Comments on: Is email the new blogging?

By: Release It! · Four Funerals and a Wedding

Release It! · Four Funerals and a Wedding — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:33:24 +0000

[...] format, arguing that blogging is dead and email is more intimate–a move that invited some interesting responses. And Jason is right, email, when done right, is highly user-centric. It lands right [...]

By: Jenn Savedge

Jenn Savedge — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:53:54 +0000

This is spot on with what is happening with my own blog/email list. My blog is not dead, I update it daily and continue to get tons of hits; but the feedback from my readers is that in addition to subscribing to the blog, they want a daily or weekly newsletter…as long as it’s quality content. Now I just need to find another 5 or 6 hours in my day to accomplish this and I’ll be all set!

Thanks for this post. You’ve spurred me to get going!

By: Mark Tosczak

Mark Tosczak — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:39:20 +0000

@Jason: I really don’t do link exchanges. If you have a good blog, I’m likely to link to it sooner or later. But it’s all about relationships and quality content for me.

@Jonathan: Yes, I agree absolutely. You have to know your audiences, give them choices. Email and RSS and the Web are tools to do that.

@Melanie: Yeah, deliverability is still an issue for email, but I think if you have raving fans (like many HARO readers), then it’s getting easier and easier for them to whitelist your email. But you’re right, it’s still an issue, and the web will still provide a good ROI in many cases.

@Phyllis: I agree, multiple channels is ultimately the way to go. Let people choose their preferred method.

@Angela: I admit I funnel as much as I can through Google Reader because I find it easier to digest info there, but there’s still some email, like those I mentioned above, that I find provide me compelling value.

@Dube: Email is easier to forward. I should have mentioned pass-along readership as another plus for email publishers.

I don’t think blogs or the Web are going away or are in any danger of being replaced by email, but I find what seems to be a new focus on email pretty interesting.

By: Dube

Dube — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 22:18:41 +0000

I agree with Angela, I would not want to receive all my bloggers’ posts by email either. I would also miss the interaction you find in the comments section, with readers talking to each other. This would be missing in an email newsletter.

I do remember, years ago before blogging, I had an email newsletter that developed a little following. A positive point was that people could forward their favorite article to anyone they wanted, all at once. I gained a lot of additional readers that way, which was nice.

By: Angela

Angela — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:56:25 +0000

I would never want to receive info from ALL of my favorite bloggers vie an e-mail newsletter. Email will get lost in my inbox whereas when I head to Bloglines, I’m all about reading my feeds. I go there with a purpose. Bloggers mixing themselves with my email life and showing up in my BlackBerry, well..I can’t be to sure of the outcome even though I DID give them permission to contact me. Just another perspective…

By: Phyllis

Phyllis — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:29:54 +0000

I like your take on this… and I’m in the process of doing both. Blogging of course and permission marketing via email. Using aweber helps, but there are some drawbacks to email, things like responses (like what I’m doing now) and frequency must be factored in. Peter’s HARO emails are the exception – I would not receive emails from anyone else at that frequency. Blogging can be done daily or several times in a day if content demands… an email newsletter just can’t.
Great article – enjoyed it.

By: Melanie Benson Strick

Melanie Benson Strick — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:26:15 +0000

Email and blogging…

Well, in my experience the only drawback to email is that many of the main list hosting services (like 1 Shopping Cart) have HUGE deliverability issues…

For me that makes having my ezine go way down on the ROI list…especially since blogs have way better SEO capability.

I guess it always comes back to integrating multiple mediums to connect with your audience…can’t just rely on 2 or 3…better to have a variety of ways.

Melanie Benson Strick

By: Jonathan Smith

Jonathan Smith — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:01:11 +0000

“Is email the new blogging?” makes me think. Your examples are startling and your pros and cons real. The correct answer could be different for different markets and for different sized subscription bases within each market. The goal, at best, is having readers (our participant) feeling very much a part of things. Minimally, we want readers feeling the content is helpful, relevant and something they look forward to getting. Maybe we want a blog/email combo. Readers ability to leave comments easily, subscribe by RSS, and sign on (or sign off) to get topic specific emails help readers feel a part of things, and, if for no other reason, we consumers do love keeping our options open. Authentic Promotion’s founder, Molly Gordon does both well, but I know she invested a lot of blood, sweat, and tears in building her vast subscriber base.

By: Jason Whitmen

Jason Whitmen — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:44:08 +0000

Hi,

I’m just getting started with my new blog. Would you want to exchange links on our blog-rolls?

BTW – I’m up to about 100 visitors per day.