This guide provides you with the options for sending email in bulk to customers and prospects.
Many small businesses use email to communicate with customers and prospects. It’s a quick, easy, low-cost way to keep in touch or promote special offers. However, sending them out in bulk can be time-consuming.
There are two ways to send them;
- An email client like Microsoft Outlook.
- Email despatch software. There are two further options here: purchase software or subscribe to a service to do it for you – this is called a hosted or bureau solution.
Email Clients
This is useful if you have a small list of recipients and don’t need to include graphics or pictures of your products.
Make sure your list of recipients is included in the email clients’ contacts list (the Address Book in Microsoft Outlook). Insert the list into the Blind Carbon Copy (bcc) field and your own email address in the To box.
Using the bcc field ensures that recipients cannot see who else is on the distribution list. This is good practise throughout the world but particularly important for UK companies to comply with the Data Protection Act. The Information Commissioner’s guidelines provide full details.
Press Send once you’ve typed your email. It’s quick and easy but doesn’t offer the advantages of email despatch software.
Email Despatch Software
The principles are the same whether you purchase email software or use a hosted email despatch solution.
You’ll need both an email list and an html file. All solutions will have a Control Panel where you upload the list and html file which will also be stored for future use by clicking an option from a drop-down box.
Template designs will also be available if you don’t want to design your own email. Simply choose one and insert your logo and required text into it.
Advantages of using email despatch software are;
- Built-in unsubscribe facility - all emails will have a link for recipients to opt-out of future emails and will automatically update your list. Again, this is a legal requirement for UK companies as defined by The Office of The Information Commissioner.
- Unlimited volume.
- Reporting - most systems will enable you to track how many emails were opened, at what time of day, by whom and whether they clicked through to your website.
- Newsletter facility - visitors can register on your website as the software records new registrants in the database and sends a welcome email. The email despatch company will provide you with the lines of code needed for your web designer to incorporate the facility into your website.
Hosted Solution or Purchase?
The choice depends on how often you send campaigns and your server capacity.
With purchased software solutions the server needs to be able to handle the volume of emails sent. Small businesses may not have their own server so may favour a hosted solution. However, hosted solutions usually charge based on the number of emails sent so there may come a point when it is more economical to purchase software.
If you send out frequent campaigns you may prefer to have the software on your desktop for ease of access.
There’s more to sending out email campaigns than just the software used, you also have to make sure the email is well-written and effective. Read Making Email More Effective to find out how to structure email campaigns and Email Best Practises to make sure you stay legal and deliver customer service. Advice on measuring the results of campaigns can be found at Measuring Advertising Results with guidance on finding out how to make them more effective at Generate More Business by Testing.
