Is That a Promotional Email or a Newsletter?

This might be a “square vs rectangle” question, but what is the difference between a promotional email and a newsletter?

According to Mark Brownlow, in “Email promotions vs newsletters,”  “Promotions focus on persuasion, newsletters on trust and loyalty. Promotions look for immediate returns, newsletters for long-term benefits. Promotions make an offer, newsletters offer value.”

There are times when I have used these terms interchangeably when, in fact, they are not the same term. A newsletter, may contain some promotional offers or calls to action, but that isn’t the main goal of the email. The main goal of a newsletter, according to Brownlow “is to strengthen the relationship between the customer or prospect and the publishing entity.” In other words, to retain the customer or client, keep them engaged and make them continue to associate your business with a product or service need. Whereas, promotional emails “are generally short-term in nature (unless part of a sequenced campaign).” They call for immediate action, whether that’s a sale or returning contact in some way.

This is something to keep in mind when we are setting expectations for clients and customers. A promotional email can succeed or fail in a campaign, but a newsletter is there simply to sustain contact with the individual.