Part of the standard marketing playbook that (I hope) everyone uses are timely and relevant updates and annoucements to your customer/subscriber base via email.  There are a variety of dead simple tools out there that do this like VerticalResponse, Constant Contact, MailChimp, and ExactTarget that all have different levels of sophistication but essentially do the same thing:

1. Provide an editor to create email content (text, html, etc.)
2. Proivide a list manager to upload and organize email addresses
3. Provide reporting to see opens, clicks, bounces, unsubscribes, etc.
   

The wide availability of these types of solutions means pretty much anyone can use one if they have something to say and a list of opt-in email addresses (i.e, no spamming).  I am a firm believer in respecting the inbox of your recipient and delivering meaningful, relevant information where unsubscribing is easy so don't abuse the priviledge of being able to send someone an email – it can be revoked quickly…and completely.

One of the things I most look forward to after sending out an email update are the responses.  I have learned many things over the years including things I didn't want to find out like like broken links, formatting problems, and mis-spelling to important things like customer issues and even compliments and praise.

I am continually surprised when email updates arrive in my inbox and no one is paying attention to the responses.  If you send me an email, don't you at least consider the fact I may respond? Worse yet, why would you not monitor the replies…and tell me that?

Try responding to the next one you receive with a question or observation and see if you get a response.

Stop being so concerned about yourself, your open rates, your click rates, etc. and focus on the person to whom you are sending the email.  Just because you are sending many at one time does not mean that they all won't be received and acted upon individually.

Set aside the time to respond personally and you'll be amazed at what you learn.