I just signed on another newsletter client and I was again reminded of the forever going arguments of which format is better for an eZine. Well with the massive amount of newsletters I publish on a monthly basis I see which format has what benefits and drawbacks.
Ultimately, you can decide which format is the best choice for you, though each winning format has its pros and cons.
The text eZine is the most commonly published. The advantage of this format is that other than writing, you do not require any special skill to use a Word or Notepad program.
While the HTML eZine format requires a certain degree of HTML skills on your part, you can add more sophisticated features to your eZine issues, making them more appealing to your subscriber thus increasing your readership value, something that text eZines do not have.
You can decorate your eZine format, change your fonts, include pictures, and more. Even more beneficial, you can add them as archives on your website. However, the drawback often faced by HTML eZines is that they often get trapped into spam filters before they reach their subscribers’ inboxes.
Another option is to use a blend of HTML and Text which allows you to have less of a chance to be caught by the Spam filters.
The third and least used among the formats is the PDF eZine. Publishing your eZine in PDF format can consume a lot of time and effort on your part but often make up in quality readership.
Due to the commitment, PDF eZines are usually published on a monthly basis. The great part, though, is that you can put your affiliate links in your PDF eZine issue and allow your subscribers to pass the eZine around.
Given the choices, however, you do not have to necessarily choose strictly one eZine format, as some eZine publishers today do publish in more than one format.