Subscription management
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Previous topic: Unsubscribing
Next topic: Administrative list messages
Many publishers assume that newsletter subscription management stops at subscribing and unsubscribing. But there are other occasions when a reader may want to "manage" their subscription. For example, a reader might wish to:
- change their email address.
- temporarily switch off their subscription while on vacation.
- change format (from text to HTML, for example).
Some services and software provide web-based forms to let subscribers manage these changes themselves. Others let the list owner (you) do this on behalf of a subscriber. Others have no facilities of this nature.
Whatever the situation, the same principles apply:
- make it as easy as possible for a subscriber to undertake the desired action.
- if you can, provide an alternative for when the system fails.
- provide a way for subscribers to communicate with you directly if there's a problem, unaddressed need or missing information.
- provide easily accessible information about how to change addresses etc. either in the newsletter itself or through a web page.
Your service or software might not allow you to suspend delivery for individual subscribers, for example. Don't worry. These kind of subscription features aren't standard fare (yet). But at least ensure that your subscribers know, or can easily find out:
- what they can and can't do on their own (and how).
- what you can and can't do for them at their request.
- whether they have to resort to the traditional unsubscribe/resubscribe approach.
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