FINDING A NEWSLETTER SERVICE - HOW DO I KEEP MY EXISTING SUBSCRIBERS?

6 replies
Now that I have over 500 subscribers to my website Newsletter, I intend to start sending monthly Newsletters. These subscribers have simply subscribed by adding their details through a page on my website. My webhost doesn't allow website owners to use her server to send bulk e.mail.

I have looked at 2 of the market leaders (aweber and getresponse) but both require one's existing subscribers to subscribe again, through their service. Obviously, I would lose a chunk of my subscribers, if they were asked to sign up again. Many wouldn't bother to open the e.mail, and of those that did, a number just wouldn't bother to sign up again. I also looked at emailaces, which doesn't require a second sign-up by subscribers, but it does require the IP of the subscriber, and I only have their name and e.mail address.

So, I am looking for a service that will allow me to simply copy & paste my existing subscribers from my website to its service. I'd be grateful for any referrals or suggestions.

Thank you.
#aweber #emailaces #existing #finding #getresponse #newsletter #sending newsletters #service #subscribers
  • Profile picture of the author Jesus Perez
    Bite the bullet and get aweber. Offer existing subscribers a bribe/related download to move over. All reputable providers require a double optin when moving subscribers in. Others that don't suffer from deliverability issues. Anyone that doesnt respond isn't really a subscriber anyways and won't be reading your emails anyways. So you don't have anything to lose.

    FYI: I use GR and I'll be moving to Aweber in the near future. Their service offering trumps GetResponse.
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  • Profile picture of the author Shaun OReilly
    Given your specific situation, then iContact may be a
    solution because they allow you to simply import your
    current list and mail them without requiring any further
    confirmation.

    Here's their site:

    Email Marketing - iContact (no affil.)

    Dedicated to your success,

    Shaun
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  • Profile picture of the author longhotsummer
    Thanks to both above for the kind responses. Having considered these, I feel that asking for an additional opt-in (even with a 'shameless bribe') would simply lose subscribers. I am now looking at iContact. I have also received recommendations to Mail Chimp and Constant Contact.
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  • Profile picture of the author thinkrich
    "Shameless bribes" do work!

    Keep in mind that you will need to let them know of your intent to change over once you have a new service up and have tested it to your own email (important step)

    You should always subscribe to your own newsletter so that you can see exactly what the subscriber sees.

    Always double check links before sending.

    Then notify the current subscribers AT LEAST 3 times (with your "shameless bribe") to get as many of them as you can over to the new service.

    If they dont re-subscribe, dont stress. Continue business as normal and you will pick up more subscribers as you go along.

    *NOTE* Please make it very clear that they will be receiving the new newsletter from you thru the new service and show them how to distinguish it from spam.

    I recall a marketer from the UK who lost 2,000 of his own customers (yes they actually bought stuff off him) who resubscribed to his new Autoresponder and then canned the new mailings as spam.

    Make sure you remind them of why they are receiving new mailings from you thru the new service so that they actually DO recall resubscribing to it.

    Unfortunately, due to abuse by some idiots, most professional Autoresponder services will NOT allow direct importation of existing database of subscribers.

    This is why you must go through these extra steps.

    Protect your own ass at all times.

    Best of luck!
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  • Profile picture of the author Michael Mayhew
    I believe you can import your list with
    List Wire - The world's best FREE Autoresponder!
    Signature

    IMO Partnership. A National Insurance Marketing Alliance.
    http://www.imopartnership.com/

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  • Profile picture of the author Tadresources
    You just gotta go for it. Offer an incentive that they can't refuse and think of the people who ignore it or don't open the email as lost dead weight. They probably weren't the best leads anyway.
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