Newsletters are bulk emails with graphics. I have been sending people over to Mail Chimp when they want to create newsletters. So far everyone is happy with that. Or, if they are not happy, they have not come back to give me a superior alternative.
Truth be told, I am not a big fan of newsletters. I get a few and universally view them as spam. Yes, they do provide information to me that I like, and yes, I have opted to receive each one. (I unsubscribe to those I don’t want. It is extremely important that all newsletters make it easy to unsubscribe!) That being said, I still do not like them. I much prefer a personal email. Newsletters add fluff and sizzle when what I want is real food (content).
I am not saying newsletters do not have a place. All I am saying is that I, personally, do not like them. As such (and to the detriment of me billing more consulting hours), I do not advocate that clients use them. For most clients, sending a periodic email is superior. I recommend that people set up an email ‘group’ and send an email to the group when they have something to say. The more personal and relevant the better.
Apple, Eddie Bauer, etc. all have large marketing departments and newsletters make sense for them. Smaller businesses do themselves a disservice when then flood their contacts with company-focused data. Every time we communicate with our clients… it should be relevant and helpful to our clients. We should only use email/newsletters to inform our audience of events they will find interesting.