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Casual Articles - 3 Reasons To Publish An E-Newsletter AND A Blog
I once had a very interesting conversation with a very good friend of mine Lynda King Taylor; an International Speaker and Author on Customer Service.Lynda, as usual, had some very interesting questions to ask me, only this time, it was for some research, for an up and coming article she was working on. And I thought you may be interested in my replies.Lynda: Is good customer service becoming more elitist?Derek: This is an interesting question. Good customer service is not absolutely essential and many businesses may be able to survive or even succeed without it. And therefore it often comes down to the vision of the business leader and the strength of his/her lea
Bottom line, consider adding a blog to your site for two reasons: as an instant publishing tool and as an adjunct to your email marketing efforts. You may find you can use a blog to trim down the extraneous information that's clogging the regular issues of your newsletter and making it less effective.
Useful Resources
Using RSS Feeds to Promote Your Website by Ralph Wilson
Quick explanation of RSS (from my article "5 key questions about business blogs")
Popular Blogging Tools
New Office or Home Office Calculator Correction Fluid Desk Calendar Dictionary/Thesaurus/Software Manuals In/Out Bins Copy Paper Paper Clips, Binder Clips, Paper Clip Holder Pens Pencils, Pencil Cup/Tray, Pencil Sharpener Scissors Stapler, staple remover Tape DispenserNew Office Only If you don’t find all of the above at your desk, when time permits, find out how to obtain them or who can supply you with them. Also inquire about location of supply closet, heavy duty staplers, paper cutters, company letterhead and envelopes, postage machine(s), copy machine(s), fax machine(s), scanner(s), company t
1. A blog is not "email"
A Weblog or blog, on the other hand, is a page on your site that can be updated several times a week with fresh content. If a reader has “subscribed” to your blog, he or she gets an alert (consisting of the headline and brief summary) every time you post new information.
I.e., much the same way you can include a teaser paragraph in your e-newsletter with a link back to the full article on your site.
If you're thinking that subscribers have to proactively "visit" your blog (a "pull" tactic) vs. having an ezine or e-newsletter delivered to them (a "push" approach) there's good news.
You can subscribe to a blog using downloadable software called a newsreader. NewsGator www.newsgator.com is a popular one as it integrates seamlessly with Outlook. There are lots of newsreaders to choose from, many of them free. Once installed on your desktop, the newsreader (also called a news aggregator) grabs the latest updates to your blog via an RSS feed.
No need to worry what RSS is (it stands for Really Simple Syndication). Just have faith that RSS is a new way to publish and distribute content on the Web without using email. And that’s the point. No email. So, no worries about spam filters or delivery problems.
2. A blog is an instant publishing tool
A blog is an easy-to-use content management tool. When you “blog,” you are instantly adding new content to your site via a Web interface. No technical or programming skills are necessary. Anyone can update the copy and content on your site. In fact, think of a blog as just another page on your Web site.
Key point: a blog doesn't have to be “cool.” A steady stream of short tips with links to other sites or articles can be extremely useful. (See my article 5 tips for a useful resource blog.) In fact, this is the same kind of useful information you may be cramming into each issue of your newsletter. With a blog, you can parcel it out in digestible bits - with more impact.
3. A blog makes your site search engine friendly
Search engines love blogs and will index individual entries (no matter how short) if you've got your blogging software configured to create a separate page for each new post. In other words, think of each blog post or entry as a Web page with its own title.
By incorporating a blog into your site you are creating multiple new mini pages. Search engines crawl sites which are updated regularly with fresh content. So “blogging” raises your site’s rankings in search results.
OK, but are blogs a fad or a trend?
I love this question. Here's my answer:
Newsletters or ezines are still the e-vehicle of choice for most marketers. Two things are slowing the adoption of blogs as a channel for business communication:
1. The term blogging is associated with online journals; personal, unedited writing; and, er, needless bloviating.
2. Most folks don't know what a news reader is and why you need one to subscribe to a blog or any other RSS feed. (Again, don’t fret over RSS. Visit www.newsgator.com for a good explanation and to see how easy it is to download a newsreader.)
Use a blog to extend the reach of your e-newsletter
My advice for now is to continue publishing an e-newsletter. If you're sending it in HTML, trim your design down to the bare minimum and make the file size as small as possible. This will give you a better chance of getting past the spam filters and other blocking tools being used by major ISPs like AOL.
Of course, don't forget to link back to your blog through each issue of your e-newsletter. You'll probably need to explain to your newsletter readers what your blog is, where to find it and how to subscribe to it.
If you think your email subscribers are not ready to embrace “newsreaders,” then don’t mention this downloadable software - or RSS for that matter. Simply include a prominent link to your blog in the layout of your newsletter and remind readers to “visit” often for updates between issues.
Bottom line, consider adding a blog to your site for two reasons: as an instant publishing tool and as an adjunct to your email marketing efforts. You may find you can use a blog to trim down the extraneous information that's clogging the regular issues of your newsletter and making it less effective.
Useful Resources
Using RSS Feeds to Promote Your Website by Ralph Wilson
Quick explanation of RSS (from my article "5 key questions about business blogs")
Popular Blogging Tools
Blogger (
No matter how large or small, every event marketing activity needs to be properly planned. While each event is different, there are some general guidelines for the way you can plan all of them. Follow these tips when you organize that special day.1. Get a clear understanding of the purpose of the event marketing promotion. An organizational event needs to be clearly defined, in order to focus all efforts towards the desired goal. It’s important to know the significance behind the event and the anticipated outcome. For example, is it meant to create awareness, induce trial or promote sales? Analyze the actual results of the event marketing activity against these objectives.2. Set the key deliverables for
No need to worry what RSS is (it stands for Really Simple Syndication). Just have faith that RSS is a new way to publish and distribute content on the Web without using email. And that’s the point. No email. So, no worries about spam filters or delivery problems.
2. A blog is an instant publishing tool
A blog is an easy-to-use content management tool. When you “blog,” you are instantly adding new content to your site via a Web interface. No technical or programming skills are necessary. Anyone can update the copy and content on your site. In fact, think of a blog as just another page on your Web site.
Key point: a blog doesn't have to be “cool.” A steady stream of short tips with links to other sites or articles can be extremely useful. (See my article 5 tips for a useful resource blog.) In fact, this is the same kind of useful information you may be cramming into each issue of your newsletter. With a blog, you can parcel it out in digestible bits - with more impact.
3. A blog makes your site search engine friendly
Search engines love blogs and will index individual entries (no matter how short) if you've got your blogging software configured to create a separate page for each new post. In other words, think of each blog post or entry as a Web page with its own title.
By incorporating a blog into your site you are creating multiple new mini pages. Search engines crawl sites which are updated regularly with fresh content. So “blogging” raises your site’s rankings in search results.
OK, but are blogs a fad or a trend?
I love this question. Here's my answer:
Newsletters or ezines are still the e-vehicle of choice for most marketers. Two things are slowing the adoption of blogs as a channel for business communication:
1. The term blogging is associated with online journals; personal, unedited writing; and, er, needless bloviating.
2. Most folks don't know what a news reader is and why you need one to subscribe to a blog or any other RSS feed. (Again, don’t fret over RSS. Visit www.newsgator.com for a good explanation and to see how easy it is to download a newsreader.)
Use a blog to extend the reach of your e-newsletter
My advice for now is to continue publishing an e-newsletter. If you're sending it in HTML, trim your design down to the bare minimum and make the file size as small as possible. This will give you a better chance of getting past the spam filters and other blocking tools being used by major ISPs like AOL.
Of course, don't forget to link back to your blog through each issue of your e-newsletter. You'll probably need to explain to your newsletter readers what your blog is, where to find it and how to subscribe to it.
If you think your email subscribers are not ready to embrace “newsreaders,” then don’t mention this downloadable software - or RSS for that matter. Simply include a prominent link to your blog in the layout of your newsletter and remind readers to “visit” often for updates between issues.
Bottom line, consider adding a blog to your site for two reasons: as an instant publishing tool and as an adjunct to your email marketing efforts. You may find you can use a blog to trim down the extraneous information that's clogging the regular issues of your newsletter and making it less effective.
Useful Resources
Using RSS Feeds to Promote Your Website by Ralph Wilson
Quick explanation of RSS (from my article "5 key questions about business blogs")
Popular Blogging Tools
Raffles are one of the most popular and cost effective ways to raise money for a non profit organization. However, it would not be a raffle if you had nothing to give away!So what kind of prizes should you have? First of all, put yourself in your potential supporter’s shoes - What if someone comes up to you and says they are selling raffle tickets? What prize would you like to win?Here are some prizes that attract many people’s attention:Cars - Sports cars, Luxury cars, SUV’s in this years model. Another great alternative is a completely restored classic / collector’s car. You may or may not be able to get this donated. If not, consider other types of prizes, since your profit will be higher if a
3. A blog makes your site search engine friendly
Search engines love blogs and will index individual entries (no matter how short) if you've got your blogging software configured to create a separate page for each new post. In other words, think of each blog post or entry as a Web page with its own title.
By incorporating a blog into your site you are creating multiple new mini pages. Search engines crawl sites which are updated regularly with fresh content. So “blogging” raises your site’s rankings in search results.
OK, but are blogs a fad or a trend?
I love this question. Here's my answer:
Newsletters or ezines are still the e-vehicle of choice for most marketers. Two things are slowing the adoption of blogs as a channel for business communication:
1. The term blogging is associated with online journals; personal, unedited writing; and, er, needless bloviating.
2. Most folks don't know what a news reader is and why you need one to subscribe to a blog or any other RSS feed. (Again, don’t fret over RSS. Visit www.newsgator.com for a good explanation and to see how easy it is to download a newsreader.)
Use a blog to extend the reach of your e-newsletter
My advice for now is to continue publishing an e-newsletter. If you're sending it in HTML, trim your design down to the bare minimum and make the file size as small as possible. This will give you a better chance of getting past the spam filters and other blocking tools being used by major ISPs like AOL.
Of course, don't forget to link back to your blog through each issue of your e-newsletter. You'll probably need to explain to your newsletter readers what your blog is, where to find it and how to subscribe to it.
If you think your email subscribers are not ready to embrace “newsreaders,” then don’t mention this downloadable software - or RSS for that matter. Simply include a prominent link to your blog in the layout of your newsletter and remind readers to “visit” often for updates between issues.
Bottom line, consider adding a blog to your site for two reasons: as an instant publishing tool and as an adjunct to your email marketing efforts. You may find you can use a blog to trim down the extraneous information that's clogging the regular issues of your newsletter and making it less effective.
Useful Resources
Using RSS Feeds to Promote Your Website by Ralph Wilson
Quick explanation of RSS (from my article "5 key questions about business blogs")
Popular Blogging Tools
Lots of people would like to make money online, because their dream is to work at home for a good income. Work at home idea is a great way to be a lot more time with your family.The first and simplest way is the affiliate marketing. What is affiliate marketing? It is a cooperative effort between merchants and an affiliates. If you are an affiliate you don't need own product. As an affiliate you will compensated for every visitor, subscriber or customer provided through your site or ad. You will get commission for your job. If you are a web site owner, you can promote one or more merchants and their affiliate programs. Affiliate marketing can generate a full-time income for the affiliate. But this is not a quic
2. Most folks don't know what a news reader is and why you need one to subscribe to a blog or any other RSS feed. (Again, don’t fret over RSS. Visit www.newsgator.com for a good explanation and to see how easy it is to download a newsreader.)
Use a blog to extend the reach of your e-newsletter
My advice for now is to continue publishing an e-newsletter. If you're sending it in HTML, trim your design down to the bare minimum and make the file size as small as possible. This will give you a better chance of getting past the spam filters and other blocking tools being used by major ISPs like AOL.
Of course, don't forget to link back to your blog through each issue of your e-newsletter. You'll probably need to explain to your newsletter readers what your blog is, where to find it and how to subscribe to it.
If you think your email subscribers are not ready to embrace “newsreaders,” then don’t mention this downloadable software - or RSS for that matter. Simply include a prominent link to your blog in the layout of your newsletter and remind readers to “visit” often for updates between issues.
Bottom line, consider adding a blog to your site for two reasons: as an instant publishing tool and as an adjunct to your email marketing efforts. You may find you can use a blog to trim down the extraneous information that's clogging the regular issues of your newsletter and making it less effective.
Useful Resources
Using RSS Feeds to Promote Your Website by Ralph Wilson
Quick explanation of RSS (from my article "5 key questions about business blogs")
Popular Blogging Tools
Are you unhappy at work? Tired and lacking energy and drive? Don't worry, you are not alone! Studies in the US show that up to 70 percent of the workforce is unhappy with their job at any given time. We all feel dissatisfied and frustrated with our jobs at times. So, how do you know when the feeling of dissatisfaction and frustration means it is time for a career change? There are a few key signs which point towards a need for change:* feeling overwhelmed by your workload* unable to balance your work and life responsibilities* confused about roles and duties in your job* easily irritated and ready to explode at the slightest provocationWe choose our career path for many different
Bottom line, consider adding a blog to your site for two reasons: as an instant publishing tool and as an adjunct to your email marketing efforts. You may find you can use a blog to trim down the extraneous information that's clogging the regular issues of your newsletter and making it less effective.
Useful Resources
Using RSS Feeds to Promote Your Website by Ralph Wilson
Quick explanation of RSS (from my article "5 key questions about business blogs")
Popular Blogging Tools
Blogger (free tool; now owned by Google)
Movable Type (software you install; it powers many professional-looking blogs)
TypePad (hosted version of Movable Type; easier to set up)
HTTP = HTML link (for blogs, profiles,phorums):
<a href="http://www.casualarticles.com/article/58973/casualarticles-3-Reasons-To-Publish-An-ENewsletter-AND-A-Blog.html">3 Reasons To Publish An E-Newsletter AND A Blog</a>
BB link (for phorums):
[url=http://www.casualarticles.com/article/58973/casualarticles-3-Reasons-To-Publish-An-ENewsletter-AND-A-Blog.html]3 Reasons To Publish An E-Newsletter AND A Blog[/url]
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It May Be Time to Walk in an Employer's Shoes
Small Business Strategy- A Framework for Change
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