A regular newsletter is one of the few marketing channels a business truly owns. Social media reach rises and falls with each algorithm change, and advertising stops the moment you stop paying. A list of people who asked to hear from you keeps its value. For New Zealand businesses, where repeat customers and word of mouth carry a lot of weight, that makes newsletter marketing worth doing well. This page looks at what to check when choosing a platform, and how Mailpro answers each point.
Six questions to ask any newsletter platform
1. Does it make New Zealand’s spam law easy to follow?
The Unsolicited Electronic Messages Act 2007 requires consent, accurate sender identification and a functional unsubscribe facility, with opt-outs effective within 5 working days. Your platform should offer consent-friendly sign-up forms, double opt-in and an unsubscribe link in every campaign. Mailpro provides all three; see our summary of email marketing law in New Zealand.
2. Where is my subscriber data stored?
Under the Privacy Act 2020, you stay responsible for personal information a provider holds on your behalf. Ask where the data lives, who can access it and whether it is ever sold. Mailpro hosts data in Switzerland on private infrastructure, outside US jurisdiction, uses TLS 1.3, and never sells or rents it. Switzerland, like New Zealand, holds an EU adequacy decision. Read why Switzerland.
3. Does the pricing fit how I send?
Many New Zealand businesses are seasonal: tourism peaks in summer and the ski season, retail around Christmas, gardening in spring. Pricing per contact means paying all year for a list you only use heavily a few months a year. Mailpro prices by emails sent, not contacts stored, and you can start with 500 free credits.
4. Can a non-designer create a good-looking newsletter?
Mailpro offers a drag-and-drop editor and more than 600 templates that adapt to phone screens. Developers and agencies can use the HTML editor instead. See creating newsletters for the options.
5. Can I send the right content to the right people?
Look for segmentation, custom fields and personalisation. Mailpro lets you store region, interests and purchase history and use them to tailor each issue, as shown in our guide to personalised newsletters.
6. Will I be able to see what works?
Opens, clicks, unsubscribes and bounces should be clear after each send. Mailpro’s campaign reports show them by campaign, and you can compare issues over time.
More than newsletters
The same Mailpro account also covers:
- SMS marketing to +64 mobiles, for reminders and time-sensitive updates.
- Online forms for sign-ups, bookings and enquiries that feed straight into your lists.
- Surveys to collect feedback after a stay, an event or a purchase.
- Automated emails for welcome series, birthdays and follow-ups.
- An SMTP server and API for transactional emails from your website or app.
Getting started in a week
- Day 1: import your existing contacts, keeping only those who agreed to hear from you, and add a sign-up form to your website.
- Day 2: set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC for your domain so mailbox providers trust your emails.
- Day 3: choose a template and adapt it to your brand, with NZ English and your own photos.
- Day 4: write your first issue around one clear message, and set up a welcome email for new subscribers.
- Day 5: send a test, check it on a phone, and schedule the real send for a weekday morning in NZ time.
After the first send, review the report and plan the next three issues around the season ahead.
What Mailpro users say
In Mailpro’s own customer survey, users rate email deliverability 9.6/10, SMS deliverability 9.8/10 and ease of use 9.3/10. Mailpro has been operating since 2001, from Geneva, and the interface is available in six languages.
Is a newsletter right for you?
If you are still deciding, read why use newsletters for the business case, with New Zealand examples.