Mass Emailings

[rfontaine]

Hi,

I have tried PHPlist and Mailman on my Virtual private server for our 5,000 member mailing list. Both are clunky for what I want to do, so I rolled my own mailing list program with php/mysql.

Does anyone here know of potential problems and solutions for mailing out so many emails within a short (say, one-hour) period of time? I need to send them out at a certain time of day because the content is time sensitive (news).

I've thought of creating a cron job that emails them in batches of 1000 or so.

How do spammers send out so many millions of emails every day? That must take alot of resources!

Thank you.

[MarkHutch]

Not sure if this still applies, but here goes.

In the past, big providers like AOL and Hotmail will just delete all email that is sent that fast. In other words, no AOL user will get your message and you will not get a returned email notice either. It's getting very difficult to market via email, even if it's a real opt in list and the people want to read what you're sending.

[txbakers]

I agree. I gave up eMail Marketing about 2 years ago. Even some of our customers tech departments are blocking legitimate emails as SPAM and I need to contact them and remind them that we are a legitimate business.

As soon as we put the "replica rolex" and "get it up again" people in Jail, and the junk email subsides for a while, perhaps we can use it again. But I don't do it anymore.

[steakster]

Being a newbie, this forum is incredible. I'm in heaven. My website that is finally being developed is based on an existing association membership - of about 5000 small businesses. There will be a need to email all of them with updated information on a regular basis. Can this be done easily? I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thanks!

[txbakers]

if you run your own mailserver, you can set up a mailing list and handle that many emails no problem.

If you do it through a third party, you run the risk of being blocked as a spammer.

Even with your own server you might be blocked from some locations.

Sad but true.

[MarkHutch]

That's right! With email, you are guilty until you can prove you are innocent and ISP's are willing to ban anyone, even someone innocent if they are threatened with getting on a large email black list.