Advice how to set up newsletter but not be a spammer

[simon]

Hi all, can you can help?

I want to send a newsletter to clients. This is a legitimate list of
clients I would like to keep updated with information. What I don't
want is to be blocked by ISP's as a spammer. My lists should be small
maybe 50 - 100 clients.
Can anyone advise/give links to:
1) Guide for creating newsletters.
2) Guide for setting up distribution lists in Outlook 2003 (or is
there a better alternative)
3) Any essential info I must include in the newsletter - ie abilty to
unsubscribe, etc.
4) Guide to setting up "Subscribe to our newsletter" on my web.
5) Anything else that would help a newbie get this off the ground!!!!

Many thanks for any help offered.

 

[Chuck Davis]

Hi all, can you can help?

I want to send a newsletter to clients. This is a legitimate list of
clients I would like to keep updated with information. What I don't
want is to be blocked by ISP's as a spammer. My lists should be small
maybe 50 - 100 clients.

Check with your ISP for limits. You have no control over the recipient's
ISP.

Can anyone advise/give links to:
1) Guide for creating newsletters.

This link addresses how to create an HTML newsletter examples of which may
be found here: http://www.anthemwebs.com/communitynews.htm#Previous_issues.
http://www.microsoftfrontpage.com/usingfp/newsletters/
If you don't want to spend money on FrontPage: http://www.nvu.com
Newsletters may also be created using MS Publisher and converting to a PDF
and attaching to your message, examples of which may be found here:
http://www.myscacc.org/newsletters.htm

2) Guide for setting up distribution lists in Outlook 2003 (or is
there a better alternative)

I have used the Distribution lists for my HTML newsletter, though many here
prefer to use Categories

3) Any essential info I must include in the newsletter - ie abilty to
unsubscribe, etc.

I simply ask that they send an e-mail to unsubscribe. I also include may
true name, address, and phone. You will notice on the HTML newsletters, that
this information is deleted prior to placing it on the web site.

4) Guide to setting up "Subscribe to our newsletter" on my web.

I have an Include page set up in the left shared border on the web site:
http://www.anthemwebs.com/communitynews.htm

 

[Brian Tillman]

I want to send a newsletter to clients. This is a legitimate list of
clients I would like to keep updated with information. What I don't
want is to be blocked by ISP's as a spammer. My lists should be small
maybe 50 - 100 clients.
Can anyone advise/give links to:
1) Guide for creating newsletters.

This is certainly not an Outlook topic, but some assistance may be found
here: http://www.slipstick.com/mail1/html.htm . Of course, this doesn't
address _design_ at all, merely methodology.

2) Guide for setting up distribution lists in Outlook 2003 (or is
there a better alternative)

Help in Outlook will guide you on how to create DLs, but they're not the
most robust feature in OL. Categories and multiple contacts folders may be
better.

3) Any essential info I must include in the newsletter - ie abilty to
unsubscribe, etc.

Not only should your recipients have the ability to unsubscribe (which
Outlook certainly won't do automatically), but they shouldn't be receiving
the newsletter unless they first subscribe, in my opinion. Anything else
_is_ spam (i.e., unsolicited mail). I imagine it would be acceptable to
send a short message announcing that you have a newsletter and that if they
want to subscribe they can do so. Put the subscribe (and unsubscribe) link
on your web page and refer to the link in the announcement message. I'd go
so far as to say that you should announce your newsletter on the web page
from the beginning and not via email. Then you'll get only those people who
really care to receive it.

4) Guide to setting up "Subscribe to our newsletter" on my web.

Outlook can do mass mailings (see
http://www.slipstick.com/addins/mail.htm#massmail), but there are better
tools. Even Google Groups seems a better tool to me. Outlook has no real
features to handle subscription information. You'd be better off getting a
tool that does. There are many which work with web servers. One of the
most well-known is http://www.lsoft.com/ . They even offer a free version
of their list server that supports up to 10 mailing lists of 500 subscribers
each. See http://www.lsoft.com/download/listservfree.asp

 

[simon]

many thanks to you both