"Winning The Spam Blocking Game"
Your best Mass-Email Program options
As those spam filters get tighter and tighter, how does a legitimate email marketer make sure his emails get delivered to the inbox of people on his list?
According to Dr. Ralph Wilson, noted author of the best-selling "The Email Marketing Handbook", start with the kind of marketing you are doing and then match it with the right program to get the job done.
There are three types of programs available that work - almost a 'good, better, best' option - depending on your marketing needs.
Good: Desktop Software
This is software program that you buy and install on your own computer. You then send out your email via your ISP. You pay once, and use it forever. There are many varieties of this software available on the Internet.
You can send out small amounts of email this way. But the downside is that ISP's tend to block bulk mailing even though it is legitimate. And you are responsible for getting those emails delivered, no matter where the problem lies.
Better: CGI Software
CGI (common gateway interface) software is a program that resides on your web server - or server-based software. You would install this software on the server that supports your web site. Depending on your space commitment and the volume of traffic, you may have to rent additional space. Not terribly expensive, but still a cost.
Because your web server has a huge pipeline, it can handle large email volume very effectively and efficiently. And such programs are feature rich. But you are still responsible for jumping through the hoops to make sure the emails get delivered.
Best: ASP-hosted Software
ASP (application service provider) is software run by a third party on their site, and you 'rent' the ability to deliver large volumes of email messages. The big advantage here is that the ASP-provider assumes responsibility for getting your messages delivered. You pay a fee for a service, and part of that service is getting the emails delivered to the email box of the people on your list.
An example of this is GetReponse.com, which is the company we use to deliver this Newsletter.
You Are Responsible vs. They Are Responsible
For sure, desktop and server-based software costs less. But you still own the responsibility of detecting problems when emails don't get delivered. And once detected, you must have a good enough relationship with the ISP to be able to resolve the problem.
With the ASP approach, a big part of what you are paying them for is deliverability. Yes, it costs more than the other options, but it also means no more headaches with email deliverability.
The other consideration is the hidden factor we don't often think about: opportunity costs. If you are horsing around trying to solve yet another deliverability problem, that is valuable time you could be spending building your business - with better ideas, better promotions, and improving service.
5 Keys to Successful Email Design
In next week's follow-up article we'll be digging into the 5 ways to structure your legitimate marketing emails to get around, under and through spam filters.
For a comprehensive resource for email marketing, Dr. Wilson is just finishing up an updated version of his book, 'The Email Marketing Handbook'. It should be available in October at www.wilsonweb.com/ebooks or through www.ebizshow.com
Rob Wilson
Marketing Director
Worldwide Brands, Inc.
For more info, please
Click Here Now.
