If you’ve been thinking about or are currently sending out an electronic newsletter, you’ve probably heard terms like subscriber, autoresponder, double opt-in and more. These, along with others, may be words you’ve never heard used before. If you plan to send out newsletters, it’s wise to learn these terms and what they mean to help you succeed even more. Here’s a quick dictionary.
 
eCourse/Autoresponder
An e-course is quick and short information, usually delivered a chunk at a time, as in one lesson per day, via email. 
 
Subscriber
Subscribers are customers, members, contacts or any individuals who gave you permission to send email messages to their email address. This can be over the phone, in person or adding their name and email address to a form online called a sign-up box.
 
Opt-in
Opt-in email marketing means sending marketing messages only to people who explicitly requested them. It is the process of a customer filling out the name and email address on a form online to request information from you via email. http://email.about.com/library/glossary/bldef_opt-in.htm
 
Double Opt-in
Email addresses on a (single) opt-in list are not confirmed because anybody can submit anybody’s address to the list.  On a double opt-in list, all email address must be confirmed by sending a request for confirmation to the submitted address.
 
Newsletter/eZine/e-Zine/eNewsletter
This term is so broad it’s hard to put a good definition to it.  It can mean any information being sent via emails or a combined list of content similar to a newsletter published on paper.
 
Mailing List, Distribution List or Subscriber List
A mailing list is a collection of email addresses that allows you to email multiple people at one time. A distribution list can contain a few addresses, or many.
 
Autoresponder
At its simplest, an autoresponder is just a system that sends out follow up emails automatically.  These follow up emails are written beforehand, so the business owner doesn’t have to take time sending out emails every time someone buys something or asks for information. Instead, the business owner uses autoresponder software to set up a sequence of emails that go out at regular intervals. They can be used to create mini-courses, special reports or simply lead generation and customer support. 
 
The jargon varies somewhat between people you talk with, but for the most part, the terms used are similar. Did I miss a term you would like more information on?  Please leave me a comment below and I’ll answer it as soon as I can.