Managing your mailing list

When you make the decision to host and run your own mailing list, you assume the responsibility of processing requests to subscribe and unsubscribe from the list. This venture can start eating into the time that you need to spend on your other business activities. When mailing lists get to be too much to handle yourself, you have a couple of options to make life easier:

Purchase special mailing-list software:

This type of program automatically adds or subtracts individuals from a mailing list in response to special e-mail messages that they send to you. You can usually manage the mailing list from your home computer. If you’re a Windows 95 or later user, check out Mailing List Express by Mail-List-Software.com

Mac users can try ListSTAR by MCF Software (www.liststar.com).

Hire a company to run your mailing list for you:

Even though mailing-list software can help reduce the work involved in maintaining a list, you still have to install and use the software on a regular basis. So if you’re really strapped for time, hiring a company to take care of your mailing list may be the way to go. Check out SKYLIST, Inc. (www.skylist.net) and Lyris ListHosting (www.lyris.com/products/listhosting) for pricing information.