Newsletters vs. Email Automations: What's the Difference (and Why You Need Both)?
Email marketing is one of the most powerful tools for small businesses, but not all emails are the same. You’ve probably heard the terms newsletters and email automations, but do you know the difference?
What is an email Newsletter?
An email newsletter is a manual email campaign that you send to your list of email subscribers on a regular schedule. These are typically sent weekly, monthly, or quarterly, depending on your business and audience. You can think of them as a digital magazine or personal letter from your business - depending on your brand tone/voice. Newsletters are designed to keep your audience updated with news, announcements, promotions, behind-the-scenes content, helpful tips, etc.
Some businesses use newsletters to share industry insights, blog roundups, or new product launches. Others focus on highlighting customer stories, upcoming events, or exclusive offers.
The beauty of a newsletter is that it helps you stay top of mind with your audience because you are keeping communication at a regular cadence. This positions your brand as a trusted resource rather than just another company trying to sell to them.
Why email newsletters matter:
Keeps your audience engaged and informed
Promotes new services, products, or events
Builds stronger relationships with your community
What are Email Automations?
Email automations, also called lifecycle emails or drip campaigns, are a set of emails triggered automatically by specific actions or “events” your subscribers take on your website or through other digital marketing efforts.
Examples of customer actions or events:
Joining your email list or downloading a free resource
Making a first purchase (or repeat purchase)
Abandoning a shopping cart or a product page
Celebrating a birthday or anniversary
Joining a reward program
Automations allow you to create a more personalized, timely experience for each subscriber without having to manually send each email.
For example, when someone signs up for your newsletter, you might have a welcome email series that automatically introduces them to your brand story, top products, and social channels. Or, if a customer abandons their cart, an automated email can remind them to complete their purchase, possibly with a special incentive.
Welcome email series
Birthday or anniversary emails
Post-purchase follow-ups
Abandoned cart reminders
Why email automations matter:
Save you time while nurturing leads automatically
Provide a personalized experience
Increase conversions and sales
Why You Need Both email strategies
When used together, newsletters and automations create a powerful email marketing strategy. Newsletters keep your community engaged and informed, while automations ensure each subscriber’s journey feels personal and seamless, all working together to grow your business with less manual effort.
Let’s set up your Email Strategy Today
Using newsletters and automations together means you’re building relationships and driving conversions or purchases, without having to write every email from scratch each week.
Ready to get more from your email marketing? Let’s create a strategy that works for you! Contact us today.