What are the advantages of using mail providers for mass email sending over custom PHP scripts?

Using mail providers for mass email sending offers several advantages over custom PHP scripts. Mail providers typically have dedicated servers and infrastructure optimized for sending large volumes of emails, ensuring better deliverability rates and avoiding being marked as spam. They also provide tracking and analytics tools to monitor the success of email campaigns, as well as support for managing unsubscribes and bounces automatically. Additionally, mail providers often have built-in features for personalization and segmentation, making it easier to target specific audiences with tailored content.

// Example PHP code using a mail provider (such as Mailchimp) for mass email sending

require 'vendor/autoload.php'; // Include the Mailchimp PHP library

use \DrewM\MailChimp\MailChimp;

$apiKey = 'YOUR_MAILCHIMP_API_KEY';
$listId = 'YOUR_MAILCHIMP_LIST_ID';

$mailchimp = new MailChimp($apiKey);

$result = $mailchimp->post("lists/$listId/members", [
    'email_address' => 'john.doe@example.com',
    'status' => 'subscribed',
]);

if ($mailchimp->success()) {
    echo 'Email successfully added to the list!';
} else {
    echo 'Error: ' . $mailchimp->getLastError();
}