Step 6 - Set Up Your Newsletter Management System

Once you have decided on the objective, name, content, frequency, format and tools you'll use to manage your newsletter, it's time to actually set up the system.

You'll probably need some help from the service that you are using to set up your system.

But the first step is to...

1. Gather all your e-mail addresses

Gather the e-mail addresses from all the business cards you've collected, the contact information in your rolodex or contact management system, and any other source of contact information. This will be your initial mailing list.

The second step is to...

2. Install and set up your system

This will include setting user preferences and options to customize your newsletter service.

If you went the software route you'll usually have detailed instructions that come with it.

If you went the Internet-based route there should be some online instructions. In either case, there should be a tech support line in which you can get the help you need.

The third step is to...

3. Hook up your website to your system

Finally, you'll need to modify your website to work with your optin boxes so that subcribes and unsubscribes are automatic.

Some people will probably need to hire a webmaster to get this working for you. You can always call on a technical person to help you over at http://www.RentaCoder.com

In some cases, your website and newsletter management system might not be hooked together at all. This is especially true with desktop-based systems.

Step 7 - Create and Test Your First Newsletter

It's time to actually create your newsletter and test it. Simply write your article, format it, cut and paste it into your system and send it to yourself.

As I already mentioned, consider sending it to multiple e-mail accounts that use different email programs such as hotmail, yahoo, MS Outlook, or Eudora.

Consider sending it to a few friends to get their feedback. You'll find their comments