How often should I send my newsletter
There are 2 rules on this is:
- If you have asked people to sign up to a monthly newsletter you are limited to sending them 1 monthly newsletter. Instead, ask people to sign up to your mailing list.
- Be consistent
Generally speaking, send what your clients want to receive. If your clients are busy and you want to keep your business in front of them send a monthly or bi-weekly newsletter with the occasional extra special offer. You can usually tell from the “click-thru” rate whether your emails are being well received and whether you can increase frequency.
What is the difference between a newsletter and email marketing?
A newsletter is a form of email marketing. It is what it says on the can. Once you have got the hang of this you may want to try using automated emails to send a string of emails to gently nudge a potential client to a certain conclusion.
Is MailChimp the only programme that will send a mass email?
Not at all. There are many. Email programmes like Google and Thunderbird have easy to use add-ons (you download an extra building block).
CRM (Customer Relationship Management) programmes will also send mass emails. Again there are usually limits with you having to pay to send out a decent number. Once you get into using these programmes though it is often worthwhile using the paid versions.
There are many other email programmes like MailChimp around, however that is currently the most well known.
Do I have to get permission to send mass emails?
If you live in the UK, Yes. Although laws vary from country to country.
Do I need to register under Data Protection?
In the UK you can self-assess using the link below:
https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/register/self-assessment/
How can I stop my emails going being treated as Spam?
There is no absolute answer and if you are writing to large businesses or IT companies, emails from companies like MailChimp go straight to “quarantine”. There are some steps you can take though.
- Make sure you have permission from every subscriber to send your newsletter
- Ask your subscriber to add you to their address list
- NEVER copy and paste from Word (it adds extra code)
- Personalise your email using merge fields
How can I personalise my emails?
When using a mass email programme you will notice they offer different “fields”. A field is a column of information in your list that varies with each subscriber. So if you have a column named “First Name” if you type Hi {First Name} or *[First Name]* into your email it will address each recipient individually.
If you are new to merge fields you might want to play around with this first with a test list to get the hang of it.
Use of merge fields requires careful list management, for instance, I once received something addressed as “Hi Love”!
The sky is the limit with this, the more information you have about your subscribers the more you can personalise, however you need to use careful wording to make up for any blank fields in a subscriber list.
Can I send an email to just one person on my MailChimp List?
Technically, yes you can. You would have to put that person in a “hidden group” all on their own and send your email to that group.
Can I resend a newsletter?
Yes, you can. You could just resend to subscribers who haven’t opened it yet. You could change the heading too in order to try and get more attention.
What If I Need Help With My Newsletter
Call me, Liz Bailey on 07974 701526 or email lizthewhiz@lizthewhiz.co.uk
I provide a variety of newsletter packages to suit your needs, whether they be weekly, monthly or other email marketing.
