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Newsletters Or Ads? by Robert F. Abbott

So, you're wondering if you should start your own newsletter. You've been told it's a great way to publicize your website. In fact, you've probably seen lots of articles about the power of email newsletters (also called ‘ezines’) to promote your online sales.

But, don't jump on that idea just yet. You can also get good results by buying ads and sponsorships in newsletters that other people publish. And, there's no end of variety when it comes to online ezines. Perhaps you can find one that will be as effective as your own newsletter.

Let's consider the pros and cons of each approach:

ADS

Let's look first at advertising in other peoples’ newsletters or ezines:

* They provide audiences right now
* You can tailor spending by audience size
* Or tailor it by CPM (cost per thousand readers)
* It's probably less time consuming for now
* You won't have to write or gather editorial material
* Some publishers write ads or help you write them.


On the other hand:

* You might have trouble finding the right audience
* Could be hard to find an audience of the right size
* Writing effective ads takes more time than we expect
* Ads have lower response rates than editorial material
* Buying ads can get very expensive.


NEWSLETTERS

Publishing your own newsletter, of course, offers different advantages:

* Subscribers have a real interest in your subject
* Your name is right in front of them regularly
* Provides space and a forum for explaining complex issues
* It allows you to develop communication expertise
* You have control over issues such as timing and context
* You can sell ads in your newsletter, for extra revenue.


But…

* Newsletters take a lot of time to write and manage
* You need to commit yourself to doing it our regularly
* It's neither easy nor cheap to build a list
* It might not work, despite your best efforts.



BOTTOM LINE

Considering our analysis, and the implications of the findings, we can draw a few conclusions.

If you want a quick start or don't have much time available, if you sell well known or simple products, or if you have insignificant competitors, then ads in other people's newsletters may be the way to go.

However, if you sell complex or innovative products, or you need to distinguish yourself from competitors, then your own newsletter may be more effective. The same goes for building an enduring association with prospects, for learning to communicate more effectively, and for as much control as possible.

DO BOTH

But, this doesn't have to be an ‘either or‘ choice. Consider using both to realize some valuable synergies.

First, you can use ads in other people's newsletters to build the circulation of your own ezine. Ads in other newsletters will help you find people interested in your niche, and build your list more quickly.

Second, not everyone will take enough interest in your niche to sign up for your ezine. But, they still might be good prospects that you don't want to lose, and ads will reach where you newsletter won't. So, you can cover your bases a little more thoroughly, for very little cost.

Third, once your newsletter grows to a certain size you can swap ads with other newsletter publishers, or sell ads to other marketers. That creates a virtuous cycle to help you build your list and your sales.

OBJECTIVE AND MEASURES

Whichever way you go, the objective is to get people to your website or elsewhere. You don't try to make a sale in your ads or newsletter; you simply try to deliver visitors to your web pages and deliver a sales pitch to them there.

So when you evaluate, you'll assess performance by the number of people who clicked through to your website. Of course, not all visitors are created equal, and you'll also try to figure out which gave you the best sales results. (For informative articles about tracking visitors, see the Jayde.com Newsletters for May 6 and June 8, 1999.)

In the end, though, what you do may be less important than the fact you've done something. Especially if you've done it consistently, and based it on a well-considered plan.



Robert F. Abbott is a veteran journalist and a communication specialist. Read a sample chapter from his book, A Manager’s Guide to Newsletters: Communicating for Results, at http://www.managersguide.com

                                                              

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