An Email Service Provider is an online service that enables you to:
- manage your email contacts (clients, leads, subscribers, etc)
- create and send personalized email messages to each contact individually
- your contacts can change their own preferences: change their email address, unsubscribe from your list(s), subscribe to other lists, etc.
- track how many of your emails were sent, delivered, opened, bounced, and how many (and sometimes who) clicked on links in your emails
- and much more
I am still surprised at how many emails from business owners I receive which are clearly sent to a group of people, using desktop email programs, such as Outlook. The usual clues are using words such as: “Dear All,” or “Dear Friends”. Very often the person sending the “email blast” puts all the recipients in the TO: field and we all can see each other’s names and emails. This may be OK if it’s a small group of people who all know each other, such as members of your local hockey team, but when it comes to strangers, then this is a serious privacy issue.
If you find yourself sending emails to large groups of people, your best bet is to sign up with an Email Service Provider. They are easy to use and very low in cost, sometimes even free.
For the ultimate in ease of use, try MadMimi, I highly recommend this very affordable service. MadMimi has the most easy-to-use email creation wizard that anyone with basic computer skills should be able to use it with ease. MadMimi’s customer service is top notch, so if you ever get stuck you can chat with them online, or if after business hours, they will reply by email.
If your list of contacts is under 100, you can continue to use MadMimi for free, until you reach 100 subscribers.
Watch the video then come back to read these related blog posts:
MadMimi Brings the Fun Back to Sending Email “Blasts”
New Feature at MadMimi: Automatic Social Links