Newsletters ("ListServs") Serve as a Marketing Tool

Electronic newsletters (commonly called "ListServs") are a very important tool for an organization of any size to keep customers up to date with its latest products and company information. Newsletters also have a unique marketing advantage - by offering an opt-in newsletter subscription to its customers, an organization can showcase new products to repeat customers or offer special discounts, resulting in increased sales. Compared to the costs incurred in producing and distributing print newsletters, the cost is very low to utilize an online newsletter.

This email based communication tool allows an organization to send out news, coupons, and other promotional material in a simple way that reaches an unlimited number of people. One or multiple ListServs may be set up. SAMSA is able to set up two-way messaging that allows list members to respond to messages in a way that reaches all members - or SAMSA may tailor a one way ListServ that prohibits responses to mailings. It is SAMSA's guarantee that all information will be securely protected if you choose to have your ListServ in a password-protected area with member-only access.

Newsletters can be maintained in both plain text and HTML formats. Plain text is the simplest form, displaying only the written content. The HTML format shows a branded look that includes color, graphics, etc. Subscribers have the option of which format they prefer to receive.

Newsletters distributed via the World Wide Web have great flexibility. They can be sent via email, posted to a website, or a combination of both. When posted to a website, they can be archived on the site for future reference.

There are some federal guidelines to follow when offering a newsletter subscription. The Federal Trade Commission's CAN-SPAM Act has four major provisions for commercial emailers that must be followed when offering newsletter subscriptions. They are as follows:

-Header information must not be misleading; it must accurately identify the routing information and sender
-Subject lines cannot be misleading in regards to subject matter
-The organization must provide an opt-out method for the customer should they decide they no longer wish to receive the newsletter
-The emailed newsletter must be identified as an advertisement and list the sender's valid postal address

For more information on the CAN-SPAM Act visit the Federal Trade Commission website.

For more information on Newsletters and how SAMSA can assist you with your unique commercial emailing needs, visit SAMSA's Website Discussion Board Creation and ListServs page.