One of the most debated questions in the newsletter space remains - should you only post to email or should you also post to blog?

Why and why not? 

Personally, all our newsletters have been posted on the web as well, but I’ll tell you more about it below.

In favor of publishing on web:

Better Discoverability & SEO Benefits
Every time you publish a newsletter on your site, you’re adding valuable content that search engines can index.

Over time, this increases organic traffic and helps potential subscribers find you.

If someone searches for topics related to your newsletter, it can appear on Google and you gain a new reader without running ads.

Evergreen Value – More Than Just One Email
Once an email is sent, it’s out of your hands. People may open it, but then it disappears into inbox oblivion.

By publishing it on your site, you give your content a longer shelf life.

Anyone visiting your website can still access and benefit from it.

Increased Shareability
Not everyone likes forwarding emails. But if your newsletter is a web page, it’s easy to share the link on social media, forums, or even in other newsletters.

This opens up new distribution channels beyond email alone.

LinkedIn posts shared by readers with a link to our newsletters have helped to drive traffic and potential subscribers who wouldn’t have found us otherwise.

Monetization Opportunities
When your newsletter lives on your website, you can experiment with revenue models like:

• Display ads

• Affiliate links

• Sponsored content

Emails have limited monetization options, but a website allows you to diversify income streams.

Better User Experience & Accessibility
People who prefer reading on a bigger screen or using a text-to-speech tool can easily access your newsletter.

Some may even bookmark it for future reference - something not done as usually with emails.

Builds Authority & Thought Leadership
A well-maintained newsletter archive on your site acts like a blog.

It shows potential clients, employers, or customers that you have expertise and a backlog of insightful content.

If someone visits your site and sees dozens of high-quality newsletters, they’re more likely to trust you as a thought leader in your industry.

Potential downsides of publishing on web:

Reduced Exclusivity – Why Subscribe?

If everything is available for free on your website, why should anyone sign up? Exclusivity is a major driver of newsletter subscriptions.

Readers may feel there’s no urgency to subscribe if they can access all past issues without joining your list.

Solution: Offer extra perks for subscribers, like early access, bonus content, or exclusive Q&A sessions.

Cannibalizing Your Open Rates

If your subscribers know they can read your newsletter on your website later, they may stop opening your emails altogether.

Lower open rates can affect deliverability over time, making it harder for your emails to reach inboxes.

Solution: Delay website publishing. Send your newsletter to subscribers first, then upload it to your site a week later.

Extra Workload – More Than Just Hitting ‘Send’

Publishing a newsletter via email is simple. Adding it to a website requires extra steps:

• Formatting for web readability

• Optimizing for SEO

• Creating a thumbnail image or featured graphic

• Updating navigation or categories

If you’re a solo creator, this can add unnecessary workload.

Solution: Automate where possible. Use tools like beehiiv that auto-publish your newsletter to your site with minimal effort.

Risk of Duplicate Content (SEO Issues)

If you republish your newsletter exactly as it was sent via email, search engines might see it as duplicate content (especially if it was originally posted elsewhere, like Substack or Medium).

This could hurt your rankings.

Solution: Slightly modify your website version - add an introduction, update headers, or include extra insights to make it unique.

Potential Drop in Email-Driven Conversions

Newsletters are powerful conversion tools - whether for selling products, booking calls, or driving signups.

If people read your newsletter on your website instead of their inbox, they might skip key CTAs (Call to Actions) designed for email audiences.

Solution: Ensure strong CTAs are present on your website version too, driving visitors to sign up or take action.

Which option should you choose?

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on your goals.

If you prioritize discoverability, SEO, and shareability - YES, publish it.

If you want exclusivity and high email engagement - MAYBE NOT, or delay publishing.

The best of both worlds? A hybrid approach

Send the full newsletter to email subscribers first (exclusivity & engagement).

Publish a modified version on your site later (SEO & shareability).

Keep some content exclusive for email subscribers (bonuses, early access, insider insights).

This way, you get the best of both worlds without sacrificing engagement or growth.

If you’re unsure, test it. Publish a few issues on your site, track traffic and conversions, and adjust based on results.

After all, the best strategy is the one that works for your audience!

P.S. If you are stuck with your newsletter growth at any point, reply to this and I can help you out! 📈