online and through searches is important to me.

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Christina Lemmey
MultimediaVA - Podcast coaching/production & video production

@MultimediaVA - your comment reminded me of a point I forgot to mention:

If you offer any kind of content writing or strategic services, then a blog can serve as an extention of your biz card. A potential client might not want to subscribe to your newsletter, but might want to skim through a few blog entries to get a feel for your style, attitude, etc.

Like Christina, I get all my biz online and the first thing all my clients mention is that they liked what they saw on my blog. I tried newsletter, but found that it doesn't work for me for a variety of reasons.

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Yelena McManaman, Social Media Specialist
Instead of relying on common knowledge, test.

I'm just getting started and have secured my first two clients. Yippee! I am very familiar with writing e-newsletters, however I've never had a blog and realize there is much to learn on this topic. This post has been very helpful. Thanks for everyone's input. I'll probably start promoting to prospective clients through direct mail marketing and personal networking, then I hope to implement a blog since they are much shorter than newsletters. Thanks again!

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Carol Aldridge
www.ProgressiveBusinessSolutions.net