Managing your mailing list database of contacts
Mailing lists can be managed in many ways, for example:
A basic list of contact details collected and managed in a spreadsheet or similar A mailing list server which can automatically send out your correspondence Managed by a third party organisation who will look after the details for you
Depending on the amount of mailings and the budget you have each of the above options can be scaled to suit your needs. You have to be aware of the legal requirements of managing data and efficiently process new additions and unsubscribe requests.
Automation is the best option, as you want to spend your time focusing on creating a successful message to deliver to your contacts, there’s no point sending out unclear messages as this will reduce the overall effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.
As a manager of a mailing list you should focus on the following areas:
Ensuring that your mailing list does not receive junk mail, if your recipients start to feel they are receiving information that is not of use to them they will more than likely unsubscribe. You want to grow your list rather than reduce the amount of people on it. You should ensure that subscription and un-subscription requests are managed efficiently, if an automated process is used, you should regularly check that it still works. As you are responsible for the mailing list you should preview any message that is communicated to check that it does not break any laws or portrays a negative reflection on you or your organisation.
