Selecting the Best E-News Service Provider
When it's time to select your e-news distribution method,
I recommend that you use a web-based provider. Such
services are easy to use and quite inexpensive. Advantages
of using an outside service provider over sending your own
e-news out are:
- It is much less labor intensive.
- You won't be accused of spamming by your ISP.
- Distribution is fast and won't hog your computer's
resources.
- You get reports on bounces and user response.
I advise against sending out your e-news yourself if you do
not have a full-time technology staffer on hand. Even if
you do, you run the risk of being identified as a spammer
and having your organization's domain name (that means all
emails from your organization, not just your e-newsletter)
filtered. It's far better to outsource your e-newsletter
distribution to a provider that is 100%-focused on
deliverability (getting your e-news through to readers).
Before you start searching for the right provider, you need
to define what you're looking for. Common features you'll
want to include are the ability to easily move your
database of emails and names in and out, opt-in set-up,
reader tracking information, bounce management, ability to
segment your list and personalization. You'll also need to
estimate number of recipients and distribution frequency to
ballpark service provider fees.
Here are a few tips:
- Solicit recommendations on e-newsletter service
providers from colleagues, based on your own parameters.
- Research other providers and get additional input on
those recommended.
I'm considering the following providers as a result of
my research:
- Focus on these Critical Factors:
- Ease of Use – It should be straightforward and
fairly quick to import your mailing database,
manage your list online, create and send
e-newsletters and review results.
- Deliverability – Ask prospective providers
what they do to ensure the highest probability of
e-news receipt. Ideally, they will maintain a strict
anti-spam policy, build relationships and feedback
loops with major ISPs and get on white lists
(lists of approved email addresses) to ensure your
e-news is delivered.
Ask what kind of information you get on bounces
and how bounces are handled. You'll want to know
which email addresses are hard bounces (the
address no longer exists) and which are soft
bounces (undeliverable at the present time).
- Reliability – Make sure your provider has a track
record of reliable service. Ask for references or
statistics to prove it. Your organization has too
much to lose if something happens -- your email
list gets copied or your newsletter goes out
looking very different that the way you previewed
it.
- Flexibility – You may want to switch from text to
HTML format at some point, to send both for different
purposes or to segment your email addresses by state
or title.
- Tracking – One of the greatest benefits of
e-newsletters is generation of quantifiable results.
Make sure your e-newsletter provider tracks how many
people (and who) get it, open it and/or click
through to your website.
- Pricing – Usually a monthly fee based on size of
your list and/or number of emails sent. Some
providers also charge a modest one-time set-up fee.
Constant Contact charges $50/month for 2,500-5,000
readers to whom you can send an unlimited number of
emails. Intelli Contact charges $25/month for
unlimited emails to 2,501-5,000 readers. BrontoMail
charges $150/month for up to 5,000 readers.
© 2002-2008 Nancy E. Schwartz. All rights reserved.
About the Author
Nancy E. Schwartz helps nonprofits succeed through effective marketing and communications. As President of Nancy Schwartz & Company (www.nancyschwartz.com), Nancy and her team provide marketing planning and implementation services to organizations as varied as the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Center for Asian American Media, and Wake County (NC) Health Services.
Subscribe to her free e-newsletter "Getting Attention", (http://www.nancyschwartz.com/getting_attention.html) and read her blog at http://www.gettingattention.org for more insights, ideas and great tips on attracting the attention your organization deserves.
NOTE: You're welcome to "reprint" this article online as long as it remains complete and unaltered (including the copyright and "about the author" info at the end), and you send a copy of your reprint.
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© 2002-2008, Nancy Schwartz & Company
Revised April 12, 2008
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