Tips on Changing Newsletter Providers

Like most authors, I maintain a subscriber newsletter/mailing list.

(If you haven't joined my mailing list, click here to join now. You'll receive a free ebook and also be first to hear about new books and giveaways.)

Also like most authors, I'm always trying to figure out how to get the most mileage from my marketing budget.

I've used a popular newsletter email service for many years, but they grew too expensive for me. One of my goals this year was to switch newsletter providers. Ugh! I had no idea so much work was involved.

Here are a few things I learned that might help you if you decide to do the same.

12 Tips on How to Change NL Providers

1. Set up your new newsletter provider account as soon as possible.

2. Download your existing subscribers into a CSV file.

3. Clean the CSV file. I noticed my old NL provider had unsubscribes in the CSV. So edit it as needed.

4. Upload the cleaned CSV file to your new provider.

5. Design your new sign-up forms. (If you click here to join now you can see the forms I created.)

6. If you have a "subscribe to my mailing list" in your existing books--and you should--change all those links to the new provider immediately.

7. Change the link on your website, blog, and in your author bios on ebook sites as needed.

8. By now, your new signup form should be getting subscribers.

9. If you have received notifications of new subscribers at you old NL provider, transfer them to your new NL provider.

10. Before deleting your complete mailing list at your old NL provider, wait a month in case you're getting signups from the old link at a place you didn't think of. If you don't want to be charged at the old place, delete your list (after all, you've already transferred them) until it is below the threshold and into the free zone.

11. Of course, do NOT send your NL to the remaining names at the old provider because you've transferred them to the new one. You don't want to make subscribers angry by sending multiple copies of a newsletter. Besides, that's just not kosher.

12. Finally, close the old account unless you want to use it for something else entirely.

Takeaway Truth

It's cumbersome and time-consuming, but saving on expenses is smart.