Ezines, Email, Blogs or RSS

Using the word "mainstream" when it comes to blogs is now, so last year.

But, based on the frequent questions I receive from readers, effectively employing a blog as a marketing tool is still a bit of a mystery to most.

Many of my readers ask some variation of this question: "Should I be using a blog, an ezine, email or RSS?" And my answer: YES

Here's my take.

By itself, a blog is probably not enough (unless you are Tom Peters or the like.)

Small businesses should take the power of a blog and combine it with an email distribution list and a weekly or monthly ezine newsletter.

When you employ all three you get the biggest bang for your marketing effort.

A couple reasons why you still need to email delivery.

• RSS is not yet the content delivery method of choice for the average person


• Email content is pushed out to readers as a reminder that you are there - RSS doesn't allow this same control


• Capturing email addresses allows you to market your readers over and over again

In many cases, someone will visit your blog or web site and like what they see but get pulled away by some other distraction, never to return to your blog again. If you capture that same person's email and permission to send further communication, you turn that visit into a lead.

Feeling stressed about publishing a blog and a newsletter?

If you are posting to your blog like you should (3-5/wk minimum) then you should have plenty of content to repurpose into a newsletter. Pull out your best posts and expand on them or do a round-up of your blog posts. You will find that your readers will gravitate towards their reading method of choice - RSS or email.

I love blogs, I love RSS delivery. But, don't short your marketing efforts. Make your message available in as many forms as possible - that's how you create marketing momentum.