As a blogger, if you desire traffic growth, no matter what your niche, industry or goal, capturing subscribers and building your email list must be a priority.
Your email subscribers create the only surefire path to exponential traffic growth…
Practicing Just Be Awesome SEO, Social Media and Blog Commenting getd new visitors in the door but it’s your email list that keeps them coming back.
This is why I created the No Bullshit Guide to a Successful Blog, it’s why I use a premium email marketing service called Aweber and it’s why building my email list will be the primary call-to-action for this blog moving forward.
Feedburner vs Aweber
Today we are going to discuss the difference between using Feedburner vs Aweber email services for capturing and delivery content via email.
Why compare Feedburner vs Aweber?
Because I already compared Aweber vs Mailchimp and found Mailchimp to be wanting…
I want this blog to be a valuable resource for people or businesses looking for success online. I work very hard to create quality content week-in-week-out…
Why then would I deliver that content in a less than quality format?
I wouldn’t… and I don’t… That’s why I use Aweber (affiliate link) and frankly why I think you should too.
Gordon Ramsay doesn’t create a masterpiece filet mignon entree in his restaurant and then serve it on a paper plate…
So I love Aweber and I feel it’s superior to Mailchimp.
But Feedburner is a different kind of animal and it’s FREE.
So I figured it’s worth comparing the two services for anyone starting up an email list.
Feedburner
Regardless if you use Feedburner for your email list service, you should be using Feedburner to capture RSS subscribers. RSS (or really simple syndication) Feed subscription is the primary function of Feedburner and there are many people, including myself, that enjoy consuming blog content via RSS.
If you’re not familiar with RSS Feed subscription it often looks like some variation of this:
You can then add the blog feed to your Google RSS Reader or Outlook RSS Reader or even your kindle. There are quite a few different services that facilitate RSS.
Feedburner by Email
As an additional function of Feedburner your blog visitors can sign up to have new posts delivered by email. So instead of the new post being added to the Feed in Google Reader it gets emailed directly to the inbox of the subscriber.
It’s very simple… very straight-forward… and very easy.
Feedburner is also quite often the default email subscription widget for most premium blog themes including the Genesis Themes which I use here.
The Drawback to Feedburner
There is one enormous drawback and couple smaller drawbacks to Feedburner in my opinion.
First, the enormous drawback…
The only content sent to email subscribers is the content contained within the blog post.
Which may not seem like a big deal at first, but what happens when you want to send your email list a notice about a new product you created or a webinar your holding or an event your speaking at?
You either have to create a blog post and send the information that way or you’re kinda SOL…
This is a HUGE drawback in my opinion. The whole reason you’re building an email list is to be able to quickly and efficiently communicate with people that enjoy your content. FREE is not worth this drawback.
I know what many of you are saying… “Well, I’m just starting so I’ll use the free option for now…”
That is a FAIL waiting to happen… I made this mistake when I switched from Mailchimp to Aweber… When you sign up for a new email service all your blog subscriber must to “Opt-In” again.
You WILL LOSE SUBSCRIBERS and probably more than you’ll be comfortable with.
Additional smaller drawbacks include the inability to schedule when the email goes out and customize the email to match your blog theme.
Aweber
Aweber does all the things I’ve mentioned above and more… much more… so much more that the thought of going Cheap-O and not using a premium service like Aweber makes me feel a weird inside.
What is “much more” about Aweber?
The autoresponder…
Otherwise known as the follow-up email(s) you send new subscribers once they’ve confirmed their subscription.
In my case the follow-up email contains the download link to the No Bullshit Guide as well as a welcome message outlining what my subscriber should expect from their subscription moving forward.
You can do so much with this… Like create a course where subscribers get a set of 10, 20, 30 emails that teach them how to do something. You can use your creativity and entrepreneur spirit and make the autoresponder awesome…
You can also customize the look of emails and what time they go out.
Finally the tracking with Aweber is amazing. If you have a business where knowing who clicked on a link is important then a premium service like Aweber is the ticket. We’re going to be using Aweber in our insurance agency in a few different ways and I honestly believe it’s going to be a game-changer.
The Drawback to Aweber
It costs money.
That’s it.
That the only drawback I’ve been able to find.
It costs money.
But quality tools usually do.
The Rub
Here’s the deal…
You can use whatever email marketing service you like. But you need to be using an email marketing service…
In the debate of Feedburner vs Aweber I don’t think there’s even a question of which service you should be using…
I believe honestly and wholeheartedly that Aweber is a fantastic solution for just about everyone trying to capture and retain blog readers.
If you would like to purchase Aweber you can do so by clicking Purchase Aweber through Ryan.
But as I’ve said before I don’t make a living off affiliate links so it doesn’t hurt my feelings if you don’t buy through me… Nor must you use Aweber.
What I care about is that you’re building an email list and delivering content in a way that shines a positive light upon your business while giving you the flexibility to be successful.
We get so many emails every day. Make yours worth reading…
Thank you and Good luck,
I am Ryan Hanley
I’m an IM newbie and I also use a Genesis Theme. The default for the email address collecting widget is Feedburner, but how do I use aweber instead?
There is no contest – creating a manageable email list is much more important – aka, aweber wins. I use MailChimp at the moment because its free, but after reaching my limit, I plan to switch to aweber.
Dana Rock wants you to check out… Five Strategies To Find Amazing Deals On Android Apps and Games
Dana,
Are you using Double Opt-In with Mailchimp? If not, Aweber is going to make all your subscribers Opt-In again when you switch which can have an affect on your total list amount…
Just food for thought. Add double Opt-In to Mailchimp if you’re not already.
Thanks!
Hey thanks for the tip – yes, I am currently using double opt-in. I think its on by default.
Dana Rock wants you to check out… Top 15 Android Market Alternative Appstores For Your LG Optimus V and the Motorola Triumph
Good… That way when you submit the list to Aweber there will be a trail of Double Opt-In and you shouldn’t have a problem transferring the list.
Hi Ryan,
Thank you for sharing the result of your search with us. Personally I don’t like Mailchimp either but I was not aware of FeedBurner.
Keep posting such useful information.
Best Regards,
Gerard
I have been using aweber from around 2 months now, and would really like to recommend it to others as well. With so much to do with the emails, one can easily make a list and as the famous quote is money is in the list. Highly recommended product for every blogger who wants to grow. Keep up the good work
Harneet Singh Bhalla wants you to check out… 5 Sites That Allow You To Get Custom Google Plus URL
Thanks Harneet… Aweber is a fantastic service.
Appreciate your feedback!
I always prefer Feedburner. Its best for my all blogs. I got huge traffic from feedburner.
Arif wants you to check out… Katy Perry Has Bathing Suit Malfunction
Ryan, one my biggest weaknesses (there are many:) with my digital marketing is my email subscriptions. I am going to focus on this more in the coming months because I understand how important it is to be successful. I will definitley check out aweber. Thanks buddy.
Brent Kelly wants you to check out… Hey Salespeople, Just Shut Up and Listen
Brent,
I think that once you get into Aweber and all the resources and options it give you you’ll be able to do some amazing things…
Thanks buddy.
Feedburner + wordpress scheduled posts is better in my opinion as the canned email chains are too spammy for really good results.
good post.
Hi Ryan, I’m a huge fan of AWeber and since I’ve had the pleasure of visiting their headquarters twice I feel a tremendous connection to them. I was really fortunate to find out that they I could attend their workshops and events in person and I have gained a ton of value from doing that.
Have you ever thought about importing your FeedBurner email subscribers into AWeber? I have about 300 readers who are getting my posts delivered by email and I’m thinking about creating a separate email list just so they can get those posts delivered through AWeber. Let me know if you thought about doing this too.
Thanks for the post Ryan!
Ileane wants you to check out… How to Build Facebook Page Timeline Apps with Lujure
Ileane,
That is awesome that you got a chance to meet with the people behind Aweber. I truly have nothing but great things to say about them as well as their product…
I’ve thought about that. But I figure that Feedburner email subscriber subscribed that way for a reason… So I’m just going to leave it. Plus I only have about 60 Feedburner email subscribers…
Thanks for your thoughts Ileane!!!
Hey Ryan, this is great information. I’m still new in the web building and marketing industry. But I absolutely love it and I love my site. I have an AWeber account and I have an RSS feed through Feedburner. I follow other sites that use only Feedburner, so I stopped using AWeber as much. I see now that using both resources based on their individual strengths can be advantageous. I will relook at AWeber and see what I can do with it. Would you have any recommendations for learning how to use AWeber successfully and in a language that a novice can understand?
Laura Black wants you to check out… One Person At A Time
Laura,
A great place to start with using Aweber is the Aweber Blog. Their team does a fantastic job of creating resource on how to take advantage of the service.
Let me know how it works out!
Ryan H.
Great stuff here! I feel that Aweber is more of an entry level service compared to a lot of stuff that big companies use.
I mean, it’s a dollar to start and under $20 a month to keep it going up to 500 subscribers. I’ve made considerable income with only 300 subscribers on one list. It was well worth the investment.
If most people quit buying 2 coffees per day and learned how to use a coffee maker, they could take that money and build something great with it! I spend $6 per month on coffee and I’m addicted to it.
The point is, it’s not a lot of money for such a quality service. It’s well worth it and can pay for itself very quickly!
Thanks a bunch,
-Gabe
Gabe Johansson wants you to check out… What To Look For In An Internet Marketing Affiliate Program
Gabe,
Awesome testimonial for the Aweber service and I couldn’t agree with you more… The small cost of Aweber is well worth what you actually get out of it.
Buy that Coffee Maker People!!
Ryan H.
Hi Ryan, Aweber is definitely the ‘big brother’ in the industry. Those guys are doing a great job to make sure every thing is bundled for the satisfaction of their customers. I never tried Mailchimp so nothing to say about it. I heard they frown at IM stuffs.
Enstine Muki wants you to check out… Want 25 Retweets on your Blog Post per day? Here is how
Enstine,
They do frown on IM stuff and don’t like affiliates at all…
Thanks for stopping by buddy,
Ryan H.
Thanks for sharing Ryan. I just started using Aweber a couple of weeks ago and I love it. Time to start building that list.
Feedburner is great too but I pretty much use it to let people read my posts when they have the time later. I see that some people have their RSS subscriber count next to their RSS logo, do you feel there is a benefit to that when you’re just starting out, or is that something to wait to show until you have a solid base of subscribers?
~Johnny
Johnny Bravo wants you to check out… Don’t Burn Yourself Out
Johnny,
It depends on how many subscribers you have. If the number is very low it may actually prevent more people from subscribing… Negative Social Proof…
Does that make sense?
Thanks,