Blogs vs. Newsletters
Blogs are the new newsletters…on (legal) steroids.
Newsletters, though still useful in instances, have been overshadowed by blogs. Why? Blog hosts/writers and end-users/readers benefit more from blogs than from newsletters. Here’s why:
Newsletters:
- Are static. There are no corrections or updates.
- It’s a one-way communication tool. The only person entering the conversation is the newsletter writer.
- You can only get it one way—via e-mail.
- You must be a subscriber to get it, which means you can’t search for it in any search engines.
- Some of the content is lost when viewed on a mobile phone or in corporate e-mail. Many times, images contained within the newsletter don’t display.
- Once deleted, you’re not able to find the content in another location.
- You can search by using a keyboard function, if your e-mail client has the capability. So much of the newsletter’s functionality is dependant upon the subscriber’s e-mail capability.
Blogs:
- Are dynamic. They can be updated at any time with corrections and the latest updates.
- It’s a two-way communication tool (for most blogs). Readers are able to add comments to individual posts (this is up to the blog host – comments can also be turned off or moderated).
- You can get it in many different ways—e-mail, RSS feed and other social networks. The method is up to the reader, not the writer.
- Anyone can read the content on the blog. It’s searchable in search engines.
- No content is lost when you view on an Internet-capable phone. Since receiving e-mail on a smart phone requires an Internet connection, you’ll be able to view the blog (a webpage, essentially) from your mobile browser.
- There’s no permanent deletion. All of the past content is still viewable (in case you missed it, or if you want to read it again).
- You can search for other relevant content by clicking on categories and tags, or using the search bar.