Software for email marketing

email marketing

[tommy267]

Hi, I'm lookin for a proper software for email marketing. I know there are many programs and I can find them on the web, but I want to know your opinions on what are the best choices. Thanks in advance.

[jwolthuis]

We use Constant Contact, and have been happy with them. We developed a custom welcome email (containing a nice coupon), and a few custom newletter templates.

I can't compare any other services, because we've had no reason to want to switch to someone else.

[wingslevel]

Try groupmail

[Netpox]

Hosting your own software on your server usually won't work. If anyone reports your email as spam it will block your ip and then any email you send out will pretty much always go to spam folders. You want to use aweber, mailchimp, icontact, constant contact, etc

[MisterT]

MailChimp

[xshadow]

completely agree with Netpox. Ive tried many own-server options, and while it is cheaper it is never as effective. i tested to my own hotmail accounts and the emails went stright to my spam box. the same hrappened with gmail.

stick with a 3rd party and you will have some recourse or money back if they arent delivered properly.

[Hoople]

I've used groupmail successfully with it configured to send via a webserver SMTP daemon on a domain of my choice. The domain's webserver is configured with a proper reverse lookup (PTR), SPF, Domain Keys and Sender-ID too.

I never had an issue with SPAM blocking as I kept my list 'opt-in' and monitored the bounces like a hawk.

[Mr Bo Jangles]

Use Campaign Monitor and like it - for the number I send out, the cost is trivial.

[toplisek]

It depends what you like to send. There are some good e-mail marketing software. If you know your customers, than this mentioned SPAM will not be in this case. You need to track links and Constant Contact and others is not needed. It is important CRM and it was in the past issue with SPAM. We are just few steps away when there will be mobile and e-mail CRM and you can not deal with systems as it was. Mobile message will be inside SPAM...

[xshadow]

toplisek, Its not an issue of knowing your customers, but more of lack of reputation and so on. With the majority of emails collected from opt-in methods, most companies already know their customers.

Just one email marked as spam could ruin the domain/ IPs reputation with a host, especially within its infancy. That has happened with me and I can no longer deliver to hotmail addresses without entering the spam box.

Sometimes a customer will just mark an email as spam instead of clicking un-subscribe.

[Hoople]

Many commercial sites use a separate domain for their marketing emails. If a few recipients get all clicky with the spam link you can easily start over for the 'cost' of a new domain.

Running your message thru a SPAM check program also helps to tweak the message spam level with the goal of staying below the 'junk mail folder' threshold. This has a hidden value as some recipient may be less inclined to click 'spam' then.

[Mr Bo Jangles]

The benefits of HTML e-mail for newsletters and marketing is that they are able to facilitate really good statistics back in your mailout program (if you use something like Campaign Monitor for example) - and, if the template you use, and the graphics are of a very high standard i.e. it looks really nice - then that can of course enhance your company image.

The downside, as others have mentioned is that some portion will definitely get blocked by corporate IT anti-spam measures.

I used to send out HTML e-mails, and whilst I still use Campaign Monitor for the ease of sending out, I no longer send out HTML, but rather just plain text, BUT my plain text e-mail utilizes really 'teaser' topic wording - and not much of it - with a link to the Newsletter page up on our web site. I think it works really well.

[toplisek]

I agree with xshadow:Just one email marked as spam could ruin the infancy of small company and a customer will just mark an email as spam instead of clicking un-subscribe.

But if you know your customers, you do not need to worry about SPAM issue as you use good PC software as you know these clients will not hurt you. SPAM is not only IP. Server is more and more sophisticated (50 filters) which can be increased security and IP,server are not alone. You have people and they decide what will be sold. Why Amazon developed [a9.com...] if they have clients using Google?

Issue is CRM and search queries with customers intention not spam in the main point. As I understand IBM will launch application for this case. Some experts say Google and IBM will be in the line in the future. It is interesting why search engine companies do not worry with redirections inside newsletters but worry with search and intentions of people. You have business risk when you send newsletter and if there would be sales than Google and other search engines would create link inside Analytics.

My opinion is the following for year 2011:
If you use all the time web mail applications, than you lose flexibility of CRM where is important mobile CRM. It is true that people use more and more plain text e-mail messages as content and reading is more important than general links which people already have. I agree with this.

Some of the top blogs use newsletter (email message) like:
1. Reply: mypersonalblog@yahoo (gmail).com
2. Plain text message
3. Minimum options like Subscribe, Unsubscribe,
3.1 Click here to safely unsubscribe
3.2 Click here to view mailing archives or here to subscribe

You will have subscribers that are not angry as reply is YAHOO, GMAIL and sent by valid service inside header like:
[e-mail]

I have never used feedblitz.com but maybe some of them will give feedback.

[xshadow]

Toplisek, I entirely agree with what youre saying.

I suppose you must try first and see how it goes. I tried hosting myself, and it failed. Maybe if i put more effort in, then it would have succeeded. But with the relatively low cost options available for around 60$ a month for sometimes unlimited sending, it wasn't worth the hard work at the time.

[toplisek]

you post:I tried hosting myself
the relatively low cost options available for around 60$ a month

How much would you pay to send e-mail messages without your own hosting?

[Mr Bo Jangles]

How much would you pay to send e-mail messages without your own hosting?

About $10/500 emails sent

[xshadow]

$60 is what i pay to send without hosting. Hosting myself was cheaper, but not effective.

Mr Bo Jangles, $10/500 is a lot. It seems that prices are more in the region of 1.5c per message or below.

[Mr Bo Jangles]

Mr Bo Jangles, $10/500 is a lot. It seems that prices are more in the region of 1.5c per message or below.

I had a quick guess/estimate based on what my last payment was - I just checked CM's actual costs and they are $5 per campaign + 1cent per e-mail (or there are monthly arrangements with no cost per emails sent).

[xshadow]

I begrudge paying anything... I was once told email was free! :p