best way to market

[tfinch]

Hello, how does one get started with email marketing? I created an HTML page and copied and pasted it into an email, then sent it. It works well but I would like to find a program that would send these pages automatically. I am only sending to people on my mail list, not blindly. Also, is there a way to track these somehow? I see companies offering this service but only have about 10-15 people on my mailing list. Can anyone suggest a way to do this automatically? - thanks!

[leonievs]

10 to 15 people is not very much.
we use contact contact, which also has tracking and a opt-in form to place on your site etc, but it will be too expensive for only 10 to 15 people... Or you should get more subscribers by advertising your newsletter on your site.
sending them 'by hand' is the best option for you right now I guess.

(Keep in mind that if you create a html page and send it by email it might look different in Outlook Express, Hotmail or... etc. Especially the fonts and the links will sometimes look different, depending on the browser or software of the receiver)

Leonie

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[tfinch]

So, how do I create these email flyers? I look at the code on some of them that I get and they are all done in HTML. Sorry, I am new to this and would like more info. We really just want to send to our exisiting customers, not mass mailing. Can anyone suggest something that will help us? We would like to have autoresponders but not in a text format.
Thanks again

[MickeX]

If you have only 10-15 contacts it is best to use some kind of program instead. It is often more easy to maintain and will be cheapier with time.

With new Outlook 2003, co-operating wiht Word 2003, you can achieve this quit easy. Otherwise you can buy a program that do the same work for you.

I use myself this program:
http://www.samlogic.net/multimailer/multimailer.htm

It is quit cheap, but I dont know if it is the best. There are so many program at the market today.

[deluxar]

Beware of AOL users, AOL email program may not read HTML well sometimes.

If you use HTML, you may stick in a 1x1-pixel gif at the end of the page. When email being opened, your hosting will record such an image request. So, you can track it somehow.

But more and more softwares including gmail and outlook 2003 are blocking such way of tracking.

deluxar

[jimgr46]

Hey, I'd highly recommend signing up for intellicontact pro. You can get a subscriber limit of 500 for only $9.95/month. They also have a 15 day free trial so that will give you a chance to see all of their features. I have to say that I have used many of the top email marketing programs, but none of them compare to intellicontact. Their support is wonderful as well. You can find it here: http://www.intellicontact.com

-jim

[Duncan Pollock]

I'll second that motion! I use IntelliContactPro myself and find them very helpful whenever I've any questions or concerns.

Duncan

[John Glube]

Originally Posted by tfinch

Hello, how does one get started with email marketing? I created an HTML page and copied and pasted it into an email, then sent it. It works well but I would like to find a program that would send these pages automatically. I am only sending to people on my mail list, not blindly. Also, is there a way to track these somehow? I see companies offering this service but only have about 10-15 people on my mailing list. Can anyone suggest a way to do this automatically? - thanks!

Today you only have 10 people on your list. Next month ... who knows how many ... thousands perhaps.

My point? In building and marketing to a list you need to make some choices up front.

The first question. Is my mailing list going to be a business or a hobby?

The second question. If this is a business, then I need to consider making some proper choices up front.

Do I want to do the mailings myself or do I want to have a third party handle this aspect of my business?

In making this choice, if I want to do my own mailings, keep in mind there is some effort involved.

It is not simply a matter of, well if I use open source software and learn how to do it, I can save a few dollars and once things are up and running then spend the dollars.

This is not the best plan.

On the other hand, neither is the best plan to go out and spend zillions of dollars up front.

Let's step back and think through a bit how we want to spend our time and effort as our business grows.

Okay, having said all of this, a couple of suggestions:

* On the mechanics side, to get a good understanding of the basics, pick up a copy of

Email for Newbies The Gobbledygook Explained by Joe Robson of the Newbie Club.

(Yes that is an affiliate link.)

* If you want a list management service with the bells and whistles, Bighip let's you run a list of up to 50 contacts using their service for free.

No, that is not an affiliate link. The service is a new entrant to the SOHO market. At present there is no affiliate program.

So, if it is a new entrant, why not recommend one of the existing players like Constant Contact or IntelliContact.

I am biased and will admit it up front. The owners have asked me to review the service and so far I like what I see.

Also, Bighip is a member of a business organization of which I am a member, so ...

* If want sequential auto responders and list management ability, with various bells and whistles, AWeber is a highly reputable service.

(Yes, this is an affiliate link. I use this service and recommend it to others.)

Trusting these resources are of assistance.

John Glube
Toronto, Canada