Defining the Relations Between Blogs, E-zines, RSS, and E-mail

Although RSS and blogs are slowly reaching mainstream, they are still missuderstood by most marketers in relation to eachother and in relation to their relatives, e-zines and e-mail. How do these four really relate and what does this mean for your internet marketing strategy?

The most common missconception is comparing blogs and e-mail, with many bloggers actually touting blogs as a replacement for e-mail. The truth is, there's no comparison at all, just like comparing apples and oranges.

The second missconception is believing that RSS and blogs are somehow strongly related or even that RSS is good only for delivering blog content. The result of this on one side are marketers who do not see RSS as a full-powered communicational channel, and bloggers on the other side who refuse to see e-mail as a viable content delivery vehicle.

Let's set the record straight ?

RSS and e-mail are content delivery channels; the tools that enable us to deliver our content to end-users, and in the case of RSS, to other websites as well.

Blogs and e-zines are two different internet media content formats, differing in how/what content is provided and presented through them.

Explained in even simper terms:

Blogs and e-zines or newsletters are "the what" --- what you publish online ... the content side.

RSS and e-mail are "the how" --- how you get that content or information to the reader ... the delivery side.

RSS/e-mail and blogs/e-zines cannot be directly compared. Blog content and e-zine content can both be delivered via RSS and e-mail, and there is no direct business/logical relation between, for example, blogs and RSS.

Saying that "blogs have some attributes & features that email lacks" is in fact comparing two completely different things (an internet media content format with a content delivery channel), which are not directly related.

What makes sense, for example, is comparing e-zines and blogs ...

Blogs are "personal" conversations, opinions and news, delivered in a linear structure, usually written in a more personal style, and confined to a limited number of content types.

E-zines on the other hand are more similar to magazines or newspapers, carrying content presented in a complex non-linear content structure, and having the ability to carry many different content types that do not mix well together if provided through a linear content structure.

A typical e-zine might include:

--> an editorial;

--> a leading article, representing the prevailing topic of a specific e-zine issue;

--> supporting articles, clearly structured to show they are secondary to the leading article;

--> links to "best of" blog posts in the given timeframe;

--> links to the most relevant forum topics and posts;

--> a news section;

--> a featured client case study;

--> different advertisements (banner ads, textual ads, advertorials etc.);

--> a featured consultant;

--> a Q&A section;

--> a featured whitepaper;

--> etc.

Providing all of this content demands a complex content structure and a strong and experienced editor. The blog format simply does not provide the level of structure needed to effectively present such a complex content mix.

But that's not to say that blogs are in any way inferior to e-zines, they're just different. And businesses need both, and they need to deliver both via RSS and e-mail.

However, what is worrying is that some seem to think that e-zines and e-mail are "backward". That's a dangerous line of thought that comes close to shooting yourself in the foot.

Personal preferences towards content delivery channels and internet content media formats have no place in business. What matters is what our audiences want and how they want it.

Our goal must be to satisfy as many of "our people" as possible, implementing all the tools and technologies needed to achieve this goal. Letting our personal preferences get in the way is dangerous at best.

And even if 90% of our customers/prospects/partners (etc.) preferred RSS to e-mail to receive our content, it would still be good business practice to provide both.

Copyright 2005 Rok Hrastnik

Find out immediately how you can power your online business with RSS and integrate it in all of your marketing. Request the free 28-page Business Case for RSS report, with easy-to-follow instructions, examples and advice on how to get the most out of RSS in the shortest possible time. Get the free download here: http://rssdiary.marketingstudie s.net/case/index.html?src=sa14

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Google News Updated : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:50:27 GMT Absentee balloting began Tuesday - Las Cruces Sun-News San Diego Union Tribune Absentee balloting began Tuesday Las Cruces Sun-News - 33 minutes ago By SUE MAJOR HOLMES AP Writer ALBUQUERQUE, NM—It was only mid-morning on the first day of absentee voting, but 200 people had already shown up to cast their ballots at the clerk's office in Bernalillo County, New Mexico's most populous. Muncie takes advantage of early voting Ball State Daily News Voter numbers growing as deadline nears Corvallis Gazette Times Gloucester County Times - NJ.com - Salisbury Post - Aspen Times - Daily Vidette all 619 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:16:38 GMT British government unveils massive financial rescue plan - Los Angeles Times ITV.com British government unveils massive financial rescue plan Los Angeles Times - 48 minutes ago LONDON - The British government Wednesday unveiled a massive rescue plan for its ailing banking system after days of unrelenting bad news for the financial industry here. British government to partially nationalize banks International Herald Tribune Rescue plan for UK banks unveiled BBC News guardian.co.uk - Washington Post - BusinessWeek - AFP all 1,454 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:01:33 GMT Obama connected with audience - Baltimore Sun Boston Globe Obama connected with audience Baltimore Sun - 1 hour ago By David Zurawik z on tv david.zurawik@baltsun.com The format of the second presidential debate was described as that of a town hall meeting, but it was pure TV from the "citizens" seated on risers on a brightly lit stage, to the candidates moving ... Candidates arguments are as familiar as their mistakes The Miami Herald Cool Hand Barack Wall Street Journal The Weekly Standard - Los Angeles Times - Dallas Morning News - Boston Globe all 464 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:28:41 GMT Harford County Council tries for leaner budget - Baltimore Sun Pittsburgh Post Gazette Harford County Council tries for leaner budget Baltimore Sun - 1 hour ago By Mary Gail Hare Harford County Executive David R. Craig met with the County Council last night and painted a bleak revenue outlook that will dominate the remainder of the fiscal year and continue well into the next. Sims wants pay freeze to balance King County budget Seattle Times Sims announces layoffs, wage freezes for county employees Seattle Post Intelligencer Pittsburgh Post Gazette - KOMO News - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review - Bizjournals.com all 10 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:27:45 GMT Nepal Plane Crashes, Killing Mostly German Tourists (Update1) - Bloomberg Spiegel Online Nepal Plane Crashes, Killing Mostly German Tourists (Update1) Bloomberg - 27 minutes ago By Jay Shankar Oct. 8 (Bloomberg) -- A passenger plane belonging to Yeti Airlines, a private carrier, crashed near Mount Everest in Nepal killing 18 people, including 12 German tourists, an aviation official said. Everest plane crash kills 18 in Nepal, mostly German AFP Official: Plane crash in Nepal kills 18 USA Today The Associated Press - The Sun Daily - Spiegel Online - Swissinfo all 284 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 08:23:22 GMT Australian jet plunge probe opens - BBC News TVNZ Australian jet plunge probe opens BBC News - 1 hour ago A computer glitch may have caused a Qantas jet to plunge suddenly mid-flight, an Australian air safety investigator has said. The incident injured 40 passengers, in a terrifying airborne drama. Qantas plane had glitch before altitude plunge International Herald Tribune Computer glitch may have caused Qantas plunge: investigator AFP Bloomberg - Reuters - Aljazeera.net - ABC Online all 734 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:39:47 GMT In Florida, Palin keeps up attacks on Obama - Dallas Morning News BBC News In Florida, Palin keeps up attacks on Obama Dallas Morning News - 1 hour ago JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Sarah Palin portrayed Barack Obama as a dishonest politician and a risky choice for president Tuesday as she wrapped up a two-day campaign swing through Florida. Sarah Palin, Freed? Washington Post McCain, Obama and a 'friendly' town hall Los Angeles Times Reuters - San Francisco Chronicle - Boston Globe - USA Today all 4,475 news articles Publ.Date : Wed, 08 Oct 2008 07:39:26 GMT RSS Parser Increase Search Engine Traffic

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