Help! Customize .html Newsletter/Email

Is there an easy way to personalize?

[paigehooha]

Bit of history - this newsletter is sent out quarterly by owners of our tax software. I don't need to worry about opt in/opt out, design, etc. Up until now - this newsletter has been sent via email in .pdf format. Company wanting to switch to .html email. My first experience with this.

Figured out how to create/send the .html email. Mailing list in both Sql and Sybase databases - so can use either. Is there an easy way to customize the newsletter - for it to say "Hello <Enter Name Here>" and automatically pull in the name of the receiver? I will not be using any addl software for this. I currently use Dreamweaver to design and Outlook to email. Help?

[Mardi_Gras]

Its easy - but ditch Outlook as your mailing solution. I would suggest a dedicated mailer like GroupMail. Very easy to personalize and allows sending a text component as well.

If you need to use very heavy conditional merging, Mach 5 e-mailer would be a better choice, but for general personalization, I would go with Group Mail.

[paigehooha]

Thanks! I will definitely look into GroupMail. So in your opinion - doing all of this myself is hardly worth the $180 license fee for the GroupMail? I could create the newsletter myself and avoid the whole personalization issue for under $200/year. Does this make me a wimp? Do most people that you know of who create this kind-of thing do it all on their own? Or use a similar software-helper?

[Mardi_Gras]

Well, its not so much a "software helper" as it is using the right tools for the job. I use Outlook for everything - except bulk mail. It wasn't really designed to handle it.

Group Mail offers a free version that will send up to 100 mails at a time. Although it is missing the high-speed send engine and some database import functions, it is otherwise pretty much the same as the full version. Give it a try and see what you think.

You will still be doing everything yourself - you still need to design the newsletter. But programs like Group Mail offer preview capabilities, test sending, multi-part sending, and easy personalization features that Outlook lacks.

[paigehooha]

I will definitely give it a try! BTW - just read your profile - I grew up on the Northshore - moved from NO at around 6 to there - BIZARRE! Thanks for all your help. I've sent the info off to the "powers that be" and hopefully we can move forward with the GroupMail!

[Mardi_Gras]

I grew up on the Northshore

:)