If you are somewhat new to online marketing, you might be a little confused about the different purposes of a blog and an e-zine. They both contribute in different ways to the success of marketing your business and understanding their unique purposes can help you use them both more effectively.
The first thing to keep in mind is that it is very likely that your blog and e-zine serve different people. Some people may follow your blog and your e-zine, but not all of them. Because of this fact, you should feel free to duplicate your important content in both mediums.
The second thing to be aware of is where people will see your content. Your blog posts are publicly available online constantly (unless you delete them). If you post something on your blog today, it is quite possible that someone new will read it 3 weeks or 3 years from now. Our e-zine will primarily be viewed in your prospect’s personal email account. If you send an e-zine today, only the people currently on your list are likely to read it, and unless they save the message, are not likely to be reading it again in 3 weeks or 3 years.
With those practical considerations explained, now we can focus on the strategic purpose of each.
Your Blog: Reaching a Broader Audience
The reason you should blog is to share your content with people who you might not know yet. Just like any online content, search engines index blog posts and the short, focused nature of a blog post allow you to create individual keyword-rich posts which will speak directly to the needs and concerns of your target market. For instance, if you are a nutritionist, you could write a blog post about a popular new diet, and you opinion of it. You can also stress the importance of having a nutritionist supervise any weight-loss efforts, and link to your own website for more information. If people are searching for information about the diet, and you have mentioned it by name a few times in your post (and preferably as part of your post title), there is a chance your post will turn up in a search.
The other purpose of your blog is to build your expert status online, and provide evidence of your expertise to people who are not already on your email list. You can also use your posts to encourage people to join your email list.
Your E-zine: Keeping In Touch with Your Peeps
People who have opted-in to your email list have made a small investment of trust in you. They have found your information compelling enough to hand over their personal information. You should be careful not to abuse that trust by spamming them with junk or emailing too frequently.
You have the opportunity to reach these people in their own “home” – that is, their inbox. You can take a slightly more intimate tone with your e-zine communications, and remember that these people are somewhat more interested in what you have to say and offer. As long as you always provide interesting and valuable content, you will be able to include sales messages in your email communications more frequently than you would on your blog.
Web Action Steps
- If you don’t already have a blog, set one up and begin posting to it once a week at least.
- Syndicate your blog to your social media profiles and your business website
- If you don’t have an email list, begin one using a professional Email Service Provider service & add a sign-up form to your website
- Determine a schedule for regular communications to your list (an e-zine) and be diligent in sending out your messages
A blog and an e-zine both serve different audiences and pusposes in your business marketing. Having both is a great way to leverage the unique aspects of each. If you don’t have a website, blog, or email list and need help setting them up, please contact me about getting those things done for you.
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