Do you find e-newsletters useful?

I don’t send out e-newsletters but selectively register for a few that I take time for periodically. Find it a challenge to keep my blog and websites updated, but use these sites to keep people up to date with what I am doing related to my art. People are just too busy to spend time on e- newsletters unless it is significant to them and indeed they would have to be short and well written for today’s audience! The ones I read when I have time are art related, environment and travel also at times.

Thanks Linda! (I think you're one if the few people who really read and answered. Lol) I agree on the structure of newsletters for today's audience too. I find I can't read much anymore - even the ones I like. I've started following them on social media instead. My readership is 30-50%, which I'm happy with, but I'm just assessing general business owner.

Business from Georgetown, TX

Answered on Aug 23rd, 2018

I think it depends on your targeted market. I go back and forth all the time. I have my blog as my main hub, launching ground but I know that many of my followers who are on Instagram aren’t interested in blogs or e-letters. So by having several forms of reach allows me to have a more diverse group and targeted range. What’s a good question to ask yourself is: will this add more work to an already efficient system, is this something you really feel drawn to do, or do you feel like you’ve got to do it because others do it. Because simple and consistent is always better than too many things floating and not enough traction.

Thanks. I'm okay in what I send out - I get 30-50% readership - but as a business owner, do you read newsletters? If yes, what topics keep you reading consistently?

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I highly recommend newsletters. I had one blog that I set up for people to subscribe to to get my daily posts sand it grew to 108,000 followers. I have another blog that is close to 5,000 followers. Very effective, and you get many positive feed backs.

That's amazing, Doug! Congratulations. Do you also find that you read newsletters? If yes, what topics keep you reading?

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As the creator of a major newsletter, the first for a big corporation, it was the only way at that time to contact and reach and inform our public. Now there are so many fisher folk jumping for that catch. Isn't a blog sort of an information giver? This depends on your audience, is it built? Are you upbuilding your audience with a newsletter? How long is it? How often is it? All of this is to be considered. I initiated newsletters for a clinic and they were successful during that period of time as well. Now it is all online and again, are you wanting to sell something or gain attention?

I ask clients the same questions when helping them determine the best digital channels for their audience(s), but I post this question because, while I have 30-50% readership, I don't have time to read anyone else's. Do you find that you consistently read others' e-newsletters?

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They do work if they are real news and not hard core sell

Agreed. My readership is 30-50% because of that, I think. Do you read them? I'm asking to see if I'm the only business owner here who doesn't. If you do, what topics keep you reading?

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Wow! As a freelancer who receives about 100 e-mails a day, I can't be bothered with reading eNewsletters. That doesn't mean they aren't useful or successful. Just for me, I can't spend the time to look at them. As for using them...I do produce a printed newsletter as a volunteer of the local Museum. We email PDF or JPEG files of the Newsletter (it is just 4 pages) to members and post them on our website for download. We find that the website download option reaches more people than our emailing them out. I hope that helps.

That's my experience too, George! I'm wearing quite a few hats as a business owner and have less and less time to read anything; but I have 30-50% readership. I only have 90 people on my list (I don't want a list of people who subscribe for freebies, so I'm growing it slowly), and I can't say I've gotten many sales from it. People get inspiration from it. I find I get more by following those people on LinkedIn, Instagram or Facebook. Maybe I've gotten more visual so text seems more draining these days. I'm likely going to unsubscribe from everything and honour my consumption preferences. Thanks for sharing!

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I don't use them, so can't really say......I depend more on social media to reach people

I've found I tend to use social media too - I don't have time to read the anymore. My newsletter readership is 30-50%, though, so I know they work for my audience. Do you read them? I'm asking to see if I'm the only business owner here who doesn't. If you do, what topics keep you reading?

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I don't personally.

I read a couple of blogs that directly relate to my business;Interior design and Decorative arts history.Incidentally, most panel discussions YOU have to pay to speak. It's called Marketing...costs bags of money. .

I find that reprehensible! 15 years ago you could hire a pubilicist...now you have to hire a publicist and a marketig/branding Team!

Oh my goodness! So nice to e-meet you, Tania. It is reprehensible! They're usually the same ones who expect those magnanimous mailing lists. Lol. I've found I don't read them anymore either. I use social media to follow the interesting ones so I can unsubscribe and still get access. Also, thanks for reading and answering! I think a lot of people answered "writing" rather than reading. In retrospect, I should have asked "do you read newsletters?"

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Crystal-Marie, I am now reading military newsletters, because my second book is about the military. I read newsletters according to what I am writing for research purposes.

Aaah. That's such a great idea! Thanks for the tip, Doug!

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What do you want out of your e-newsletters? Emails are sufficient for me. An e-newsletter would be one more thing for me to read during the day. It would have to be outstanding for me to take the time. Hope this helps.