Electronic Newsletters for Toastmasters Clubs

Strenghts of PDFs via Email

1. Easy to create- most people can use programs like Microsoft Word and can easily find someone to convert the file to a PDF.
2. Easy for readers to read- The software to read PDF files is free and typically come pre-loaded on computers.
3. The cost is low- the biggest cost will be buying the software if there is a need to buy it.
4. Design- Your only design limit is your own ability.

Weaknesses of PDFs via Email

1. Reader Management- You have to manage the list of readers in a world where readers like to subscribe and unsubscribe on their own. You have to deal with bounced emails, changed addresses and everything else. It's time consuming to do this.
2. Archiving- You need to find your own way to archive your newsletters. Do you have space on your webpage to store them?
3. Email size- PDFs can be large and fill email boxes. With the number of emails we get and keep in our mailboxes it is important to consider how large the email will be. Is it so large that your newsletter will cause emails to bounce back?

Strengths of Hosted Newsletters

• Easy to create- the plug-and-play model walks you through each step.
• Reader management- all your readers are managed by the system. They can subscribe and unsubscribe on their own; bounced emails are removed and you can add your own specific readers.
• Archiving- All your newsletters are archived in their system as long as you have an account with them.
• Easy reading- The newsletter is delivered via email to your readers, but they can view it online if they can not read it through their email. This is not an attachment, but the actual email.
• Segmented lists- These are great for TM District newsletter management. You have various groups: Members, club officers, area governors, etc. You have different messages for each of them. You can segment the list so the right people get the right message.
• Design- These companies will help you design an email with graphics and colors and layout options.
• Image hosting- Instead of sending emails full of large graphics, they host the images to keep the email size small.

Weaknesses of Hosted Newsletters

• Cost- All the systems for hosting newsletters will cost you money based on how many people are on your list. This means you need to have the money for it and watch the number of people on your list to make sure the cost does not go up until you are ready.
• Email- people are growing increasingly frustrated with email. They are more aware of spam and unsolicited email. They are quick to unsubscribe to emails they don't want.

Strengths of Groups

1. Easy to Create- It is like creating a Microsoft Word document. You just type and play with your font.
2. Reader Management- The system manages your readers for you. You can add people to the list, but anyone can subscribe and unsubscribe when they want. Bounced emails are removed from the system.
3. Easy Reading- readers get an email notifying them that the newsletter is ready, but they view the actual newsletter on the webpage for the group.
4. Archiving- All pages created are archived on the group. This allows anyone to go back and read past newsletters.
5. No Cost- The group will cost you nothing, but it will have a few ads on it. The ads are limited to text ads outside of the newsletter content.

Weaknesses of Google Groups

• Clunky- The system is not as easy to use as other systems. These groups were not intended to be just a newsletter, but more often the home of the group in question.
• Yahoo- Yahoo requires that readers who want updates be members of the group with Yahoo accounts. They also want this to be a club's webpage, not just a newsletter.
• Design- These groups are locked into the design of Yahoo or Google. You may have some control over colors and adding some graphics, but there are few options for personalization.

Strengths of Blogs

• Easy to create- With the free systems like Blogger these are very easy to create. Once the initial blog is set up, most of the features are plug-and-play. The entries are as easy to update as a Microsoft Word document.
• Reader Management- With RSS feeds there is no need for you to worry about reader management. Readers subscribe to your feed with a RSS reader and the reader notifies them the blog as been updated.
• Easy reading- each article can be it's own entry with the option for readers to leave comments. Layouts are typically simple and well organized. The most current article is at the top of the blog.
• Archiving- Your entries don't go away unless you specifically remove them. All systems will also allow you to create a small archive organized by date so readers can go back and see articles from any point in time since you started the blog.
• Cost- There is no cost for a blog unless you really have a desire to pay someone to do it. Free systems like Blogger and WordPress never ask you to pay. If you want to put your blog on your club's webpage there are free options for that as well.

Weaknesses of Blogs

1. Technology- The RSS feed is what makes a blog the ideal tool for newsletters, but most readers are not using them. People tend to forget to check for updates when the feed doesn't remind them.
2. Your Future Editors- Will future newsletter editors be interested in this technology? Techie members may be happy to continue.
3. Not to Print- People still like print newsletters. The blog can be designed nicely, but printing each entry will use a lot of paper and won't retain the design.

Strengths of Hosted PDFs

1. Cost: It is free
2. Design: You can design your newsletter on your computer. Instead of emailing it to people, you post it online. Your design limits are only your ability.
3. Distribution: There are many ways to distribute it: email, RSS feed, Twitter, Facebook and more.
4. Archives: Your newsletters are available as long as they are on Scribd. You can even create a group so people can go to one page to see the entire list of current and past newsletters. This group has an RSS feed associated with it so people can subscribe for updates.
5. Easy to create: You are creating these on something as easy as Microsoft word. You just have to make the item into a PDF to post them.
6. Easy to read: Readers can download and print, read on line, or even send it to a mobile device of their choice. You don't have to worry about that though, Scribd manages all of it.

Weaknesses of Hosted PDFs

1. Reader Management: This option is more like emailing a PDF in this respect. You have to manage your readers. It can be overwhelming with so many ways for people to learn about your newsletter. You will probably still have people who want an email to let them know it is ready. This is just a way to host the physical newsletter, not deal with sending it to people.
2. Technology: Even though people can download and print this on their own, they still may back away from the technology for a variety of reasons.