Recommendations for Hosting Your Own Email Marketing Platform?

[Crabcake Johnny]

Re: Recommendations for Hosting Your Own Email Marketing Platform

Well it's understandable. It's a huge liability on their end. They're charging people and can't afford to get blocked by someone importing a spam list.

And I'm not sure how this all works. Al's better to comment on it. If the emails are coming from your IP address, you'll be in trouble very shortly after you start sending the emails.

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

Re: Recommendations for Hosting Your Own Email Marketing Platform

Well it's understandable. It's a huge liability on their end. They're charging people and can't afford to get blocked by someone importing a spam list.

And I'm not sure how this all works. Al's better to comment on it. If the emails are coming from your IP address, you'll be in trouble very shortly after you start sending the emails.

Which IP addy are you referring to? Your shared hosting IP or your IP address from your high speed internet account?

 

[Crabcake Johnny]

Re: Recommendations for Hosting Your Own Email Marketing Platform

Again, this is out of my range of knowledge. When I send emails obviously Verizon knows about it unless I use a host such as Constant Contact. Then the liability shifts to them.

I would imagine you're beating the system by getting some kind of separate account, then sending the emails from a wifi spot. Al?

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

Re: Recommendations for Hosting Your Own Email Marketing Platform

I thought it was like Norvax, sent from their server....in this case it would be sent from the hostgator server (shared ip)..

 

[djs]

Re: Recommendations for Hosting Your Own Email Marketing Platform

Over the years, system administrators have learned the games that true spammers play.

Most email recipients automatically block dynamic IP's. This is what you have on your residential line. It's rare to have a static ip address at home.

The IP address is the IP address of the smtp server, i.e., the mailserver. For instance, if you use outlook, the IP address is the IP address of your mail host, not of your PC. If you host your own email server, then it is your ip address (very few people do this and not know they are doing this).

Domain names are rarely blocked, it is almost always done by IP address. Having a throw away domain name won't do you much good. In fact, just the opposite, it could hurt you since you will likely be seen as 'spoofing'. This will add points to your spam score.

On a shared mail server (lots of people using the same server to send mail), the host will detect either the high volume of emails coming from your account or a large number of bounce backs or yahoo, aol, gmail, msn, or any other host complaining about the number of email 'spams' they are getting. They will instantly shut down your domain so you can't send any email, and others can, then ask you to explain what you were doing. They don't take this lightly.

You should never send bulk email on a shared email server IP. Get your own IP.

Dan

 

[JamesJackson22]

Re: Recommendations for Hosting Your Own Email Marketing Platform

I think hosting your own email software is much more expensive. I used bluehost as someone mentioned and their platform was simple enough.

 

[Guest]

Re: Recommendations for Hosting Your Own Email Marketing Platform

I have my own dedicated server (which cost me $2500 a year) so I don't have as many restrictions as one would have with a hosted arrangement.

When mail goes out of your server (as opposed out of your home or office computer) usually it will contain the IP of your domian and my guess is that is a static IP (but it could be dynamic I think.) So if you have a 'throw-away' domain I believe only that domain would get blacklisted. However, the ISP's smtp (mail server) IP might also get blacklisted and they get rather miffed if that happens, no matter if you are hosted or dedicated.

I send to a list of only 800 or so. Thus I don't have to do any throttling (although phpList has some facilities for that.) But I did find one thing out about a year ago. When I sent my newsletter out in html format I was bounced by anyone with a GoDaddy or AOL IP (meaning they hosted their site at GoDaddy or used xxx @ aol.com) I also got a lot of feedback saying my stuff landed in their spam buckets.

I started to send out PLAIN TEXT emails with a link to my news letter. I just write a short intro saying what the news letter contained and enclosed the link to it. Here is my last one:

Dear Everyone:

Here is the link to the latest edition of "The Insurance Tattler" newsletter. This is not your usual, boring, 'why bother' missive from yet another insurance drone. Click (or paste in browser) and you will see for yourself!

(link goes here)

Two items here:

1. A letter to everyone about why I am leaving the individual health sector.

2. A short piece on life coverage for those who don't think they can get accepted due to health issues... cancer, heart attack, etc.


Regards,

Al

I put the HTML on my website as a "page".

Easy peasy.

Since doing that... not one bounce and no complaints from recipients about ending up in their spam filters. Go figure.

I don't know why but it seems that HTML mail is highly scrutinized by the anti-spam mail-bots but short plain-text mail seems to flow right through. Again, I'm sending to a rather small list who are all opt-ins.

Everyone asks me "So Al, how many people actually click on your link and READ your newsletter?"

Answer: I don't give a %$#@

The object of the newsletter is NOT to teach or sell or explain or preach or convert or canvass or proselytize or persuade.

The purpose is to get my NAME in front of the client/prospect so when their friend asks "Mary, do you know a good life agent" Mary will answer "Well, there is this guy who sends me a newsletter each month. I don't pay much attention to it but he seems like he knows what he's doing."

And everyone asks "How much business do you get from readers."

Answer: "Not a freakin' bit."

It's true. I can't think of one policy I've ever written to a subscriber. BUT I get a $#@!-load of REFERRALS and I write almost very damn one of them (when I did health.) The readers don't buy from me, but they send their friends and colleagues. I've never figured it out. It is a mystery.

HTH. YMMV.

Al
You can find me here... let's have a beer!

 

[Pangaea]

Re: Recommendations for Hosting Your Own Email Marketing Platform

I agree with Al in regards to using the newsletter for brand equity, but I'm going to disagree w/ its implementation.

Our company has five dedicated and VPS servers [four linux - one windows 2003 (one for cloud hosting, one for process automation, hosting for customers, hosting for our affiliate network) and we just use Aweber for email.

Reason being: I can throw up campaigns in seconds.

I've made my own email apps before which I use if I need to do high volume email deployment (read: spam), but for personally managed newsletters I've always used and recommended aweber... and not just because I get a commission for every person that signs up.

I've used it for nearly five years now and swear by it for quick landers: Aweber.com (FYI:If you sign up through my referrer's link it's only $1 for the first month.)

Al, I think you giving advice on choosing hosting is like asking Hikaru Nakamura for chess lessons. Sure you know how to do what needs to be done, but you're not very good at dumbing it down for the rest of us.

 

[pcwest]

Re: Recommendations for Hosting Your Own Email Marketing Platform

I've been using insurancenewsletters.com to send out my newsletters.

I just point and click and my list is always updated.

I've had no issues... Tell them I sent you if you like them.

 

[OKAdvisor]

Re: Recommendations for Hosting Your Own Email Marketing Platform

Check into MailChimp.com. I have used it many times in the past and for the little amount of money they charge it's completely worth it.

PS I am in no way affiliated with mailchimp.com.

Best,
Darren