Successful bloggers and marketers all say, “Success is in the list.” They may be absolutely right, but I never took the time to make a list. I was to busy blogging, writing and enjoying myself. I looked at a newsletter or email campaign as a job and a hassle.

Fine Line between Newsletter and Blogging

Where does the blog end and the newsletter begin? After all, I spill my guts here at No Job for Mom, what else is there for me to say? Who wants a newsletter that regurgitates everything that was said on a blog? The thought of repeating the same thing in two different formats stopped me from creating a newsletter.

RSS vs. Newsletter

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I also considered the redundancy of an RSS feed and a newsletter. Folks can find out the latest on NJFM just by signing up for the RSS feed. Then I thought about that too. I don’t use RSS feeds. It’s not that I don’t want to know what’s going on with my favorite bloggers, but I never really warmed up to the technology.

I’m still old fashioned and like my information emailed to me. I don’t particularly like having to access a feed reader to read the latest on my favorite blogs. The only blogs whose feeds I subscribe to are those with feeds that are delivered to my inbox.

Not a Hassle but a Tool

The more I thought about it, I realized that a newsletter wasn’t so much of a hassle or redundancy in information, it could be an effective online tool.

For example, I often get emails from readers asking questions that I sometimes use as subjects for posts, while other times I personally respond to the email only to find the question come up again from a different reader. With a newsletter, I can effectively answer the question which not only helps the person asking the question, but helps other readers who have the same question but not the time or inclination to ask.

Resurrecting Long Forgotten Information

It’s also a way for me to link to prior blog posts that answer some of the more frequently received questions. Buried deep in the bowels of this blog are one or two long forgotten gems. Since I don’t use SEO practices here, they are often not picked up by search engines and the information is left untouched. A newsletter can help to bring them to the forefront.

The more I let the thought of a newsletter roam around in my head, the more I liked the idea. So, as of today, NJFM has officially given birth to a newsletter. I’m not too sure as to how frequently it will be issued or the exact format to use, but I’m sure, just as this blog has evolved, so will the newsletter.

For those of you who dare, sign up for the NJFM newsletter. Hopefully, it will prove to be another way to share information, tips, advice and motivation with my fellow writers (wish me luck; I’m going to need it).