How to send email newsletters (without looking like a spammer)
As promised, this week I'm using an email service that includes a way to unsubscribe. Consistent with my "practice what you preach" ethos, I've used my research into finding the best email newsletter service to construct my tip this week.
The first thing you should know about building your online network through a newsletter is how not to look like a spammer. Anyone who has an email inbox knows that clogging it up with unwanted messages is the quickest way to infuriate the very people you want to reach.
Bulk email services offer a panoply of tools designed to help you get your messages out, while complying with both Federal laws and "netiquette."
By law, you must offer everyone on an email list an easy way to 'get off your list' and you must include a postal address in any commercial email messages. The goal of this legislation is to make legitimate mass emailers accountable, and try to stop all the unwanted sales pitches for the latest 'enhancement products'.
So, as I go through the process of creating my own email list, my social media tip this week is to consider creating an email newsletter (if you haven't already) and to make sure you do it in a way that won't get your emails caught in spam blockers.
Perhaps even more important, using a service such as iContact, which I'm using to send this message, makes it easy for people to sign up for your newsletter and reassures them that you'll protect their email addresses and treat them with respect.
A regular, useful email to a list of followers is a great way to keep people coming back to your web site and keep them engaged with your books, services, and expertise.
As with just about everything I've ever done on the Internet, my first task this week was to research email newsletter services on the market.
I'd already identified three of the most popular options: iContact, ConstantContact and BenchMark (see details below). I promise to let you know which one I like best, once I've run through all of their free trials. This week I'm testing iContact, but I'm sorry to report now that I've had a chance to test out the features, I'm not convinced it's the best choice (although it is among the most popular and reasonably priced).
I'll test a couple of others over the next few weeks, but it takes some time to set up accounts and lists with each service, so testing them out while my list is still relatively small, seems like a worthy initial investment of time (thanks for playing along as I sort through the options ;-).
I'd love to compare notes, so please share your experiences with any email services you've tried and like (or don't like). You can reply to this email, or send a note to me directly at janine@jcwarner.com.
Email Newsletter Services Compared
Constant Contact: Considered the most popular online newsletter service, Constant Contact has been in business since 1996. As of this writing, prices start at $15/month for up to 500 addresses per month. www.constantcontact.com
iContact: This service is quickly growing in popularity, in large part because of it's competitive pricing. As of this writing, rates start at $9.95/month for 25o email addresses. www.icontact.com
Benchmark Email: In this increasingly competitive category, Benchmark charges differently from the other two, offering 600 emails per month for $9.95. They claim the most popular level of service is their $60 per month plan which enables you to manage 10,000 emails per month. www.benchmarkemail.com
How avoid legal trouble with bulk email:
1. You can't use false or misleading information in the header area of an email. You can't claim that the email is about dogs and cats in the subject line and then try to sell the recipient guinea pigs in the message. You may be suprised by this because spammers do it all the time (but many do get caught and fined, and even more get blocked by spam filters for the practice).
2. Make sure the email address you use in the "From field" of the message is your legitimate address, and any addresses you display in the "to" field are real.
3. You must provide an opt-out method, meaning there must be an easy way for recipients to let you know they don’t want to receive any more messages from you, and you must remove them from your list if they do. With a large email list, this can be a time-consuming process -- but if you don't do it, you can get in big trouble.
This is one of the best reasons to use a service like the ones described above. All these services provide a contact manager where you can easily manage all your email addresses, and those who 'opt out' can be automatically removed.
4. You cannot sell or transfer the email addresses of people who have chosen not to receive your email, and you cannot help any other entity send them messages (even if you don’t charge for the service).
5. All commercial email must be identified as an advertisement and must include the sender's postal address.
Until next week,
Janine
Read last week's tip "Earn Status in Your Online Network"
