We have a mailing list too 04 Oct 2006
8 comments Latest by John S. Rhodes
This blog isn’t the only way we stay in touch with our customers, potential customers, lurkers, spectators, lovers, and haters — we also have a mailing list (powered by Campaign Monitor — one of our favorite apps run by some of our favorite people down under).
We use the mailing list to send infrequent emails about what we’ve been up to, what we’ve just launched, and what’s coming up next. We also recap blog posts and share anything else we think is worth sharing. On average we may send just one email a month so you don’t have to worry about us filling up your inbox (or your trash).
Over 12,000 people have signed up so far. If you aren’t signed up you can do so by filling out the form below.
Thanks.
8 comments so far (Jump to latest)
Dave Rau 04 Oct 06
Just curious… paying for 12,000 emails even at one cent per email is a bit much eh? Josh and I loved using mailchimp.com to send semi-monthly newsletters, but even our tiny list got a tad expensive for a monthly newsletter. We’ve switched to Dada Mail (free, linux based) since we didn’t need a lot of features like the overwhelming Mailman offers.
Why use a hosted solution instead of a homegrown or free solution? Not that I have anything against supporting a rad company… just wondering.
p.s. the recaps are always excellent. Even for folks like me coming to the site a few times a day; it helps jog my memory about a good post from 2 or 3 weeks ago.
Dave Greiner 04 Oct 06
Thanks for the props Jason, much appreciated man. Dave, there are plenty of benefits of using a hosted app rather than a local solution. The biggest of these would be deliverability. Campaign Monitor’s servers have been whitelisted by many of the major ISP’s, we monitor blacklists daily and ensure our software is never abused by the bad guys.
We also process all bounces and unsubscribes for you automatically, can deliver your email in a timely manner and offer support and advice on getting the most out of your email newsletters.
Of course, a hosted solution might be the right fit for some people, yourself included. In our experience though, plenty of web designers are happy to pay a little for a solution that works well, doesn’t require a complex installation and offers solid support to their customers.
Brett 05 Oct 06
I’m curious. I read your posts (all RSS) in Thunderbird and when I try to use the form to subscribe, it doesn’t work. When I visit your site, it does.
Is this a problem with Thunderbird? I always thought this was bad practice to use forms in distributed communication such as emails and RSS feeds?
I’ve used Campaign Monitor and it is a great service.
Mike McDerment 05 Oct 06
Campaign Monitor is a great tool/service/app/thing. And I’d say remotely hosted and managed solutions for email are defintely the way to go…
John S. Rhodes 05 Oct 06
Besides overt request to have people join a mailing list, like Jason has done, what is your most effective way of getting people on board?
My quick story is that I’ve got a few web sites and it is completely hit or miss on whether my mailing lists grow or not. In some cases, people literally beg to join. In other cases, I can hardly pay them to join. Obviously, the users are different and the material is different. I’m still vexed.
So, what methods really work for you? What are some of the best ways to build up a mailing list?
p.s. If you’re feeling generous, maybe you could tell me what I’m doing wrong on my sign up page…
http://tinyurl.com/p45tx
eoecho | Greg Magnus 05 Oct 06
I agree with your choice with respect to the hosted app over a home grown solution. I used an inexpensive software solution which ran on my server for a year before abandoning it. It was easy to use, but the time required to manage numerous email issues far exceeded the cost for a hosted solution.
Rob 05 Oct 06
Dave - please. Do you really think 37Signals pays CP to send mails? They get the service for free just for mentioning their name here. Don’t be fooled.
John S. Rhodes 05 Oct 06
Rob wrote: “Do you really think 37Signals pays CP to send mails? They get the service for free just for mentioning their name here. Don’t be fooled.”
I thought the same thing. But, it seems so negative. Is there a way to think about this in a positive way? I think so…
They probably aren’t directly paying with cold hard cash but they are conducting trade. Specifically, they might be bartering. Perhaps this is a formal agreement, perhaps not.
37s talks about CM in a friendly way and CM offers up free campaigns. That seems perfectly reasonable. But then I wonder…
If there is a barter situation, who’s making out better? We know half the answer. Without a bulk discount, 37s would need to pay $125 ($5 + (12,000 * 0.01)) to send their newsletter out. To get the other half, we would have to sift through pricing on The Deck and their mysterious cost-per-influence.
My guess is that if there is a barter, CM is making out like a bandit. Most smart businesses would love to be mentioned by 37s. They’re influential. But also, they’ve got some mad eyeballz looking at their site.
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