I was amazed (and delighted) by the number of people who have already signed up for the Grand Newsletter Experiment. Thank you!

If you haven’t signed up yet, there’s still time. And, I’d love it if you’d invite a friend or two (they don’t
need to be a NIF subscriber to join us). The more people we can get on board the more fun I think we’ll have (and the more results
I’ll have to share with you).

To join the Grand Newsletter Experiment, you (or your friends) can visit http://www.designdoodles.com/gne.

I’m so excited about this experiment! And, I’m also excited about today’s article–sure, it’s about a dry-sounding topic, but
if you dive in, I think you’ll really love your results.

Let’s Audit that Distribution

Earlier today, I was talking with a new client about which distribution service to use. She worried that she’d make the wrong choice, and I advised her to just pick one–that we’d reassess in six months to see if there might be a better choice.

When you’re first starting a newsletter, just selecting a distribution service is such a huge decision–there’s a lot of competition and, quite frankly, not a lot of difference in features and pricing. So, it makes sense to just choose the service that you’re leaning towards so you can get your newsletter up and running.

Six months (or more) in, though, it’s a good idea to take a look at the company you’re working with and make sure they’re still the right choice for your newsletter.

So, how do you go about that distribution audit? Simply follow these steps.

Step One: Print out all the reports.
Start your audit by creating a hard copy of each and every report your distribution service provides. Get a report on each issue’s open rate, all your click-thrus, unsubscribe rates, new subscribe rates, etc, etc. If your service makes it available, print it out for at least the 6 most recent issues.

Step Two: Look for spikes.
The first thing you want to pay attention to are any exceptionally high or low numbers–this can indicate problems with delivery (that your newsletter isn’t getting through to your subscribers). If you already knew there was a problem (and you know your service handled it), then you’re fine. But, if you notice that last month’s newsletter only had a 5% open rate and you didn’t receive any extra bounce messages, that’s a definite red flag.

What do you do if you notice these sorts of problems? Start by contacting your distributor and seeing if they have an explanation. If you don’t like what they have to say, do some digging on your own–you’ll be surprised what a Google search or two is likely to turn up. MarketingSherpa is often a good source of information about distribution, too.

Step Three: Ponder your feelings.
Now that you’ve been using this service for awhile, how is it to use? Have you gotten the hang of it? Or do you still feel like there’s a steep learning curve you’re grappling with? When you’ve had to contact tech support, have you felt good about the encounters? Do you like the company you’re using, in general?

These may not seem like important questions, but the truth is, if you’re feeling uncomfortable with your newsletter distributor, you’re making it harder than it needs to be. Publishing can be really, really easy when you find the right fit.

Step Four: Look into lacking features.
What features doesn’t your distribution service offer that you might like to use? List segmentation? Advanced personalization? Autoresponders?

Consider the distributors your colleagues are using (and actually get their feedback on what they like and don’t like about their choices) and compare your needs with what’s out there. Often, you start out with a solution that’s simple (that’s exactly the path I recommend) and for some newsletters, advanced features are never needed. But, if you’ve outgrown your current service, this is usually where you’ll see the signs (in the features you’re longing for that aren’t provided).

Step Five: Refine the process.
Once you’ve been publishing for awhile, it’s time to go through everything–your subscribe form, welcome page, and welcome email–and refine it. Add testimonials, polish the writing, add a sample newsletter or two. Make those modifications you’ve been putting off.

Of course, if you’ve decided to switch distributors, get that taken care of first so that you can set up the new subscribe forms at the same time. Then, once you’ve made your modifications, go through the whole process one last time (actually subscribe so you can make sure everything looks neat and tidy).

A distribution audit can be a lot of fun when you follow these five steps. And, it can be even more fun when you have a partner to work through the process with. If you’d like help, you can find a partner through the Newsletter Spa, or by asking a colleague.