In this post I want to give a quick overview
of what to look for in a mailing list
management service. As your fan base grows you need an effective way of communicating with your readers by email.
If you are building your author platform online then you really need more than Facebook and Twitter. You will need an efficient way of managing your mailing list.
If you try and do it manually you’re in for a big headache. The last thing you need is to be manually adding new subscribers, keeping up with changes to people’s email address, and dealing with unsubscribe requests.
Fortunately there are some handy list management services available from companies like Aweber, Constant Contact and others.
How to Choose a List Management Service?
Here are some important considerations.
Integrity - When it comes to your customer data, trust is critical. Has the company established themselves as a reputable list management provider with years of service?
Web Based – I don’t recommend managing your list with software on your own computer. You’ll be at greater risk of losing data through a hardware failure or hacking attempts.
Reliability – Your data needs to be managed professionally on secure servers with regular backups. Don’t go with a small company that might disappear overnight.
Scalable – Be sure that the company you choose has packages with appropriate features and prices as your customer list grows larger.
Opt-in Forms - A good list management service will provide you with opt-in form designs which you can quickly add to your web site.
Auto-Responder Sequences – You should be able to send a series of messages automatically when someone signs up. This is useful for welcome messages and multi-part “mini-series” of email messages.
Message Templates – You should have access to design templates for quickly sending out professional-looking messages without having to come up with your own designs.
In my own experience I’ve been managing web sites and email lists for more than 10 years. Over that time I have used several different list management services.
A few years ago I switched all my lists to Aweber and have been very happy with their service. They now assist more than 100,000 businesses to build customer relationships through effective list management. If you are thinking of moving a list from somewhere else to AWeber they have import specialists who can answer your questions about migrating and walk you through making the switch. You can take a one month test drive of Aweber’s services for $1 here.
Another company worth considering is Constant Contact. They also have hundreds of thousands of customers and offer a trial period. For more information visit Constant Contact.
Whoever you use for list management keep in mind the considerations above. You might just save yourself from losing your sanity along with your customer data.
Gary McLaren is the author of “The Beginner’s Guide to Ebooks” and “Kindle Superuser – 101 Ways to Get More from Your Kindle“. He is also the editor of Worldwide Freelance Writer and blogs about ebook publishing at Publish Your Own Ebooks.
Boy, I appreciate this. I hate the work of dealing with lists and the idea of trying to send out mass emails without getting them spammed. Alex Carrol who is the guru of self publishing also recommends getting a good server who won’t crash if you get a huge flock of orders all at once.
John Wilder
john; boy are you right I used a service for another business and they were very helpful in getting out my information and also in auto responding. You really do need this help – you may never leave your computer otherwise.
Richard
What are some estimates of cost that are associated with a management service for email lists? Is there an average guestimate?
Hi Donna, pricing usually depends upon how many subscribers you have and/or how many emails you send to them. It varies by service provider, but I estimate it would cost around $20-$30 per month for a list of several thousand subscribers. You may be able to find less expensive, although I strongly recommend checking carefully for their reputation and service quality.
I appreciate knowing the service you use and the important considerations for deciding on one. I love the ease of a reliable service and availability of credible stats to assess and manage key aspects of the customer base. Thanks for sharing your insights and experience.
Very good article about the importance of following up with customers with a mailing list. Thanks!
I was doubtful I’d use a mailing list because it seemed like it would take a huge amount of time to manage it. But with your explanation of using a mail list manager, it seems like I’ll be able to do it without the hassle or time consumption. thanks.
Hi, Gary –
Just wondered if you’ve ever tried out MailChimp’s service and, if so, what you think of it? Thanks.
Hi Papa Jim, no I haven’t used MailChimp.
AT what point do you have to use an outside company to do this? How many subscribers would you need for this to be a worthwhile expense?
Tracy, it is hard to say exactly at what point… but if you try and do this manually, the point will probably be when it is taking too much of your time to subscribe people, change their email address when they request it, and unsubscribe people in a timely manner in accordance with legislative requirements. It really is a big job to try and stay on top of it all manually.
This article covers a subject that I would have totally overlooked until I was in over my head. Thanks for bringing the subject of mailing list management to my attention. I would have liked to have seen cost estimates mentioned in the article, but was glad to see my question answered by Gary in the comments section.
I went throuh Gideo Shalwiak and Yaro Starack’s Blogtutor Mastermind series, They recommend Aweber. I’m sure they get some kind of kickback for recommending it. I like some of the features it offers. I’ve only used the free trial so far.