WebProNews

Hi Michael:
I am just getting started on creating my e-newsletter. Do I need a program to help manage and maintain my subscribers? And if so what programs would you suggest? I have seen some such as Broadcast and Constant Contact. But I have no idea how to choose the right one or if I even need one. Help?

Cathy Holden

Cathy,

Thanks for your email. I'm quite familiar with (and a big fan of) Constant Contact. I think their product is great and they are in this for the long haul based on what I've seen.

In terms of choosing, I look for 4 things:

1) Tech Support. Live, free, and easy to get through to. You can try this out (call them and see how it feels) before committing to anybody.

2) Longevity. How long have they been around and do they show signs of surviving? How big are they, is this all they do, do they appear to be a "real" company, are they well funded?

3) Ease of Use. Like most of us you're probably not a supertechy. So, how techy does one need to be to use a given service? Do you need to know HTML or more to make the thing really work?

4) Free Trial. Hard to tell the answer to number 3 without getting behind the wheel and driving for a while. Many services offer a 30 or 60 day free trial, so you can check it out.

Best of luck, and in answer to your first question, yes, you will find it very much worth the small cost to outsource the list management aspect of an E-Newsletter.

All the best,
Michael Katz

Michael J. Katz is Founder and Chief Penguin of Blue Penguin Development, Inc., (http://www.BluePenguinDevelopment.com) a Boston area consulting firm that helps clients increase sales by showing them how to nurture their existing relationships, and that specializes in the development of electronic newsletters. He is the author of the book, E-Newsletters That Work.