Emailing schools: the way forward

Email services to schools currently include:

General lists are available for all secondary schools and the larger primary schools.  The cost per address for a once only mailing is normally around 3p or 4p although there are now firms selling mailing lists of general addresses for an astonishing 15p each.   

The number of emails that get through is often a lot lower than in direct mail because of spam blocking systems and the fact that schools change their email addresses.   The most reliable services are those that are researched from school websites.   For details call 01536 399 000

Specialist lists are directed to individually named teachers who have opted in to the service, in order to stay up to date with the latest educational news in their field. 

Hamilton House's Email Teachers Direct runs a number of specialist lists at present and plans to launch more in the coming weeks:

Via these lists senior managers opt in and receive one or two news items each week without going through the school administrator.  These are written in a particular way, taking note of the fact these are working managers with their own concerns and issues.  The news items contain offers of free reports on a variety of topics, thus adding to the value of the service.

Once a week an advert is placed on the service - this normally written as a press release, with a particular recommendation from the editor of the service - thus maintaining the "voice" of the service.

Response rates tend to be very high on this service, and thus, although the number of school managers available through these broadcasts can be lower than the general "info@" lists (because the Management News services are opt in), the overall number of responses tends to be higher.

Requests for free reports on the Email Teachers Direct services can be as high as 30% of the recipients, while purchase levels for products can be comparable with direct mail.  However the price of broadcasting to the management news groups is normally 10p per address - which is a quarter of the price of direct mail.

Copies of notices sent to each group also appear in the news section of www.schools.co.uk, so you can see what other companies are sending out.

For more information please call 01536 399 000 or go to our specialist email website www.yesmail.org.uk