Once you have a mailing list, it’s time to use it. Your next choice is whether to do it from your own computer using a program like Outlook or to use one of the more than a dozen email services.
Sending email from your own computer will cost less out-of-pocket, but over the course of several mailings will take more of your time.
Another advantage of an email service is you they all have statistical reports so you can track the performance of your mailing, including whether your email is opened, gets bounced, and if links in your email are being clicked. Email services provide a library of templates and if find an appropriate design, you only need to cut and paste.
However, if you decide to mail to your list from your own computer, it’s a good idea to break your list into groups of 20-25 for sending. This way, if there’s an incorrectly formatted email address in the batch, you can more readily identify it from a smaller list than a large one.
We are more likely to take notice when a mailing or newsletter is personalized with our name. That’s another plus of a mail service. Most email services make this possible. To do this in your computer would mean editing and sending each piece of mail individually. Email services also provide different supplementary services. For instance, iContact provides a daily “how to” article and ConstantContact offers workshops in communities and free webinars. Another reason for using a service is they automate the process of enabling people to “opt-out” of receiving emails from you, as required by law. All offer free trials in which you can send out a limited number of mailers for free.
Janine Warner, author of Dreamweaver CS4 For Dummies and Web Sites Do-It-Yourself For Dummies, tested five email mailing services (AWeber, Benchmarkemail, ConstantContact, iContact, Streamsend based on how they price, ease of importing or entering your mailing list. You can see the results of her survey.
The pricing is more attractive at Benchmarkemail and Streamsend for people with smaller lists. However, price isn’t everything if you can get better results with less effort from what may not appear to be the lowest price service. One service we tried simply sends a one-line notice that a newsletter is awaiting. Not included was a reason for people to open the message.
If you’re new to using email blasts for marketing, trying one is the only way to determine if it will work for you. If you’ve had experience doing mailings but weren’t excited with the results, ask yourself if using another mailing service might produce a better return.
Coming next week: The Subject Line for Your Email
9 Lives 4 Your Book – where our team can help you turn books and ideas into new income streams. For further information, contact paul@elmstreetlibrary.com.
