What to Share in Newsletter vs a Blog Post


When I started my current weekly e-newsletter (click here to subscribe) I was so confused about what the difference would be between what I would share there vs what I share on my blog.

It was such a mystery to me, so I hunted and hunted in every corner of the Internet for the answer. What kind of content do you share in a creative newsletter as opposed to a blog.

Surprisingly, it was hard for me to find any specific guidance, which lead to procrastination and stress. I just couldn't wrap my head around what the difference was between the two.

Add to that the occasional "artist" self doubt, creating the thoughts "What does it matter anyway? …and why would anyone care about what I have to say or be interested in me and my process? Why would someone want to read both?"

It took looking a little outside of my creative niche but I did more research and started to cull together some ideas and suggestions that I will share below. These have helped me stay within certain parameters when planning and creating content for each platform. Maybe they will help you too!

Suggestions for both a creative newsletter and a blog:
  1. Keep it brief. Readers are busy and there is a lot of content competing for their attention.             
  2. Be professional but don't be afraid to write in your personality. After all, these tools are for people to get to know you.
  3. Read and reread your posts and writing. Edit and check for typos.

Blog post tips:
  1. Share content that is less time sensitive. Remember, this information might be found by someone a year or more from now when they search your topic.
  2. Share more universally interesting topics and content. Gearing your content to a wider audience.
  3. Create posts that are useful, like tutorials or tips. Share your expertise or process in a way that can help others searching for guidance.

Newsletter content tips:
  1. I guess my biggest (and most surprising) take-away is that the most popular and successful newsletters are not geared towards "selling" anything. It is more about connecting with your readers and developing a relationship.
  2. The writing in a newsletter can be more conversational, like a visit from a friend. People that subscribe are interested in what you do and who you are, so honor that with an authentic connection.
  3. Share time sensitive information, special events, new releases, exclusive deals and even a glimpse into your personal life. Reward your readers with something special for subscribing and reading.

My number one tip to organize my content:
I keep a running list of topics and ideas in one centrally located place. Right now, that place is the app "OneNote". OneNote works across all of my devices, making it available for a quick idea add at any time.

I have two file tabs in the app. One is titled "Posts in the works" and the other is "Used posts".

In the "Posts in the works" tab I create a new "note" for each idea and start the title of the note with "B" (for blog) or "NL"  (for newsletter). That way I know which direction the writing needs to go and can easily access ideas for both. As I use each topic I move it to the "Used posts" tab.

It's super simple and very functional.

As of this writing I have 15 blog ideas started, 4 newsletter ideas started and 2 that might be able to go either way. It makes sense that there are so many more ideas for my blog because those are not time sensitive. There are fewer for my newsletter because those are more current.


Do you have guidelines you use for blog or newsletter post content?
Do you have a useful way to organize and store your ideas?

I'd love to know what works for you!

Until next week,
Pam

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