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Getting Over the E-newsletter: Make the Switch to RSS
By: Marijean Jaggers | 01/07/2008
Before Thanksgiving last year, I took a stand for RSS and unsubscribed from nearly every e-mail list I was on. It's helped clean up my inbox significantly and I'm thrilled at the new RSS feeds I've found to which to subscribe instead. Even my church's website provides a feed, eliminating the need for me to subscribe to their e-newsletter. The result? I'm actually reading the content rather than filing an e-mail away for a "later" that never seems to come.
While Michelle declines to say e-newsletters are dead, I will assert that they're certainly dying. In my professional capacity I'm unlikely to recommend any client use them and in fact, am on a mission to get any client currently producing one to make the transition this year. The reasons are simple: e-newsletters are often not read, cost much in administrative time, are only sent to a select group that have opted in (and are not available readily to others interested in their content) and do not have the linkable advantages that the blogosphere offers. I could go on, but I'll add one more reason -- e-newsletters become expensive the greater your audience where blogging is free and the benefits only increase with the size of the audience.
What do you think the future holds for the e-newsletter?
Posted in Social Media, Digital Communications
comments
Marijean says:
Mon, January 07, 2008 at 9:49:pm
Neil, I DO believe it and that’s why it’s essential to offer an e-mail subscription option with your RSS feed. Feedburner and Feedblitz are good resources for this. If you do make the leap, you can start a few months ahead by letting your readership know you’re making the switch and where they’ll be able to find you and when. Please let us know if we can help.
Michelle Golden says:
Thu, January 10, 2008 at 11:45:am
Marijean,
wow, thanks for the nice stuff you said about me! I don’t know about brilliant and whiz…you are very generous!
As you see from the comments to my post, a lot of people feel strongly against my position on the topic but I’m right, smack-dab where you are. Offer the email subscription option and be RID of the old-fashioned e-newsletter. (ducking from additional abuse and death threats…)
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Neil Williamson says:
Mon, January 07, 2008 at 4:49:pm
OK, I’ll say it UNCLE.
While not a technophobe, I am certainly behind the curve on this issue. In 2008, I will go to an RSS feed for the newsletter. But what of those not so hip folks that still want the newsletter option?
I know it is hard to believe but a constituency exists that is just now getting comfortable with e-mail. Granted this cohort is shrinking but I do not believe it will go away all together in the next five years.
For 2008, I plan to boldly expand into RSS newsletter but I will likely hedge my bets holding on to my e-newsletter (same information) as well. Perhaps by June or July the results will prove the e-newsletter can be discontinued, I just want to see the results before I cut off this opportunity to communicate with this constituency.
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