| Setting up an email list need not be a complicated process. In most cases, the basic tools will already be at your disposal. Most medium-to-large companies will already have a system for managing email lists. But even a small organization on a shoestring budget can do it. It's just a matter of scale. You can get started by using your normal email software and slowly develop more sophisticated systems as your mailing list and list-management needs grow. For small sites, the simplest approach to list management is often the best. Just collect email addresses (on paper or through the web), and add them by hand to an ongoing list. Any time you want to send a mailing, just paste the names into an email using your current email software, hit send, and that's it. As your mailing list grows or your mailings become more frequent, you may need more help managing your list. The mailings may take too much time or server power, and the process of subscribing and unsubscribing people may become too big a hassle to do by hand. If you outgrow your normal email program, you'll probably want to invest in list-management software, which helps organize addresses, schedule mailings, and automate subscriptions and "unsubscriptions." This software comes in two basic forms: server-based and web-based. Server-based programs like ListProc and Listserv are the smart choice for large organizations with separate IT departments or for individuals with access to their own mail server (and confidence in their ability to work with it). But most small organizations will be better served by web-based services, which are simpler and often more economical. (See choosing software for email newsletters, p. 287.) should you buy a list? "People don't like spam. But spam is defined by the person as anything that's preposterously irrelevant to them... Offers that are relevant do get read." Hunter Madsen Email is best used for building relationships with existing customers. But it can also help you acquire new ones. By purchasing targeted email lists and sending straightforward solicitations, you can acquire new customers at a fraction of the usual cost. "Targeted outbound email was the most effective tactic we used at ImproveNet," says online marketing pioneer Hunter Madsen, former VP of Marketing for ImproveNet. "We could get our cost of acquisition down to as low as $30, which was for our products very good." The advantages of email marketing are obvious: The cost of the outbound mailing is very low, and it's easy for customers to follow-up: All they have to do is click on a link. Compared to other tactics, the turn-around time is quick, and you can immediately track the response rate. The trick, of course, is avoiding the wrath of recipients who consider unsolicited email "spam." "We know that people in general don't like spam," Madsen says. "But spam is defined by the person as anything that's preposterously irrelevant to them, and therefore annoying." But if you target effectively, make a good offer, and avoid being overly solicitous, you'll see results: "Offers that are relevant do get read." |
toolbox: choosing software for email newsletters | | 1. regular email programs | 2. web-based software | 3. server-based software | What it is | Normal, desktop email the kind you use to send and receive personal email. | Services, offered through a web site, that manage your email addresses and simplify the mailing process. | Specialized software, installed on your company's mail servers, that manages addresses and mailing schedules. | Advantages | No technical skill needed. No access to servers needed. No special software needed. Complete control over addresses. Control over email appearance.
| No technical skill needed. No access to servers needed. Easy to manage. No demands placed on servers.
| | Disadvantages | Labor-intensive and time-consuming: Everything is done by hand. List management is a hassle. Can only send emails to limited number of addresses at once.
| | Requires knowledge of server administration. Somewhat labor-intensive. Can be server intensive. Must often run at night.
| Cost | Free. | Fee-based services from $40/mo. Some are free. | Software cost varies. ($100s to $10,000s.) | Choices include | | bCentral's ListBuilder BigList Boomerang ListChannel ListManager (Lyris) Mail-list.com PatronMail Topica Yahoo! Groups
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lesson from the trenches: 12 secrets of successful emails  "People respond to email with the same psychology that they respond to everything else in the world." Hunter Madsen  "After Wednesday, we get a much lower clickthrough rate. It's the end of the week. People aren't reading as much." Emily Simas You may have hammered out the details of your site's email strategy figuring out what kinds of email you'll send and to whom. But your work isn't done yet. Small, tactical decisions about when to send messages and what, exactly, the subject line should say can make or break an email campaign. Here are some lessons we've learned the hard way. Set a schedule and stick to it. Decide on the frequency with which you'll send emails whether it's daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly. Set a schedule for the mailings, and stick with it, even if it seems arbitrary. Most people won't notice when it arrives, but some will. And a regular schedule will help make the mailings more manageable for you and your team. Send mailings early in the week. People are most likely to read and respond to email received earlier in the week. "After Wednesday, we get a much lower click-through rate," says Emily Simas of BabyCenter, which sends millions of newsletters each week. "It's the end of the week. People aren't reading as much. They're not in the office. They'll start reading again on Monday." Send mailings overnight. Many people read their email first thing in the morning. Your message should be waiting there for them. The added benefits of overnight mailings are less stress on your server (since employees won't be mailing at the same time) and less traffic on the Internet, which means speedier delivery. Offer both plain-text and HTML emails. HTML emails which look like a web page get much higher response rates than plain-text (or ordinary) email messages. However, not everyone can receive HTML emails, so it's best to give an option. And if you're sending HTML-based email, be sure to keep the code as simple as possible. Many HTML editors insert a lot of extraneous code into the message, which can bog down the user's email program. Use the words "free" and "new" You can laugh, but it's true: Certain words grab the reader's attention. "People respond to email with the same psychology that they respond to everything else in the marketing world," says Hunter Madsen. There are certain words and approaches they gravitate toward. To brush up on your advertising theory, Madsen recommends the old standard, Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples. "Not a very dramatic title," Madsen concedes. "But his conclusions were decisive and the industry has followed them ever since." Offer seasonal advice. Rather than send the same-old "Sale!" email, offer readers something they can use right now. "Often, sites have specialized knowledge that their users need," Madsen says. "At ImproveNet, we'd send seasonal tips like 'It's Fall: Here's how to get leaves out of your gutter' that were relevant to homeowners." Even if your email just covers gift ideas for Mother's Day, its' more likely to be read than the same old "free shipping" promotion you've sent before. Provide full URLs. If you're inviting users to click through to your site, always offer the full URL (including http://) and place it on a separate line. This avoids common errors and ensure users can click through. Couple each headline with a URL. A convenient way to structure plain-text emails is to couple each headline with its corresponding URL. This creates one stand-out headline unit that is both readable and clickable: New! The Congo Gorilla Forest http://www.congogorillaforest.com/ Include unsubscribe instructions. Always include easy-to-follow instructions on how to unsubscribe in every email you send. No need to place it at the top of the email the bottom is just fine but always include it. Create a privacy policy and make it visible. Once you start collecting email addresses, it's critical to put a privacy policy in place that explains what you plan to do with your users' information: Will you share it? Will you sell it? It's common practice for magazines and stores to sell customer lists. But this is more controversial online. And take note it's illegal in many countries outside the U.S. Hide the distribution list. If you're using email-list management software for your mailings, the recipients' addresses will be automatically concealed (so no one else can access them or create a duplicate list). But if you're emailing on your own with a basic email program you can still extend this courtesy, by using the :bcc (blind carbon copy) field. Place your own address in the "To:" field, and list the other recipients under :bcc. They'll each receive the email, but they won't know who else did. Don't overdo it. Although you may never tire of writing about the daily trials and small triumphs within your organization, your audience may soon tire of reading about them. Says Madsen: "If you're trying to develop an elaborate scheme for intimate bonding with your customers, and for creating close day-to-day relationships between them and your shoe company (or whatever it is you're selling) you'll be disappointed. And they'll be annoyed!" Respect your members' time, and show some restraint with your mailings. How much is too much? The answer depends on your relationship with the user. News sites may send multiple messages each day, while some organizations may email only yearly. Experiment with frequency to find the answer for your site. Better yet let your users decide: "At ImproveNet, we were either sending emails out too infrequently for people to retain a vital link to the brand, or so often that we irritated the receivers," Madsen says. "Ultimately, we gave people a choice, and that seemed to work well."
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