Email Blast Software – Buyer’s guide

One of the most successful tools for online marketing has been email blast software. Email blast software (or bulk emailers) are programs that allow you to send hundreds to thousands of emails at one time to the email addresses you specify. Bulk email is a cost effective and time saving quality solution which creates a great opportunity to provide interested parties with information on whatever you are promoting. Email Blast Software can be construed as a spam enabler but if used properly and in a targeted fashion it will be anything but spam (it is up to the user not to abuse it). As the emails are sent out to only interested parties, they result in very high quality promos. As the list grows quality is matched by quantity as well.

Following are some of the basic characteristics you should look for when deciding to use email blast software:

  • A Free Trial Period – this really the only way to determine if the software is for you.
  • Tutorials and responsive support – video tutorials can shorten the learning curve dramatically.
  • Clean, user friendly interface
  • Ability to get your emails through spam filters – many products offer such ability. High delivery rates are vital.
  • Pre-designed email templates – this lets you focus on writing your copy
  • The ability for a recipient to automatically unsubscribe – you want your list to stay targeted (the “automatic” feature is important since you do not want to have to do this manually).
  • Automatic Disclosures – this will add any necessary disclosures, caveats, terms and conditions to the bottomof your emails in a properly formatted way
  • Subscription vs Single Priced option – you will need to determine what fits your budget.
  • Ability to Schedule Emails and to Drip them – scheduling is obvious but the ability to drip means you can further ensure deliverability by not overwhelming your own servers (or your providers)
  • Unlimited vs Capped – some services allow for a certain number of emails sent per month and others are unlimited. If yo are getting a subscription make sure it is one you can upgrade (or downgrade) to fit your needs.
  • Data & Statistics – another vital area. You want to know who opened your email, clicked on a link or responded to one set of copy vs another (split testing). The information provided should be robust so you can fine tune your promotions.

As you test a variety of programs you will find what works best for you but I suggest you focus on high delivery rates and great statistical data. The ability to manage your data will allow you to create multiple lists, split-test, create effective follow-up messages and fine tune all aspects of your communications. If you have these two you are already on the way to running an effective bulk email campaign.

There are many other features which can be added to the list above but these are a great starting point. Take the time to write down what you think you want to achieve in the short & long term from using email blast software and by doing so you will be prepped to pick the right program and use it most effectively.

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