How to Create a Listserv

A Listserv is an electronic mailing list using the Listserv computer program, which differs from distribution lists used in email programs. With a Listserv, you can create a topic and distribute information or start a discussion with a list of subscribers. Listservs are often used by universities and politicians to communicate with a large body of people, but these mailing lists can also be used by people who share common interests. Learn how to create a Listserv for your specific needs.

Steps

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    Download the Listserv program that best meets your needs in the Download area of http://www.lsoft.com/. There are 3 options for any operating system:
    • Listserv Classic is the first and most often used of the Listserv programs. It meets the needs of most individual users and includes email and discussion groups.
    • Listserv Lite is for entry-level electronic mailing lists and does not contain advanced features.
    • Listserv Maestro meets the needs of heavy users with a large number of subscribers.
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    Register your Listserv mailing list with the name, category and description of the list.
    • Make certain the name of the list and the email address that people will use describe the group as much as possible, such as ROADRUNNERS@LISTSERV.TAMU.EDU for recreational runners.
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    This is a good time to set up a password for managing your electronic mailing list. Password verification will be sent to you with instructions on activating it.
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    Decide whether you want your electronic mailing list to be public or private.
    • A public list means that anyone can join.
    • If you want to create a Listserv that is private, let Listserv know when you register it. Don't join directories such as Yahoo! Groups.
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    Add members after you start a Listserv.
    • Invite people to join by typing in their email addresses on the management page.
    • The people who receive your invitations can join or "opt in."
    • Other people can subscribe by sending a message to the Listserv; however you must approve membership requests.
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    Include subscription information as a default at the bottom of Listserv messages that go out. This allows people to subscribe or unsubscribe at any time.
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    Create a Listserv message where you can add important information to headers and footers to publicize something or for notification purposes.
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    Send a message to the email addresses you created for the Listserv mailing list.
    • Anyone in the Listserv can send a message unless it's a moderated list.
    • If you start a Listserv that is a moderated list, then you must approve messages before posting them to the electronic mailing list.
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    Monitor traffic after you start a Listserv.
    • Encourage spirited discussions.
    • Make everyone aware of rules about what is not allowed in the Listserv.
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    Use the pull-down list menu if you are managing more than one Listserv mailing list.
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    Go to the management page any time you want to manage Listserv settings.
    • Choose "Subscribers" or the Subscriber button to add or delete subscribers or change any of their information.
    • "Bulk op." is for managing bulk operations, but be careful. When you use this command, you cannot undo it.
    • The Commands button can be used to manage your electronic mailing list or enter Listserv commands.
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Community Q&A

  • Question
    To use ListServ, can subscribers be on many different email platforms, or must they all use Microsoft Outlook?
    Community Answer
    Community Answer
    Subscribers do not need to be Microsoft Outlook users. ListServ will work with any email client that is compatible with SMTP (all of them!). There is even an HTML interface that can be used instead of an email client.
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Warnings

  • Listserv is a registered trademark of L-Soft International Inc. Therefore, the term should only be used with Listserv electronic mailing lists.
    ⧼thumbs_response⧽
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References

  1. http://www.listserve.com/
  2. http://www.lsoft.com/products/listserv.asp
  3. http://computing.artsci.wustl.edu/help/151
  4. https://www.drupal.org/node/793564

About This Article

wikiHow is a “wiki,” similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. To create this article, volunteer authors worked to edit and improve it over time. This article has been viewed 154,085 times.
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Co-authors: 8
Updated: October 21, 2021
Views: 154,085
Categories: Email
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