Industrial Strength Emailing

Over the past decade I have tested dozens of e-mail marketing services and systems. I have tried desktop systems (Apple and Windows). And I've tried many Web-based services.

One would imagine that managing an e-mail list is simple. It isn't. Not only is there the constant worry about spam, but each software supplier approaches the problem from a different angle.

Two years ago I standardised my biggest list with one service. I had just started using Windows and Apple together, and most of the desktop products ran on one or other -- which wasn't what I wanted. Using a web-based service means that I can access my list from any machine, any operating system, anywhere. It also means that I have no concerns about backups or security.

The team I use is Aweber.

I could wax lyrical about all the features they offer (there are many, and they're excellent) but they do a better job here.

I'd rather share how they make my life much easier.

I get a very clear summary of each mailing.

This allows me to easily see whether my subject line worked. (The more folk that open the email, the better the subject line.)

I can see how many readers followed the links, and which links they followed. This shows me whether my writing was any good. It's surprising how inadequate it seems sometimes.

It's easy to edit what I want to send.

They have an easy web interface. This means that you are free to work from anywhere.

You don't have to worry about backups, because they do. And you don't have to worry about emails being delivered, or wasting your ISP bandwidth limits. They deliver for you, very, very quickly.

Sometimes even the most innocent words seem to cause problems. Aweber uses SpamAssassinâ„¢ to check your email before you launch it. 

In a recent article I used the phrase 'real live' to make a point. It's not popular with anti-spam engines! (Think of it in the context of 'girls' and you will see why.)

I can schedule delivery in advance.

The best time to deliver email is while you (the reader) are in the office.

That's difficult to do if you find yourself in Perth, Vancouver, or even in Durban but want to be on the beach surfing on that exact day.

Simply tell Aweber when to send, and your 40,000 emails will go out within a few minutes of that alloted time. (Or 500, or 500,000.)

These might seem simple aspects of a sophisticated service, but they're what I rely on to keep my weekly emails flowing, after eight years of struggling with other suppliers.

As I said earlier, you can get a very clear picture of all their features (and why these add value to your life, by checking them out on their features page here.

Regards

Peter Carruthers
March 2009