Why Is a Blogger Creating an Email Newsletter?

This post was created and queued for later viewing. As I write this I have just quietly launched a small experiment. In a news roundup post I have slyly tucked away a link to an email newsletter signup form.

Yes, you read correctly, I have launched an email newsletter.

I have no way of knowing as I write this what the reaction to that little bomb shell will be but I thought I had better explain anyway.

Why would I as a blogger need an email list? Especially considering I get a reasonable amount of traffic and subscribers to my primary blog?

Focus.

While this blog is aimed at a particular audience, one I have worked hard to attract and provide for, the newsletter is very very specific in its focus. It’s not a general whatever-I-think-of blog about marketing and blogging, there is a specific theme and message.

Audience

I hope a good portion of you my loyal and wonderful chrisg.com readers sign up, of course, but at the same time a lot of the audience will not be as advanced as you are. The newsletter will be attracting some people who are on the edge of launching a blog for their business or own professional profile and who might not necessarily be up to date with feed readers and syndication. Everyone knows email and few people will struggle with signing up.

Attention

One of the problems with blogs is people subscribe and forget.

Although some of my newsletter messages will go astray, and no doubt some will be ignored, a subscriber providing an email address shows a level of commitment not found with RSS feed subscriptions. There is a kind of implied contract, you provide your email address and I reward you with valuable information.

Strategy

Keen eyed folks will remember this is exactly the newsletter and blog strategy I recommended a while ago. General interest blog, tightly focused email newsletters.

It remains to be seen if this works out or not 🙂

Am I crazy? Does this make sense? Let me know in the comments …

… And if you are interested in my Authority Blogger Newsletter, go ahead and sign up now … 🙂