Section 17. Using Email Lists

• What is an email list?

• Why should you consider using an email list?

• When is a good time to use an email list?

• How do you set up and use an email list?

 

 

Email remains an important part of how organizations communicate. Community groups can use email to send updates, coordinate activities, share resources, invite participation, raise funds, or support discussion among people with a shared interest. Email lists can be especially useful because they allow organizations to communicate with many people at once while giving subscribers a predictable way to receive information.

Email lists exist for thousands of topics and communities. Some are used mainly for organizational announcements or newsletters, while others support discussion among members. The tools used to operate these lists continue to change, but the basic idea remains the same: people choose to join a group and receive email related to a shared purpose.

What is an email list?

With your email client -- Gmail or Microsoft Outlook, for example -- you may already have experience sending messages to groups of people. An email list is different from simply placing many addresses in the "To" or "Cc" field of an ordinary email. A managed email list allows people to subscribe and unsubscribe, helps protect subscriber information, and provides tools for distributing messages consistently to a group.

An email list is a group of subscribers who receive messages through a shared list or communication system. Some lists are designed mainly for announcements from an organization, while others allow members to communicate with one another. Depending on the system, subscribers may be able to reply to the entire group, respond privately to the sender, receive messages individually, or receive several messages combined into a digest. Lists can range from a few participants to many thousands of subscribers.

Email lists are managed through mailing-list, newsletter, or group-communication software. These systems generally allow the list owner or administrator -- the person responsible for running the list -- to add or approve subscribers when appropriate, process unsubscribe requests, send or moderate messages, manage permissions, and adjust other settings. Some systems continue to use the term "listserv," although that term originally refers to a particular mailing-list technology.

Types of email lists

Announcements: An announcement-only list allows an organization or designated group of senders to distribute information to subscribers without opening every message to group discussion. This can be useful for newsletters, meeting reminders, service updates, action alerts, fundraising messages, event announcements, or other information people have chosen to receive. It can also reduce the volume of messages subscribers receive.

Announcement lists are now used by community organizations, advocacy groups, political campaigns, public agencies, schools, businesses, and many other groups. Messages often link to a website, registration form, donation page, public document, or other resource where subscribers can learn more or take action.

Moderated lists: With this type of list, a moderator or administrator reviews messages before they are distributed to the entire group. Moderation can help keep discussions relevant, reduce spam and harassment, protect privacy, and make sure participants follow the group's stated expectations. It also requires time and clear standards so that moderation decisions are consistent and understandable.

Unmoderated lists: In an unmoderated discussion list, authorized subscribers can generally send messages directly to the group without approval for each message. This allows for freer communication and may require less day-to-day review, but administrators should still establish expectations for respectful participation and be prepared to address spam, harassment, misinformation, privacy concerns, or repeated off-topic posting when necessary.

You might find it useful to establish more than one communication option for your organization: for example, an announcements-only list for people who want important updates and a separate discussion space for people who want to exchange ideas with one another. A discussion platform, online community, messaging service, or other tool may sometimes be better suited to active conversation than email alone.

Depending on the service you use, subscribers may also be able to choose how often they receive messages. Some systems offer digest options that combine several messages into one email, while others allow people to choose categories or types of communication they want to receive.

Where can you find out more?

Email-list and group-communication services change over time. Search for current mailing-list, newsletter, discussion-group, or community-email platforms and compare their features before choosing one. The resources below illustrate some services and directories that have been associated with email lists; check whether each resource remains available and suitable for your needs before relying on it.

• Tile.net List of Internet Discussion Groups
• CataList Email
• Google Groups
• Yahoo Groups

For lists that focus on topics related to community health and development, you can also look for current professional associations, universities, public-health organizations, coalitions, and community networks that host discussion groups or newsletters in your area of interest.

Why should you consider using an email list?

Email lists can serve many functions. They can serve as a way to:

• Quickly and inexpensively get information out to a large number of people: For example, you can send a reminder about tomorrow's meeting or an update on a project your initiative has been working on.
• Create a forum for discussion of ideas and issues: For example, you could use a discussion list to exchange fundraising ideas, share community resources, or seek feedback on a project.
• Encourage people interested in your cause to offer one another support and assistance: For example, members might share transportation options, resources, or information about an upcoming conference.
• Encourage civic or political action: For example, you can share accurate information about an upcoming public meeting or vote and explain how subscribers can contact appropriate public officials if they choose.
• Raise money for your organization or issue. Fundraising messages can explain the need, show how contributions will be used, and make it easy for subscribers who choose to give to do so.
• Learn more about subscribers' interests and priorities. You can invite feedback through replies, surveys, meetings, or other methods rather than assuming that email engagement alone tells you what people want.

...or just about anything else that fits the purpose of your list and the expectations subscribers were given when they joined.

When deciding whether to set up an email list, it's important to consider your intended audience. Email is widely used, but it isn't the best communication method for everyone. Some people have limited internet access, rely mainly on mobile devices, prefer text messages or other communication channels, have accessibility needs, or simply don't use email often. Consider how the people you hope to reach actually communicate and provide other options when important information should be available through more than one channel.

Email is now a routine communication method for many people around the world, but access, preferences, language, digital skills, and technology still vary. An email list works best when it is one part of a broader communication strategy rather than an assumption that every community member can or wants to be reached in the same way.

In this section, we're going to talk about how you can use email lists as an organizing and communication tool and how to set up an email list for your initiative.

When is a good time to use an email list?

An email list can be useful at many stages of an organization's work. Creating one early can help you communicate with people involved in your initiative, while a new list may also be useful for a particular campaign, project, program, event series, or community network. Before creating one, make sure you have a clear purpose, a plan for maintaining it, and a way for people to knowingly subscribe and easily stop receiving messages when they no longer want them.

How do you set up and use an email list?

Decide who will administer your email list -- whether that's you or another staff person, member, or volunteer of your agency or organization.

Your list owner or administrator -- the person responsible for running the list -- should understand your organization and be comfortable using the email or list-management system you choose. They don't necessarily need extensive technical experience, but they should understand the basic functions of the platform, know whom to contact when questions arise, and be able to represent the organization professionally. You may wish to add email-list responsibilities to a staff role or create an official volunteer responsibility for it. Organizations that rely heavily on email for organizing, fundraising, communications, or advocacy may assign the work to a communications professional or team.

Running an email list can take very little time when activity is low, but active lists may require regular attention. Someone should be responsible for reviewing problems, updating subscriber information when necessary, addressing moderation issues, responding to questions, handling inaccurate or outdated information, and making sure the list remains useful. Avoid making the entire system dependent on only one person's personal account or knowledge.

If you don't have one already, work with your list owner to select an organizational email or list-management service.

Your organization may already use an email, newsletter, collaboration, or group-management platform that can support a mailing list. If not, compare services based on what you actually need: announcement emails, discussion features, subscriber management, accessibility, moderation, scheduling, templates, reporting, privacy controls, integration with your website, or other functions.

Shop around and compare the cost, reliability, ease of use, support, subscriber limits, data-management practices, accessibility, administrative controls, and ability to export or move your subscriber list if you change services later. A platform that works for a small volunteer group may differ from one needed for a large organization sending frequent newsletters or fundraising messages.

It is very important that the email address, subscriber list, and administrative accounts used for organizational communications remain under appropriate organizational control rather than belonging only to one staff member or volunteer. Use organizational accounts when possible, keep account-recovery information current, and make sure more than one authorized person can regain access if the primary administrator leaves or becomes unavailable.

It's also a good idea to check with comparable organizations that use email lists to find out what services they use, what they like or dislike, and what amount of staff time is required to maintain their lists.

Decide which list management software or service to use.

There are many ways to manage an email list. Some organizations use dedicated mailing-list systems, some use newsletter or email-marketing platforms, and others use group-discussion or collaboration tools. Older mailing-list systems such as the examples below may still be encountered in some institutions, but choose your system based on your current needs and the support available to you:

• ListServ
• Majordomo
• Listproc

Whatever system you use, read its current documentation rather than relying on instructions written for a different or older platform.

The most useful systems generally provide straightforward ways to manage subscriptions, remove or suppress addresses, moderate messages, choose who can send to the group, manage replies, send digests when appropriate, and maintain administrative access.

The Basics of Email Lists

Older mailing-list systems often used separate email addresses and text commands for subscription and administrative functions. Many current systems handle these tasks through web-based settings, subscription forms, links in messages, or administrative dashboards. The exact process varies by platform, so follow the current instructions for the system you choose.

At a minimum, make sure both subscribers and administrators know how to perform the most important tasks.

Listserv or another mailing-list system should provide ways:

• To subscribe or request membership in the list
• To unsubscribe easily
• To receive messages in a digest or lower-frequency format when the platform supports it
• To pause or reduce messages when the platform supports that option
• To resume messages
• To review or manage subscriber information when authorized
• To control whether senders receive copies of their own discussion posts
• To confirm whether a submitted message was successfully sent or scheduled

Other list-management systems should provide similar basic functions:

• A clear method for people to subscribe
• A clear method for people to unsubscribe
• Options for digest or reduced-frequency delivery when useful
• A way for subscribers to change their delivery preferences
• Administrative tools for reviewing subscribers and managing access appropriately

Note: Features vary from one system to another. Don't assume that a function available in one platform will work the same way in another.

Discussion and newsletter systems may also provide:

• Subscription forms that can be linked from your website
• Automated unsubscribe and preference links
• Temporary pauses or frequency controls
• Controls for resuming or changing delivery preferences
• Digest delivery or other ways of reducing message volume
• Tools for changing or canceling those delivery options
• Administrative tools for maintaining the subscriber list
• Confirmation, reporting, or other tools that help administrators verify that communications were sent successfully

There are also web-based services that automate newsletter and mailing-list functions. Some provide free tiers, while others charge based on features, number of subscribers, or volume of messages. Compare services carefully. Avoid platforms that add advertising, collect more subscriber information than you need, or make it difficult for people to unsubscribe or for your organization to move its own subscriber data.

Here are a few names that have been associated with web-based group or mailing-list services:

• Google
• Yahoo!
• TalkList
• Topica

Services and providers change, so look for current information rather than choosing a platform simply because it appears in an older directory or resource.

Whichever system you use, make sure the list administrator understands the basic functions needed to run it: adding or approving subscribers appropriately, processing unsubscribe requests, managing bounced or invalid addresses, moderating discussion when necessary, controlling who can send messages, protecting subscriber information, and maintaining administrative access.

Write a formal policy for your list.

Online discussions can become difficult when participants don't share the same expectations. Disagreements may become personal, discussions can drift far from the list's purpose, private information may be shared inappropriately, and spam or repeated promotional messages can overwhelm useful conversation. A clear written policy helps subscribers understand how the list is intended to work and gives moderators a consistent basis for responding when problems arise.

Your policy should explain:

• Basic directions for subscribing, changing preferences, and unsubscribing. Make these processes as easy to understand as possible.
• A mission statement or statement of purpose: This should explain what the list is for and what kinds of communication subscribers should expect.
• Rules for subscribers: Explain expectations for respectful communication, relevance to the list's subject, advertising or fundraising by subscribers, privacy, misinformation, harassment, discriminatory or threatening content, and any participation requirements. Keep the rules clear enough to enforce consistently and explain what may happen when they are repeatedly violated.
• If you've decided on an announcements-only list, a description of what sort of announcements subscribers can expect and who is authorized to send them.
• Contact information for your organization and for questions about the list. Include useful organizational contact methods without unnecessarily publishing personal addresses, phone numbers, or other private information.

There are other things you may also decide to include in your policy or in separate information provided to subscribers:

• Information on your services or programs, including relevant eligibility requirements and how to apply or find out more.
• Resources and links for further information: where people can go to learn more about topics related to your organization's purpose, including useful websites, organizations, publications, and other community resources.
• Frequently Asked Questions (also known as an FAQ). An FAQ provides answers to questions people ask most often about your organization, activities, services, or the email list itself.

Your policy should be easy for subscribers to find. Many list-management systems can automatically send a welcome message when someone subscribes. You may also want to display the policy on your organization's website. Review it periodically and update it when the purpose of the list, technology, or community needs change.

You should have a good idea of what you want your email list to be like before you write your policy. Looking at policies from comparable organizations can give you useful ideas, but make sure your final policy fits your own audience, purpose, and responsibilities.

Start letting people know about the email list.

• Announce the list through communication channels that are already relevant to your intended audience, such as existing email newsletters, partner organizations, community meetings, social media, messaging platforms, professional networks, and other appropriate discussion spaces.
• If you have a web page about your email list on your organization's site, make the purpose of the list, subscription process, privacy expectations, and unsubscribe process clear.
• If your list is specific to a particular geographic area, let relevant local directories, community organizations, service providers, and partner websites know about the list when appropriate.
• Let other groups and professionals in your area know about the list when its information is relevant to their work or communities.
• Include information about your email list in your regular media campaigns – posters and flyers, press releases, public service announcements, paid advertisements, your organization's next print newsletter, digital newsletters, presentations, events, and other appropriate communications.

As people begin subscribing and using the list, be sure that it is well-maintained and that adjustments are made to the policy as necessary.

Make subscribers feel welcome and keep the information distributed through the list relevant and useful. The administrator should respond to problems, keep subscriber information reasonably current, remove invalid addresses when necessary, and review discussion or announcements according to the policy you established. If discussion is allowed, moderation should support respectful participation without requiring everyone to agree. Explain moderation decisions when appropriate and apply the same standards consistently.

If your list is one where discussion is allowed, you will probably find that the tone and needs of the conversation change as membership grows or the issue develops. Review the list's structure and rules from time to time rather than assuming what worked at the beginning will always be sufficient.

Use the list for all sorts of things

We talked a bit earlier about some of the many uses for an email list. Now that your email list is up and running, you can start using it for some of these things:

• Action alerts with information on how your list subscribers can take action on an issue related to your organization.

The following is a fictional example of an action alert sent to a statewide disability-rights email list.

Do's and Don'ts of Email Action Alerts:

DO:

• Keep the message short and focused on the action, deadline, and information people need to decide whether to participate.
• Include appropriate contact information for your organization.
• Include accurate, current contact information or official links for anyone or any office you're asking people to contact.
• Have someone else review the alert before you send it, particularly dates, names, links, phone numbers, factual claims, and the requested action.

DON'T...

• Assume that one contact method works for every public official or subscriber. Provide email, official contact forms, phone numbers, mailing information, or other appropriate options when available.
• Make the email difficult to read with unnecessary formatting, large images, tiny text, poor contrast, or designs that don't work well on mobile devices or with accessibility tools.
• Leave the subject line blank or use a vague or misleading one. Make the topic and urgency clear without exaggerating.

Awards that have been given to your organization or its members.

An email about an award

Date: [Date]

From: Annie

Reply-To: My Organization's List

To: ANY-L@listserv.ableny.org

Subject: ABLE-NY member receives advocacy award

Dear ABLE-NY Members:

We are pleased to share that ABLE-NY member Latisha Freeman will be recognized by the World Association of People with Disabilities for her activism and advocacy work at its annual awards event this September.

Latisha has been involved with ABLE-NY since it started three years ago and has contributed a great deal to our community. We're glad to see her work recognized and hope you'll join us in congratulating her.

Thank you,

Annie B. Caldwell

ABLE-NY District 3

A quick tip for sending emails about upcoming events or meetings: send the first message early enough for people to make plans, and then send a shorter reminder closer to the event when useful. Don't assume that everyone checks email every day, and avoid sending so many reminders that important messages begin to feel like clutter. For major events, consider using more than one communication channel.

In Summary

An email list can be a straightforward and relatively inexpensive way for your organization to communicate with members, supporters, partners, volunteers, service users, and other interested people. It works best when subscribers understand what they are signing up for, messages remain useful and accessible, privacy is respected, people can easily change their preferences or unsubscribe, and someone is clearly responsible for maintaining the list. Used thoughtfully and as part of a broader communication strategy, email lists can help community organizations share information, strengthen relationships, coordinate action, and support meaningful participation.