From the EEC Conference: Email marketing blogs

I've recently transitioned over from a Constant Contact Newsletter format to a simpler Business Letter format. The letter sent to clients and prospective clients has a brief intro, then a bulleted list highlighting recent posts on my blog, then a short close. Of the 4 or 5 items on the list, clients usually have an interest in at least a few, then a click on a link in the letter will bring them to my blog at blog.AnnapolisCondos.com It's a clean and comfortable format for readers inundated with email. And the blog progresses with the blog writers interests and schedule.

Hi Regina. I've never thought of a blog as "evil" but if you mean that it's one more thing to keep up with, I think I know where you are coming from. : )

There are pros and cons to having a blog. At this moment in time, I don't think it's an absolute must for small businesses. You have so much you are doing, adding a blog just might not work for you. But, some small businesses blog and do a great job with it. Here's one example http://www.createmykeepsake.com/blog/

Much like with email marketing, you need to make sure that your blog has content that is relevant to your audience. You have to give them a reason to visit and to read.

There's a blog called Church of the Customer and they wrote about this very topic. They are believers that a blog is a worthwhile venture for a small business. Here's their article http://customerevangelists.typepad.com/blog/2004/08/small_businesse.html

Hope that helps. Thanks for the question!

Best,
Amy