In our last post, we stated that to begin a successful email marketing campaign, you need to do two things:
- Build a quality list of prospects or customers.
- Email to that list in a way that achieves maximum deliverability.
In that last post, we covered #1, building a quality list. Today, we’ll cover #2 – emailing to that list in a way that achieves maximum deliverability.
Note – Don’t use a desktop email client, such as Outlook, Outlook Express, Thunderbird, Mail or evolution to send business email. These programs send a single email to multiple recipients and, aside from looking unprofessional, that makes it far more likely that the message won’t be delivered to some recipients.
There are three ways to email to your list and which you choose will have a profound effect on how many of your subscribers actually receive those emails. If they don’t get them, they can’t read them.
The three ways you can send email to your list are:
- Desktop emailing software resides on your computer and you compose and send email directly from there. Simple versions of this type of software usually sends a non-personalized email to each person on the mailing list. More sophisticated ones can send emails and sometimes merge an email lists database with an email message file and send individual personalized emails to each subscriber. Even more sophisticated applications can handle unsubscribe requests, handle bounced emails and more. This type of software is often at odds with Internet Service Provider’s (ISP) limitations on the number of messages sent within a certain period of time. Do NOT try to use desktop emailing on a dial-up connection. In fact I don’t use or recommend desktop mailing software at all – there are two much easier ways to send emails and we’ll get to them now.
- Server-installed emailing software installs on your Internet-connected server (most likely your web server) and emails your list using the high-speed bandwidth your ISP uses to connect their client’s to the world. The two server-installed applications that I use for sending emails have a large number of features that make using them easy and efficient. Each has it’s own strengths and weaknesses.
- Application Service Providers (ASP) maintain your list databases on their servers. You compose emails on their servers as well and send them using the ASP’s high-capacity connections. This effectively supplies you with off-site backup for your database and files provided you take the time to export and save them, Another advantage of using an ASP in that the ASP works hard to ensure continued deliverability of your emails to subscribers at other ISPs.
Which one is right for you?
As I stated before, I don’t recommend that small businesses use the desktop software option. Let’s look at a few of the pros and cons of each of the other two options. Then I’ll tell you which software or services I use and why.
Server-installed Software
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| You control your database | You handle deliverability issues | |
| Can import single opt-in lists | You maintain the software | |
| No monthly fees | You diagnose problems | |
| Mails from your domain | Might require a one-time payment | |
Application Service Providers (ASPs)
| Pros | Cons | |
|---|---|---|
| Provider handles deliverability issues | Double opt-in usually required | |
| Provider maintains the software | Emails come from providers domain | |
| Provider diagnoses problems | Monthly or annual fees | |
| Email templates often included | ||
Another important feature that you need to consider is whether or not you need an autoresponder. An autoresponder is a feature that lets new subscribers receive a series of pre-written emails over a set period of time. This is a very useful feature that you may fell you don’t need right now. But if the time comes that you want to use it, it is much easier if the autoresponder is already in place.
OK, so what’s the bottom line?
This may be a bit simplistic, but…
If you want to send emails from your own domain, have a large existing, non-confirmed (single opt-in) mailing list to import and don’t mind maintaining the software and the list yourself, but need an autoresponder now or in the future, and you prefer a one-time payment to a monthly fee, you should look into AutoResponse Plus as your emailing software. They’ll even install it for you for free.
If the above is true, but you don’t need an autoresponder and you don’t want to pay a monthly fee OR a one-time licensing fee, you should have a look at the Open Source application PHPList.
Need an autoresponder, want to have experts handle deliverability and software issues, and spend you time promoting your business instead of dealing with technical issues? If so, aWeber should be your ASP of choice.
One more thing think about – deliverability – what this post is all about. If you want to maximize the value of your mailing list and deliver your message to those who really want to receive it (and act on it), you’ll build a double opt-in, or confirmed, list from the start – no matter which of the above solutions you choose.
A double opt-in list is a higher quality list. It ensures a higher delivery rate to recipients who really care to receive your information. And that should increase your conversion rate as well.
That brings us back to where we began part 1 of this post.
Now it’s up to you. Make your choice or call your Internet Marketing Consultant for help. Then get started. Remember that the best intentions mean absolutely nothing until you take action.
No related posts.
Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.
