Question

Topic: E-Marketing

Esps: Which Ones Are Best For My Clientele?

Posted by Anonymous on 12/17/2008 at 8:45 PM ET 500 Points
I have sent email newsletters on behalf of clients for 5 years, uploading HTML that we created for them and using Campaigner.

However, now I'm teaching a teleclass on ezines to do-it-yourselfers, and I need to be able to recommend 3 ESPs that can do the following:

1) EITHER let them use easy, pre-made templates OR upload their own header and other images into a template (so as to keep their branding and coordinate with their website).
2) IF they can upload their own header/images, it must be SUPER, SUPER easy to use. Some of them are VERY non-techie but still determined to do it themselves.
3) Give appropriate metrics
4) Have great & accessible customer service
5) Allow them to upload an existing contact list without reconfirming.
6) Be priced on the low end, at a rate appropriate for solo-professionals.
7) An easy-to-use, built-in autoresponder system.

Bonus would be allows multiple lists.

Can you please recommend your top 3 (or at least one) ESPs that would meet these criteria? OK to recommend your own service, if it fits. Then I will tool around each of them to see which will work the best for my clients.

Thanks so much!

Linda
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Neil on 12/17/2008 at 8:53 PM Accepted
    In the interest of full disclosure I work for this company but the StreamSend Email Marketing service might meet your needs. We offer a free trial so you can give us a try. We do not require anything beyond a month-to-month service so you can try us at a full account level and cancel any time.

    In addition, we have a private label reseller program that might interest you. Thanks.
  • Posted by Inbox_Interactive on 12/17/2008 at 9:57 PM Accepted
    You should take a look at StreamSend.

    (1) They offer templates, and clients can upload their own files either from their local drive or a published Web page.

    (2) The user interface is friendly.

    (3) Metrics are solid. The delivery report gives as much detail as you could ask.

    (4) Customer service is great.

    (5) You can import a list without reconfirming.

    (6) Pricing is suitable for your purpose.

    (7) There are auto-responders, but I'm not sure exactly what you're talking about here. Do you mean like for drip campaigns?

    The reseller program is also 100% transparent with no ESP branding at all, anywhere. And with that reseller account, you can set up separate sub-accounts and access them under one login, while still giving your clients individual access.

    In addition, you can have a dedicated IP address for each account -- something that many ESPs offer only at considerable expense.

    (FYI, I have no financial interest in this. I just like to make sure people know about a good product when it's available.)

    - Paul
  • Posted by Frank Hurtte on 12/17/2008 at 10:11 PM Accepted
    In my mind Constantcontact would have to be one of the choices. In my world, they are the dominant force in do-it-yourself email campaigns.
  • Posted by Mikee on 12/17/2008 at 10:17 PM Accepted
    Our church uses Constant Contact and it seems pretty easy.

    Mike
  • Posted by Neil on 12/18/2008 at 1:30 AM Accepted
    Inbox Interactive covered it. Thanks.

    StreamSend has something called triggers which are both date driven and number of days since a subscriber was added to to the list driven. Examples:

    1. An email on someone's birthday is date driven.

    2. An email 3, 7, and 18 and 27 days, etc., after someone subscribed is the sort of drip marketing approach.

    Thanks.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 12/18/2008 at 8:57 AM Accepted
    Also: https://www.myemma.com/
  • Posted on 12/18/2008 at 11:12 AM Accepted
    As the author of Email Marketing for Dummies and a Constant Contact Director, I appreciate the opportunity to contribute. A few people have mentioned our company (thank you) and our web site addresses many of your questions/how we meet these needs: https://www.constantcontact.com/email-marketing/index.jsp. I’d be happy to discuss our service further if there is any interest. Thank you.

    John Arnold
  • Posted by excellira on 12/18/2008 at 2:36 PM Accepted
    I've looked at a number of them for our own purposes and I'm testing Mail Chimp right now. It looks promising but I've just started evaluating it.

    MyEmma has been mentioned. Aweber is also an option.

    I haven't looked at streamsend yet but email is Paul's business so I'd take a hard look at his recommendation.
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