Why Newsletters Are Better Than Blogs Why a nifty newsletter might beat out a blah blog.

I'm often asked, ″Should I do a newsletter or a blog?″ It's a good question, and of course, the answer is, ″Both.″ But most of our clients are very busy, and prefer to choose just one. Sometimes, they are not even completely clear on the difference between a blog and a newsletter. Let's do a comparison.

1. A blog is in a fixed location on the internet. You have to write pieces and upload them regularly in order to keep it fresh and interesting enough so that people will visit it frequently.
2. A newsletter generally goes out once or twice a month - ′goes out′ as in - it is mailed out to your mailing list who get it in their inbox. Hopefully it's attractive enough that they look at it, compelling enough that they read some or all of it, and if it's really good, they click on a link that takes them to a place on your website where they can buy or sign up for your products or services.
3. With a newsletter you get to be proactive and reach out to your customers rather than waiting for them to stumble across your blog. Like the old-time ‘paper' newsletters, people expect to get them in their mailbox (sing with me: ″You've got mail!″).
4. With a blog you kind of have to sit and wait and hope and wish for people to remember to visit your blog, or somehow accidentally find it.
5. A newsletter is informative, offers valuable tips and advice on a specific subject, and it's pretty - especially if it's nicely designed and written by professionals who know what they're doing.
6. Blogs can be pretty and informative too, yet they are a new ‘thing' - they seem confusing to some people. But who hasn't heard of a newsletter?
7. A stylish newsletter can contain links that direct people to go to other places you want them to go (like to your blog).
8. With an online newsletter you can sell advertising in it to cover costs. You could do that with a blog too, but it takes away from the ″I'm not advertising, I'm simply expressing my innermost thoughts and opinions″ image that blogs typically need to have to be successful.
9. People can sign up for your newsletter right on your website. This is something they are very familiar with doing. Familiarity is good.
10. Your friends and associates can forward your entire newsletter to their friends, thereby really maximizing the ″eyeballs″ factor. If a friend forwards something to me I usually read it cover to cover. I don't think anyone has ever forwarded a blog to me. Not one that I can recall, anyway.
11. Done right, newsletters have a nostalgia value that blogs won't have for another 50 years, if ever.

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a blog-hater. I have a blog or two - you've seen them, right? But it is not an either/or thing. It is a ‘both' thing. And if you don't feel that you're going to have the time or attention to do both, then it's a newsletter, baby, all the way.

Mandy Wildman, Founder and CEO of Two Cups Connect (http://twocupsconnect.com/) has been playing with the Internet since 1993. An independent filmmaker and writer, she has made nine or so films and has been writing for hire for 15+ years. Her passions are good grammar, great design and organic gardening. Two Cups Connect is the funnest company she has ever owned.